Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Winston-Salem, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in Winston-Salem, NC: $2,384 a month against $2,626 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Vancouver outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

129

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index
116

Cost of Living Index in Winston-Salem, NC
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Winston-Salem, NC Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,626

/mo nomad

Winston-Salem, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,384

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Winston-Salem, NC

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Vancouver and in Winston-Salem, NC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,626 in Vancouver versus $2,384 in Winston-Salem, NC.

Vancouver $2,626
Winston-Salem, NC $2,384

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,841 in Vancouver versus $3,790 in Winston-Salem, NC.

Vancouver $3,841
Winston-Salem, NC $3,790

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,056 in Vancouver versus $5,195 in Winston-Salem, NC.

Vancouver $5,056
Winston-Salem, NC $5,195

Living in Vancouver is roughly 10% more expensive than in Winston-Salem, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 95% above, Winston-Salem, NC 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 CA$24.30

$22.56 $22.56

-23.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 CA$97.6

$79.2 $79.2

-12.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.61 CA$15.00

$10.10 $10.10

5.05%

Cappuccino

$3.83 CA$5.42

$5.41 $5.41

-29.21%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 CA$2.88

$2.94 $2.94

-30.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 CA$2.34

$2.05 $2.05

-19.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.54 CA$7.83

$5.04 $5.04

9.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.20 CA$8.77

$6.13 $6.13

1.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 CA$3.02

$1.44 $1.44

48.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 CA$3.54

$4.76 $4.76

-47.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.49 CA$6.35

$9.57 $9.57

-53.08%

Eggs

$4.09 CA$5.78

$5.31 $5.31

-22.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.73 CA$16.58

$18.18 $18.18

-35.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.11 CA$18.54

$13.89 $13.89

-5.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.50 CA$27.57

$26.80 $26.80

-27.24%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 CA$5.65

$7.82 $7.82

-48.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.94

$3.03 $3.03

-54.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 CA$5.48

$6.75 $6.75

-42.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 CA$5.58

$7.46 $7.46

-47.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 CA$3.85

$4.91 $4.91

-44.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 CA$4.05

$6.22 $6.22

-54.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 CA$3.48

$2.76 $2.76

-10.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 CA$2.21

$3.41 $3.41

-54.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.48 CA$21.88

$7.76 $7.76

99.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.75 CA$19.44

$15.25 $15.25

-9.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 CA$3.72

$1.60 $1.60

64.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 CA$4.09

$4.36 $4.36

-33.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.48 CA$3.51

$2.05 $2.05

20.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.0 CA$117

$29.85 $29.85

178.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.72 CA$3.85

$6.95 $6.95

-60.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 CA$2.24

$2.33 $2.33

-32.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.05 CA$43.89

$14.74 $14.74

110.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 CA$1.94

$0.94 $0.94

45.74%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$27.7K CA$39.1K

$35.2K $35.2K

-21.33%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$26.1K $26.1K

-24.76%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$82.5 CA$117

$174 $174

-52.47%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$37.26 CA$52.7

$51.1 $51.1

-27.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 CA$73.1

$63.4 $63.4

-18.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.87 CA$60.6

$48.72 $48.72

-12.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.40 CA$17.53

$15.71 $15.71

-21.07%

Cinema Ticket

$12.13 CA$17.15

$11.95 $11.95

1.51%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,102 CA$1,557

$1,301 $1,301

-15.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K CA$28.0K

$10.2K $10.2K

94.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 CA$79.7

$39.65 $39.65

42.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.43 CA$47.26

$31.82 $31.82

5.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 CA$133

$85.3 $85.3

10.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.8 CA$133

$94.0 $94.0

-0.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,775 CA$2,509

$1,448 $1,448

22.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,497 CA$2,116

$947 $947

58.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,082 CA$4,357

$2,639 $2,639

16.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,416 CA$3,416

$1,917 $1,917

26.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,069 CA$11.4K

$6,350 $6,350

27.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,449 CA$9,118

$3,229 $3,229

99.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,776 CA$5,339

$3,555 $3,555

6.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

6.68

-35.93%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Vancouver: October 10, 2026

Last update for Winston-Salem, NC: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.5K 57%

Winston-Salem, NC

$947 39.7% 36.7% $550

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$392 14.9%

Winston-Salem, NC

$574 24.1% 46.2% $181

Eating Out

Vancouver

$270 10.3%

Winston-Salem, NC

$333 14% 23.3% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$171 6.5%

Winston-Salem, NC

$288 12.1% 68% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$125 4.8%

Winston-Salem, NC

$113 4.7% 9.6% $12

Getting Around

Vancouver

$104 3.9%

Winston-Salem, NC

$57 2.4% 45.2% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$67 2.6%

Winston-Salem, NC

$73 3.1% 8.2% $5.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,775 in Vancouver and $1,448 in Winston-Salem, NC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 6% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $69.0 in Vancouver vs $79.0 in Winston-Salem, NC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $392 vs $574 per month, with Vancouver cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇺🇸 Winston-Salem, NC

🕒 Local time

04:30 4:30 AM

07:30 7:30 AM

3 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

241,218

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Between locations

Vancouver Winston-Salem, NC 3,750 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

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Vancouver
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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Vancouver vs Winston-Salem, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vancouver and Winston-Salem, NC differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($2,626 vs $2,384 including rent). Winston-Salem, NC is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 6% higher in Vancouver, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,775 in Vancouver versus $1,448 in Winston-Salem, NC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Winston-Salem, NC – a meal for two runs $79.0 versus $69.0 in Vancouver. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,626 per month in Vancouver versus $2,384 in Winston-Salem, NC – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Winston-Salem, NC is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Winston-Salem, NC gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.