Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Worcester, MA

For one person, living is cheaper in Vancouver: $2,626 a month against $2,930 in Worcester, MA, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index
141

Cost of Living Index in Worcester, MA
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Worcester, MA Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,626

/mo nomad

Worcester, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,930

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Worcester, MA

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 Worcester, MA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,626 in Vancouver versus $2,930 in Worcester, MA.

Vancouver $2,626
Worcester, MA $2,930

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,841 in Vancouver versus $4,087 in Worcester, MA.

Vancouver $3,841
Worcester, MA $4,087

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,056 in Vancouver versus $5,243 in Worcester, MA.

Vancouver $5,056
Worcester, MA $5,243

Living in Vancouver costs roughly 10% less than in Worcester, MA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 95% above, Worcester, MA 117% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 CA$24.30

$22.75 $22.75

-24.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 CA$97.6

$73.7 $73.7

-6.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.61 CA$15.00

$12.18 $12.18

-12.89%

Cappuccino

$3.83 CA$5.42

$5.10 $5.10

-24.90%

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

$2.04 CA$2.88

$2.38 $2.38

-14.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 CA$2.34

$1.68 $1.68

-1.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.54 CA$7.83

$5.97 $5.97

-7.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.20 CA$8.77

$6.88 $6.88

-9.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 CA$3.02

$1.20 $1.20

78.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 CA$3.54

$3.68 $3.68

-31.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.49 CA$6.35

$5.08 $5.08

-11.61%

Eggs

$4.09 CA$5.78

$3.80 $3.80

7.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.73 CA$16.58

$19.07 $19.07

-38.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.11 CA$18.54

$10.75 $10.75

21.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.50 CA$27.57

$20.37 $20.37

-4.27%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 CA$5.65

$3.74 $3.74

6.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.94

$1.39 $1.39

-0.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 CA$5.48

$3.43 $3.43

13.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 CA$5.58

$4.86 $4.86

-18.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 CA$3.85

$2.97 $2.97

-8.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 CA$4.05

$3.34 $3.34

-14.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 CA$3.48

$1.83 $1.83

34.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 CA$2.21

$1.51 $1.51

3.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.48 CA$21.88

$13.04 $13.04

18.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.75 CA$19.44

$12.13 $12.13

13.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 CA$3.72

$1.69 $1.69

55.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 CA$4.09

$3.36 $3.36

-13.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.48 CA$3.51

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.0 CA$117

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.72 CA$3.85

$4.90 $4.90

-44.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 CA$2.24

$2.42 $2.42

-34.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.05 CA$43.89

$35.67 $35.67

-12.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 CA$1.94

$1.09 $1.09

25.69%

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

$27.7K CA$39.1K

$34.6K $34.6K

-20.15%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$24.6K $24.6K

-20.18%

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

$82.5 CA$117

$190 $190

-56.63%

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

$37.26 CA$52.7

$56.1 $56.1

-33.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 CA$73.1

$62.1 $62.1

-16.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.87 CA$60.6

$28.64 $28.64

49.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.40 CA$17.53

$30.24 $30.24

-58.99%

Cinema Ticket

$12.13 CA$17.15

$16.54 $16.54

-26.66%

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

$1,102 CA$1,557

$1,713 $1,713

-35.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K CA$28.0K

$43.7K $43.7K

-54.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 CA$79.7

$48.27 $48.27

16.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.43 CA$47.26

$34.60 $34.60

-3.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 CA$133

$92.3 $92.3

1.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.8 CA$133

$148 $148

-36.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,775 CA$2,509

$1,877 $1,877

-5.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,497 CA$2,116

$1,656 $1,656

-9.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,082 CA$4,357

$2,932 $2,932

5.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,416 CA$3,416

$2,376 $2,376

1.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,069 CA$11.4K

$2,867 $2,867

181.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,449 CA$9,118

$2,872 $2,872

124.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,776 CA$5,339

$4,195 $4,195

-9.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

6.33

-32.39%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 10, 2026

Last update for Worcester, MA: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.5K 57%

Worcester, MA

$1.7K 56.5% 10.7% $160

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$392 14.9%

Worcester, MA

$402 13.7% 2.4% $9.5

Eating Out

Vancouver

$270 10.3%

Worcester, MA

$340 11.6% 25.7% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$171 6.5%

Worcester, MA

$308 10.5% 79.8% $137

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$125 4.8%

Worcester, MA

$145 5% 16.3% $20

Getting Around

Vancouver

$104 3.9%

Worcester, MA

$17 * 0.6% 83.6% $87

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$67 2.6%

Worcester, MA

$62 2.1% 8.1% $5.4

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,775 in Vancouver and $1,877 in Worcester, MA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Worcester, MA pays 11% 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 $74.0 in Worcester, MA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $392 vs $402 per month, with Vancouver cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇺🇸 Worcester, MA

🕒 Local time

04:11 4:11 AM

07:11 7:11 AM

3 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

206,518

💱 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Vancouver Worcester, MA 3,980 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Vancouver
Worcester, MA

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Worcester, MA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vancouver and Worcester, MA differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($2,626 vs $2,930 including rent). Vancouver is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 11% lower in Worcester, MA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,775 in Vancouver versus $1,877 in Worcester, MA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Worcester, MA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,626 per month in Vancouver versus $2,930 in Worcester, MA – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Vancouver 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 Vancouver gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Worcester, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.