Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Victoria and Vancouver

For one person, living costs are similar in Victoria and in Vancouver: $2,536 and $2,626 a month, rent and utilities included.

123

Cost of Living Index in Victoria
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Victoria Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index

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Victoria

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,536

/mo nomad

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,626

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Victoria and in Vancouver

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,536 in Victoria versus $2,626 in Vancouver.

Victoria $2,536
Vancouver $2,626

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,847 in Victoria versus $3,841 in Vancouver.

Victoria $3,847
Vancouver $3,841

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,159 in Victoria versus $5,056 in Vancouver.

Victoria $5,159
Vancouver $5,056

Living in Victoria costs roughly 3% less than in Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Victoria 88% above, Vancouver 95% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.21 CA$27.16

$17.19 CA$24.30

11.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.2 CA$99.2

$69.1 CA$97.6

1.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.03 CA$15.59

$10.61 CA$15.00

3.96%

Cappuccino

$4.41 CA$6.23

$3.83 CA$5.42

15.14%

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

$2.33 CA$3.30

$2.04 CA$2.88

14.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 CA$2.65

$1.65 CA$2.34

13.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.63 CA$7.97

$5.54 CA$7.83

1.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.59 CA$9.31

$6.20 CA$8.77

6.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.73 CA$3.86

$2.14 CA$3.02

27.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.98 CA$4.22

$2.51 CA$3.54

18.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.02 CA$5.68

$4.49 CA$6.35

-10.47%

Eggs

$4.14 CA$5.85

$4.09 CA$5.78

1.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.73 CA$37.79

$11.73 CA$16.58

127.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.46 CA$17.62

$13.11 CA$18.54

-4.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.32 CA$20.25

$19.50 CA$27.57

-26.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.53

$4.00 CA$5.65

-2.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$1.38 CA$1.94

4.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.94 CA$5.57

$3.88 CA$5.48

1.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.20 CA$5.94

$3.95 CA$5.58

6.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.46 CA$4.89

$2.72 CA$3.85

27.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 CA$4.03

$2.86 CA$4.05

-0.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.17 CA$4.49

$2.46 CA$3.48

28.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 CA$3.46

$1.56 CA$2.21

57.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.95 CA$21.13

$15.48 CA$21.88

-3.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.38 CA$24.58

$13.75 CA$19.44

26.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.82 CA$5.40

$2.63 CA$3.72

45.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 CA$4.85

$2.89 CA$4.09

18.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 CA$2.89

$2.48 CA$3.51

-17.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.0 CA$84.8

$83.0 CA$117

-27.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.76 CA$3.90

$2.72 CA$3.85

1.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 CA$2.17

$1.58 CA$2.24

-3.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.02 CA$48.09

$31.05 CA$43.89

9.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 CA$2.00

$1.37 CA$1.94

2.92%

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

$27.4K CA$38.7K

$27.7K CA$39.1K

-0.99%

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

$18.5K CA$26.2K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

-5.76%

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

$104 CA$147

$82.5 CA$117

26.18%

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

$44.32 CA$62.7

$37.26 CA$52.7

18.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.9 CA$86.1

$51.7 CA$73.1

17.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.17 CA$61.0

$42.87 CA$60.6

0.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.01 CA$24.05

$12.40 CA$17.53

37.18%

Cinema Ticket

$10.63 CA$15.03

$12.13 CA$17.15

-12.37%

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

$886 CA$1,252

$1,102 CA$1,557

-19.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.2K CA$32.8K

$19.8K CA$28.0K

16.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 CA$75.5

$56.4 CA$79.7

-5.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.58 CA$61.6

$33.43 CA$47.26

30.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.9 CA$127

$93.9 CA$133

-4.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$149

$93.8 CA$133

12.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,521 CA$2,151

$1,775 CA$2,509

-14.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 CA$1,831

$1,497 CA$2,116

-13.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,720 CA$3,845

$3,082 CA$4,357

-11.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,315 CA$3,273

$2,416 CA$3,416

-4.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,206 CA$7,359

$8,069 CA$11.4K

-35.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,371 CA$6,179

$6,449 CA$9,118

-32.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,251 CA$4,595

$3,776 CA$5,339

-13.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.31

4.28

0.70%

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

Last update for Victoria: October 13, 2026

Last update for Vancouver: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Victoria

$1.3K 51.1%

Vancouver

$1.5K 57% 15.5% $201

Groceries & Markets

Victoria

$459 18.1%

Vancouver

$392 14.9% 14.5% $67

Eating Out

Victoria

$298 11.7%

Vancouver

$270 10.3% 9.3% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Victoria

$209 8.3%

Vancouver

$171 6.5% 18.1% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Victoria

$132 5.2%

Vancouver

$125 4.8% 5.1% $6.8

Getting Around

Victoria

$79 3.1%

Vancouver

$104 3.9% 31.7% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Victoria

$64 2.5%

Vancouver

$67 2.6% 4.2% $2.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,521 in Victoria and $1,775 in Vancouver. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 16% 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: $70.0 in Victoria vs $69.0 in Vancouver for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $459 vs $392 per month, with Vancouver cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Victoria

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🕒 Local time

02:37 2:37 AM

Same time as Victoria

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

85,792

631,486

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Victoria Vancouver 94 km

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Victoria
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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

Victoria vs Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Victoria and Vancouver differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($2,536 vs $2,626 including rent). Victoria is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 16% lower in Vancouver. 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: $1,521 in Victoria versus $1,775 in Vancouver. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Victoria – a meal for two runs $70.0 versus $69.0 in Vancouver. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,536 per month in Victoria versus $2,626 in Vancouver – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Victoria 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 Victoria gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.