Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Victoria and Vancouver

For one person, living is cheaper in Victoria: $267 a month against $2,626 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $28,300 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

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Victoria

🇬🇩 Grenada

$267

/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: $267 in Victoria versus $2,626 in Vancouver.

Victoria $267
Vancouver $2,626

Estimated couple costs with rent: $442 in Victoria versus $3,841 in Vancouver.

Victoria $442
Vancouver $3,841

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $616 in Victoria versus $5,056 in Vancouver.

Victoria $616
Vancouver $5,056

Living in Victoria costs roughly 90% less than in Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Victoria is 80% below, Vancouver is 95% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 CA$24.30

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 CA$97.6

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.61 CA$15.00

Cappuccino

$3.83 CA$5.42

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

$2.04 CA$2.88

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 CA$2.34

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.54 CA$7.83

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.20 CA$8.77

Milk (1 liter)

$6.40 EC$17.29

$2.14 CA$3.02

199.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 EC$2.79

$2.51 CA$3.54

-58.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 EC$4.50

$4.49 CA$6.35

-62.81%

Eggs

$3.80 EC$10.26

$4.09 CA$5.78

-7.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.01 EC$21.63

$11.73 CA$16.58

-31.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.49 EC$12.12

$13.11 CA$18.54

-65.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.41 EC$11.90

$19.50 CA$27.57

-77.38%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 CA$5.65

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 EC$4.29

$1.38 CA$1.94

15.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 CA$5.48

Tomato (1kg)

$6.37 EC$17.21

$3.95 CA$5.58

61.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 EC$6.55

$2.72 CA$3.85

-10.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.43 EC$6.57

$2.86 CA$4.05

-15.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.83 EC$4.95

$2.46 CA$3.48

-25.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 EC$5.07

$1.56 CA$2.21

20.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.48 CA$21.88

Wine (Bottle)

$7.32 EC$19.76

$13.75 CA$19.44

-46.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 EC$5.09

$2.63 CA$3.72

-28.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 EC$4.94

$2.89 CA$4.09

-36.68%

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

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 CA$2.24

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.05 CA$43.89

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 CA$1.94

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

$27.7K CA$39.1K

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

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

$82.5 CA$117

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

$37.26 CA$52.7

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 CA$73.1

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.87 CA$60.6

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.40 CA$17.53

Cinema Ticket

$12.13 CA$17.15

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

$1,102 CA$1,557

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K CA$28.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 CA$79.7

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.43 CA$47.26

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 CA$133

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.8 CA$133

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,775 CA$2,509

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,497 CA$2,116

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,082 CA$4,357

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,416 CA$3,416

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,069 CA$11.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,449 CA$9,118

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,776 CA$5,339

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

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

Last update for Victoria: October 11, 2026

Last update for Vancouver: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Victoria

–

Vancouver

$1.5K 57%

Groceries & Markets

Victoria

–

Vancouver

$392 14.9%

Eating Out

Victoria

–

Vancouver

$270 10.3%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Victoria

–

Vancouver

$171 6.5%

Clothing & Footwear

Victoria

–

Vancouver

$125 4.8%

Getting Around

Victoria

–

Vancouver

$104 3.9%

Sport & Entertainment

Victoria

–

Vancouver

$67 2.6%

Good to know

🇬🇩 Victoria

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🕒 Local time

12:05 12:05 PM

09:05 9:05 AM

3 h behind Victoria

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,256

631,486

💱 Currency

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.329 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to XCD – East Caribbean Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 East Caribbean Dollar ($)

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.04 XCD (1 XCD = 0.329 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

USD to XCD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Victoria Vancouver 6,920 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Victoria
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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

Victoria vs Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Victoria and Vancouver differ by about 883% in total monthly costs ($267 vs $2,626 including rent). Victoria is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $401 in Victoria and $3,939 in Vancouver to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Vancouver. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $267 per month in Victoria versus $2,626 in Vancouver – a 883% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $267 in Victoria versus $2,626 in Vancouver, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Victoria but tight or insufficient in Vancouver. The gap between the two cities makes Victoria the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Victoria and Vancouver are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Victoria gentler on the wallet – expenses run 883% less than in Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.