Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Virginia Beach, VA and Vancouver

For one person, living costs are similar in Virginia Beach, VA and in Vancouver: $2,790 and $2,684 a month, rent and utilities included.

135

Cost of Living Index in Virginia Beach, VA
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Virginia Beach, VA Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index

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Virginia Beach, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,790

/mo nomad

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,684

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Virginia Beach, VA 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 Virginia Beach, VA and in Vancouver actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,790 in Virginia Beach, VA versus $2,684 in Vancouver.

Virginia Beach, VA $2,790
Vancouver $2,684

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,973 in Virginia Beach, VA versus $3,878 in Vancouver.

Virginia Beach, VA $3,973
Vancouver $3,878

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,156 in Virginia Beach, VA versus $5,072 in Vancouver.

Virginia Beach, VA $5,156
Vancouver $5,072

Living in Virginia Beach, VA is roughly 4% more expensive than in Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Virginia Beach, VA 108% above, Vancouver 100% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.76 $17.76

$17.30 CA$24.67

2.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.6 $89.6

$69.0 CA$98.3

29.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.14 $12.14

$10.56 CA$15.06

14.96%

Cappuccino

$5.75 $5.75

$3.89 CA$5.55

47.81%

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

$2.78 $2.78

$2.05 CA$2.93

35.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.62 CA$2.31

30.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.11 $6.11

$5.54 CA$7.91

10.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.21 $7.21

$6.33 CA$9.02

13.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$2.31 CA$3.30

-55.41%

White Bread (500g)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.50 CA$3.57

23.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.44 $5.44

$4.44 CA$6.34

22.52%

Eggs

$4.66 $4.66

$4.07 CA$5.80

14.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.14 $10.14

$11.28 CA$16.08

-10.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 $9.65

$13.42 CA$19.13

-28.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.11 $18.11

$20.10 CA$28.66

-9.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 $2.59

$4.06 CA$5.79

-36.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.33 CA$1.90

17.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$3.91 CA$5.57

32.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.65 $5.65

$4.05 CA$5.78

39.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 $2.34

$2.72 CA$3.88

-13.97%

Onion (1kg)

$4.62 $4.62

$2.89 CA$4.12

59.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.85 $1.85

$2.53 CA$3.61

-26.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.62 CA$2.31

37.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.02 $9.02

$15.57 CA$22.20

-42.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.02 $12.02

$14.05 CA$20.03

-14.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 $1.82

$2.69 CA$3.83

-32.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$2.99 CA$4.27

-29.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.44 CA$3.48

-15.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.0 $69.0

$83.4 CA$119

-17.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.70 $4.70

$2.71 CA$3.87

73.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.57 CA$2.24

-17.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.10 $20.10

$31.39 CA$44.76

-35.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.38 CA$1.96

-24.64%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$28.1K CA$40.0K

27.85%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$19.8K CA$28.3K

28.40%

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

$205 $205

$81.2 CA$116

153.02%

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

$59.1 $59.1

$37.45 CA$53.4

57.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.6 $66.6

$51.4 CA$73.3

29.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.34 $44.34

$43.47 CA$62.0

2.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.48 $34.48

$12.53 CA$17.86

175.18%

Cinema Ticket

$11.89 $11.89

$12.54 CA$17.88

-5.18%

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

$1,586 $1,586

$1,094 CA$1,560

44.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K $16.3K

$19.9K CA$28.4K

-18.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.2 $60.2

$57.0 CA$81.3

5.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.89 $47.89

$32.73 CA$46.67

46.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 $116

$92.6 CA$132

25.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 $111

$94.2 CA$134

17.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,823 $1,823

$1,745 CA$2,489

4.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,425 $1,425

$1,484 CA$2,116

-3.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,785 $2,785

$2,998 CA$4,275

-7.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,150 $2,150

$2,422 CA$3,454

-11.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,287 $2,287

$8,002 CA$11.4K

-71.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,308 $2,308

$6,457 CA$9,207

-64.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,203 $4,203

$3,799 CA$5,417

10.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

4.28

53.50%

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

Last update for Virginia Beach, VA: October 6, 2026

Last update for Vancouver: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Virginia Beach, VA

$1.4K 51.8%

Vancouver

$1.5K 56.6% 4.1% $59

Groceries & Markets

Virginia Beach, VA

$374 13.6%

Vancouver

$399 15.2% 6.6% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Virginia Beach, VA

$331 12%

Vancouver

$170 6.5% 48.7% $161

Eating Out

Virginia Beach, VA

$312 11.4%

Vancouver

$272 10.4% 12.9% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Virginia Beach, VA

$151 5.5%

Vancouver

$124 4.8% 17.5% $26

Getting Around

Virginia Beach, VA

$88 3.2%

Vancouver

$104 4% 17.4% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Virginia Beach, VA

$68 2.5%

Vancouver

$69 2.6% 0.6% $0.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,823 in Virginia Beach, VA and $1,745 in Vancouver. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Virginia Beach, VA 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: $90.0 in Virginia Beach, VA vs $69.0 in Vancouver. Groceries flip the comparison at $374 vs $399, with Virginia Beach, VA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Virginia Beach, VA

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🕒 Local time

11:30 11:30 AM

08:30 8:30 AM

3 h behind Virginia Beach, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

459,470

631,486

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 CAD = 0.701 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.701 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

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Virginia Beach, VA Vancouver 4,000 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Virginia Beach, VA vs Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Virginia Beach, VA and Vancouver differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($2,790 vs $2,684 including rent). Vancouver is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 11% higher in Virginia Beach, VA, 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: $1,823 in Virginia Beach, VA versus $1,745 in Vancouver. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Vancouver – a meal for two runs $69.0 versus $90.0 in Virginia Beach, VA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,790 per month in Virginia Beach, VA versus $2,684 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. 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 4% less than in Virginia Beach, VA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.