Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Waltham, MA and Vancouver

For one person, living is cheaper in Vancouver: $2,626 a month against $4,201 in Waltham, MA, rent and utilities included – about $18,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

207

Cost of Living Index in Waltham, MA
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Waltham, MA Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index

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Waltham, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,201

/mo nomad

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,626

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,201 in Waltham, MA versus $2,626 in Vancouver.

Waltham, MA $4,201
Vancouver $2,626

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,499 in Waltham, MA versus $3,841 in Vancouver.

Waltham, MA $6,499
Vancouver $3,841

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,798 in Waltham, MA versus $5,056 in Vancouver.

Waltham, MA $8,798
Vancouver $5,056

Living in Waltham, MA is roughly 60% more expensive than in Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Waltham, MA 211% above, Vancouver 95% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.71 $24.71

$17.19 CA$24.30

43.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.1 $97.1

$69.1 CA$97.6

40.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.14 $12.14

$10.61 CA$15.00

14.42%

Cappuccino

$5.37 $5.37

$3.83 CA$5.42

40.21%

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

$2.86 $2.86

$2.04 CA$2.88

40.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 $2.31

$1.65 CA$2.34

40.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.98 $4.98

$5.54 CA$7.83

-10.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.10 $8.10

$6.20 CA$8.77

30.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$2.14 CA$3.02

-49.53%

White Bread (500g)

$4.00 $4.00

$2.51 CA$3.54

59.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.40 $5.40

$4.49 CA$6.35

20.27%

Eggs

$4.87 $4.87

$4.09 CA$5.78

19.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.08 $11.08

$11.73 CA$16.58

-5.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.44 $14.44

$13.11 CA$18.54

10.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.44 $17.44

$19.50 CA$27.57

-10.56%

Apples (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$4.00 CA$5.65

67.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.38 CA$1.94

26.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.32 $5.32

$3.88 CA$5.48

37.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.62 $5.62

$3.95 CA$5.58

42.28%

Potato (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$2.72 CA$3.85

58.82%

Onion (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$2.86 CA$4.05

40.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.46 CA$3.48

17.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 $2.94

$1.56 CA$2.21

88.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.70 $12.70

$15.48 CA$21.88

-17.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.59 $13.59

$13.75 CA$19.44

-1.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 $2.15

$2.63 CA$3.72

-18.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.20 $4.20

$2.89 CA$4.09

45.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.48 CA$3.51

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.1 $59.1

$83.0 CA$117

-28.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 $2.64

$2.72 CA$3.85

-2.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.58 CA$2.24

7.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.34 $28.34

$31.05 CA$43.89

-8.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.37 CA$1.94

-23.36%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$27.7K CA$39.1K

30.56%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

33.55%

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

$321 $321

$82.5 CA$117

289.42%

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

$55.5 $55.5

$37.26 CA$52.7

49.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.0 $85.0

$51.7 CA$73.1

64.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$245 $245

$42.87 CA$60.6

472.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.40 CA$17.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.71 $14.71

$12.13 CA$17.15

21.27%

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

$1,868 $1,868

$1,102 CA$1,557

69.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.3K $30.3K

$19.8K CA$28.0K

52.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.6 $55.6

$56.4 CA$79.7

-1.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.65 $37.65

$33.43 CA$47.26

12.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.2 $81.2

$93.9 CA$133

-13.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.5 $99.5

$93.8 CA$133

6.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,457 $2,457

$1,775 CA$2,509

38.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,454 $2,454

$1,497 CA$2,116

63.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,393 $5,393

$3,082 CA$4,357

74.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,043 $5,043

$2,416 CA$3,416

108.69%

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)

$5,090 $5,090

$3,776 CA$5,339

34.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

4.28

55.14%

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

Last update for Waltham, MA: 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

Waltham, MA

$2.5K 58.4%

Vancouver

$1.5K 57% 39% $957

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Waltham, MA

$462 11%

Vancouver

$171 6.5% 62.9% $290

Groceries & Markets

Waltham, MA

$457 10.9%

Vancouver

$392 14.9% 14.2% $65

Eating Out

Waltham, MA

$360 8.6%

Vancouver

$270 10.3% 25% $90

Sport & Entertainment

Waltham, MA

$275 6.5%

Vancouver

$67 2.6% 75.6% $208

Clothing & Footwear

Waltham, MA

$123 2.9%

Vancouver

$125 4.8% 1.3% $1.6

Getting Around

Waltham, MA

$70 * 1.7%

Vancouver

$104 3.9% 47.3% $33

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 $2,457 in Waltham, MA and $1,775 in Vancouver. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Waltham, MA pays 35% 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: $97.0 in Waltham, MA vs $69.0 in Vancouver for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $457 vs $392 per month, with Vancouver cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Waltham, MA

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🕒 Local time

07:29 7:29 AM

04:29 4:29 AM

3 h behind Waltham, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

60,636

631,486

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

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).

CAD to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Waltham, MA Vancouver 4,010 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

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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

Waltham, MA vs Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Waltham, MA and Vancouver differ by about 60% in total monthly costs ($4,201 vs $2,626 including rent). Vancouver is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 35% higher in Waltham, MA, 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: $2,457 in Waltham, MA 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 Vancouver – a meal for two runs $69.0 versus $97.0 in Waltham, MA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $4,201 per month in Waltham, MA versus $2,626 in Vancouver – a 60% 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.

Safety-wise, Waltham, MA 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 Vancouver gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Waltham, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.