Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Williams Lake, BC and Vancouver

For one person, living is cheaper in Williams Lake, BC: $2,038 a month against $2,725 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

98

Cost of Living Index in Williams Lake, BC
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Williams Lake, BC Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index

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Williams Lake, BC

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,038

/mo nomad

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,725

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,038 in Williams Lake, BC versus $2,725 in Vancouver.

Williams Lake, BC $2,038
Vancouver $2,725

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,920 in Williams Lake, BC versus $4,039 in Vancouver.

Williams Lake, BC $2,920
Vancouver $4,039

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,801 in Williams Lake, BC versus $5,352 in Vancouver.

Williams Lake, BC $3,801
Vancouver $5,352

Living in Williams Lake, BC costs roughly 25% less than in Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Williams Lake, BC 50% above, Vancouver 100% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.74 CA$24.90

$17.65 CA$24.77

0.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 CA$89.0

$72.4 CA$102

-12.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.62 CA$14.90

$10.84 CA$15.21

-2.03%

Cappuccino

$3.61 CA$5.07

$3.91 CA$5.49

-7.67%

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

$2.08 CA$2.92

$2.10 CA$2.95

-0.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 CA$2.37

$1.64 CA$2.30

3.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.88 CA$6.84

$5.74 CA$8.06

-14.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.36 CA$7.53

$6.36 CA$8.93

-15.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.27 CA$3.19

$2.21 CA$3.10

2.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 CA$3.61

$2.64 CA$3.71

-2.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.80 CA$5.33

$4.68 CA$6.56

-18.80%

Eggs

$3.38 CA$4.74

$4.24 CA$5.95

-20.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.16 CA$14.26

$11.92 CA$16.73

-14.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.80 CA$16.56

$13.12 CA$18.42

-10.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.60 CA$20.49

$20.40 CA$28.63

-28.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 CA$5.26

$4.10 CA$5.76

-8.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 CA$1.87

$1.38 CA$1.93

-3.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.57 CA$5.01

$3.83 CA$5.37

-6.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.86 CA$5.41

$3.92 CA$5.50

-1.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 CA$3.41

$2.77 CA$3.89

-12.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 CA$3.18

$2.84 CA$3.98

-20.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 CA$3.40

$2.60 CA$3.65

-6.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 CA$2.03

$1.59 CA$2.24

-8.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.42 CA$17.43

$15.87 CA$22.27

-21.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.53 CA$20.39

$14.00 CA$19.64

3.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 CA$3.65

$2.57 CA$3.61

1.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 CA$3.79

$3.01 CA$4.23

-10.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 CA$3.32

$2.55 CA$3.59

-7.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.6 CA$85.0

$84.1 CA$118

-27.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 CA$3.69

$2.67 CA$3.74

-1.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 CA$2.27

$1.58 CA$2.22

2.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.61 CA$35.94

$32.19 CA$45.17

-20.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 CA$1.68

$1.45 CA$2.04

-17.24%

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

$28.3K CA$39.7K

$27.5K CA$38.6K

2.92%

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

$22.1K CA$31.0K

$21.3K CA$29.9K

3.51%

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

$138 CA$194

$82.5 CA$116

67.41%

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

$32.57 CA$45.70

$37.46 CA$52.6

-13.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.3 CA$118

$51.7 CA$72.5

63.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.04 CA$52.0

$40.52 CA$56.9

-8.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.65 CA$24.77

$12.69 CA$17.81

39.09%

Cinema Ticket

$10.59 CA$14.86

$12.66 CA$17.77

-16.35%

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

$683 CA$959

$1,080 CA$1,515

-36.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K CA$20.6K

$20.1K CA$28.3K

-27.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 CA$78.8

$58.5 CA$82.0

-3.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.39 CA$53.9

$34.10 CA$47.85

12.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.1 CA$136

$96.9 CA$136

0.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.6 CA$128

$97.4 CA$137

-6.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$936 CA$1,314

$1,813 CA$2,545

-48.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$892 CA$1,252

$1,576 CA$2,211

-43.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,339 CA$1,879

$3,217 CA$4,514

-58.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 CA$1,764

$2,651 CA$3,721

-52.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,775 CA$6,701

$8,590 CA$12.1K

-44.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,387

$6,649 CA$9,331

-42.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,168 CA$4,445

$3,733 CA$5,239

-15.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.68

4.28

9.35%

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

Last update for Williams Lake, BC: October 25, 2026

Last update for Vancouver: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Williams Lake, BC

$892 43.8%

Vancouver

$1.6K 57.8% 76.6% $683

Groceries & Markets

Williams Lake, BC

$357 17.5%

Vancouver

$401 14.7% 12.3% $44

Eating Out

Williams Lake, BC

$267 13.1%

Vancouver

$277 10.2% 3.6% $9.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Williams Lake, BC

$255 12.5%

Vancouver

$172 6.3% 32.7% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Williams Lake, BC

$127 6.3%

Vancouver

$129 4.7% 1.3% $1.7

Getting Around

Williams Lake, BC

$81 4%

Vancouver

$105 3.9% 29.9% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Williams Lake, BC

$58 2.9%

Vancouver

$66 2.4% 13.1% $7.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $936 in Williams Lake, BC and $1,813 in Vancouver. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 18% 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: $63 in Williams Lake, BC vs $72 in Vancouver for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $357 vs $401 per month, with Williams Lake, BC cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Williams Lake, BC

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🕒 Local time

15:14 3:14 PM

Same time as Williams Lake, BC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,753

631,486

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Williams Lake, BC vs Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,038 in Williams Lake, BC and $2,725 in Vancouver, so Williams Lake, BC is about 25% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 15% lower in Williams Lake, BC. 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: $936 in Williams Lake, BC versus $1,813 in Vancouver. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Williams Lake, BC – a meal for two runs $63 versus $72 in Vancouver. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,038 per month in Williams Lake, BC versus $2,725 in Vancouver – Williams Lake, BC is about 25% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Williams Lake, BC is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Williams Lake, BC is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Vancouver, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Williams Lake, BC gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.