Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Windsor, NS and Vancouver

For one person, living is cheaper in Windsor, NS: $2,212 a month against $2,725 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

112

Cost of Living Index in Windsor, NS
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Windsor, NS Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index

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Windsor, NS

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,212

/mo nomad

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,725

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,212 in Windsor, NS versus $2,725 in Vancouver.

Windsor, NS $2,212
Vancouver $2,725

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,268 in Windsor, NS versus $4,039 in Vancouver.

Windsor, NS $3,268
Vancouver $4,039

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,324 in Windsor, NS versus $5,352 in Vancouver.

Windsor, NS $4,324
Vancouver $5,352

Living in Windsor, NS costs roughly 19% less than in Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Windsor, NS 62% above, Vancouver 100% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.93 CA$26.57

$17.65 CA$24.77

7.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.52 CA$49.85

$72.4 CA$102

-50.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.82 CA$15.18

$10.84 CA$15.21

-0.18%

Cappuccino

$3.65 CA$5.12

$3.91 CA$5.49

-6.65%

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

$2.06 CA$2.89

$2.10 CA$2.95

-1.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 CA$2.62

$1.64 CA$2.30

14.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.39 CA$6.16

$5.74 CA$8.06

-23.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.59 CA$7.85

$6.36 CA$8.93

-12.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.94 CA$4.12

$2.21 CA$3.10

33.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.84 CA$3.99

$2.64 CA$3.71

7.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.54 CA$4.97

$4.68 CA$6.56

-24.36%

Eggs

$3.74 CA$5.25

$4.24 CA$5.95

-11.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.70 CA$19.23

$11.92 CA$16.73

14.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.31 CA$21.48

$13.12 CA$18.42

16.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.21 CA$18.54

$20.40 CA$28.63

-35.25%

Apples (1kg)

$5.76 CA$8.09

$4.10 CA$5.76

40.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 CA$2.17

$1.38 CA$1.93

11.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.75 CA$6.67

$3.83 CA$5.37

24.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.79 CA$8.13

$3.92 CA$5.50

47.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 CA$2.91

$2.77 CA$3.89

-25.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 CA$3.01

$2.84 CA$3.98

-24.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 CA$3.50

$2.60 CA$3.65

-4.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 CA$2.95

$1.59 CA$2.24

32.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.17 CA$19.89

$15.87 CA$22.27

-10.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.35 CA$20.13

$14.00 CA$19.64

2.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.27 CA$4.59

$2.57 CA$3.61

27.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 CA$5.53

$3.01 CA$4.23

30.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.54 CA$3.56

$2.55 CA$3.59

-0.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.0 CA$89.8

$84.1 CA$118

-23.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.87 CA$4.03

$2.67 CA$3.74

7.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 CA$1.96

$1.58 CA$2.22

-11.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.04 CA$29.52

$32.19 CA$45.17

-34.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.71

$1.45 CA$2.04

-15.86%

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

$26.7K CA$37.5K

$27.5K CA$38.6K

-2.75%

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

$21.3K CA$29.9K

-0.18%

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

$125 CA$176

$82.5 CA$116

52.14%

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

$31.80 CA$44.63

$37.46 CA$52.6

-15.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.09 CA$50.6

$51.7 CA$72.5

-30.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.05 CA$50.6

$40.52 CA$56.9

-11.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.45 CA$24.49

$12.69 CA$17.81

37.51%

Cinema Ticket

$12.92 CA$18.14

$12.66 CA$17.77

2.05%

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

$379 CA$531

$1,080 CA$1,515

-64.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K CA$19.3K

$20.1K CA$28.3K

-31.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 CA$84.1

$58.5 CA$82.0

2.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.29 CA$49.52

$34.10 CA$47.85

3.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 CA$145

$96.9 CA$136

6.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 CA$165

$97.4 CA$137

20.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,265 CA$1,775

$1,813 CA$2,545

-30.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 CA$1,438

$1,576 CA$2,211

-34.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,834 CA$2,573

$3,217 CA$4,514

-42.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,749 CA$2,454

$2,651 CA$3,721

-34.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,604 CA$6,461

$8,590 CA$12.1K

-46.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,447 CA$4,838

$6,649 CA$9,331

-48.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$940 CA$1,320

$3,733 CA$5,239

-74.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

4.28

7.48%

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

Last update for Windsor, NS: October 26, 2026

Last update for Vancouver: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Windsor, NS

$1K 46.3%

Vancouver

$1.6K 57.8% 53.8% $551

Groceries & Markets

Windsor, NS

$429 19.4%

Vancouver

$401 14.7% 6.5% $28

Eating Out

Windsor, NS

$277 12.5%

Vancouver

$277 10.2% 0.2% $0.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Windsor, NS

$193 8.7%

Vancouver

$172 6.3% 11.2% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Windsor, NS

$142 6.4%

Vancouver

$129 4.7% 9.1% $13

Getting Around

Windsor, NS

$84 3.8%

Vancouver

$105 3.9% 24.9% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Windsor, NS

$62 2.8%

Vancouver

$66 2.4% 6.4% $4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,265 in Windsor, NS and $1,813 in Vancouver. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays about 4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $36 in Windsor, NS vs $72 in Vancouver. Groceries flip the comparison at $429 vs $401, with Vancouver cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Windsor, NS

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🕒 Local time

14:44 2:44 PM

10:44 10:44 AM

4 h behind Windsor, NS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

217,188

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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Between locations

Windsor, NS Vancouver 4,370 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Windsor, NS
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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

Windsor, NS vs Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Windsor, NS and Vancouver differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($2,212 vs $2,725 including rent). Windsor, NS is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 75% lower in Windsor, NS. 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: $1,265 in Windsor, NS 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 Windsor, NS – a meal for two runs $36 versus $72 in Vancouver. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,212 per month in Windsor, NS versus $2,725 in Vancouver – a 23% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Windsor, NS gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Windsor, NS 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.

It comes down to priorities – Windsor, NS wins on affordability, Vancouver on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.