Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Winston-Salem, NC and Vancouver

For one person, living is cheaper in Winston-Salem, NC: $2,384 a month against $2,626 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Vancouver outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

116

Cost of Living Index in Winston-Salem, NC
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Winston-Salem, NC Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index

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Winston-Salem, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,384

/mo nomad

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,626

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Winston-Salem, NC 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 Winston-Salem, NC and in Vancouver actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,384 in Winston-Salem, NC versus $2,626 in Vancouver.

Winston-Salem, NC $2,384
Vancouver $2,626

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,790 in Winston-Salem, NC versus $3,841 in Vancouver.

Winston-Salem, NC $3,790
Vancouver $3,841

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,195 in Winston-Salem, NC versus $5,056 in Vancouver.

Winston-Salem, NC $5,195
Vancouver $5,056

Living in Winston-Salem, NC costs roughly 9% less than in Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Winston-Salem, NC 77% above, Vancouver 95% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.56 $22.56

$17.19 CA$24.30

31.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.2 $79.2

$69.1 CA$97.6

14.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.10 $10.10

$10.61 CA$15.00

-4.81%

Cappuccino

$5.41 $5.41

$3.83 CA$5.42

41.25%

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

$2.94 $2.94

$2.04 CA$2.88

44.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.65 CA$2.34

24.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.04 $5.04

$5.54 CA$7.83

-9.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 $6.13

$6.20 CA$8.77

-1.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 $1.44

$2.14 CA$3.02

-32.71%

White Bread (500g)

$4.76 $4.76

$2.51 CA$3.54

89.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$9.57 $9.57

$4.49 CA$6.35

113.14%

Eggs

$5.31 $5.31

$4.09 CA$5.78

29.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.18 $18.18

$11.73 CA$16.58

54.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.89 $13.89

$13.11 CA$18.54

5.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.80 $26.80

$19.50 CA$27.57

37.44%

Apples (1kg)

$7.82 $7.82

$4.00 CA$5.65

95.50%

Banana (1kg)

$3.03 $3.03

$1.38 CA$1.94

119.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.75 $6.75

$3.88 CA$5.48

73.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.46 $7.46

$3.95 CA$5.58

88.86%

Potato (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$2.72 CA$3.85

80.51%

Onion (1kg)

$6.22 $6.22

$2.86 CA$4.05

117.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.46 CA$3.48

12.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.41 $3.41

$1.56 CA$2.21

118.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.76 $7.76

$15.48 CA$21.88

-49.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.25 $15.25

$13.75 CA$19.44

10.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 $1.60

$2.63 CA$3.72

-39.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 $4.36

$2.89 CA$4.09

50.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.48 CA$3.51

-17.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.85 $29.85

$83.0 CA$117

-64.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.95 $6.95

$2.72 CA$3.85

155.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.58 CA$2.24

47.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.74 $14.74

$31.05 CA$43.89

-52.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.37 CA$1.94

-31.39%

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

$35.2K $35.2K

$27.7K CA$39.1K

27.12%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

32.91%

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

$174 $174

$82.5 CA$117

110.41%

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

$51.1 $51.1

$37.26 CA$52.7

37.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.4 $63.4

$51.7 CA$73.1

22.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.72 $48.72

$42.87 CA$60.6

13.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.71 $15.71

$12.40 CA$17.53

26.69%

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 $11.95

$12.13 CA$17.15

-1.48%

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

$1,301 $1,301

$1,102 CA$1,557

18.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K $10.2K

$19.8K CA$28.0K

-48.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.65 $39.65

$56.4 CA$79.7

-29.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 $31.82

$33.43 CA$47.26

-4.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.3 $85.3

$93.9 CA$133

-9.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.0 $94.0

$93.8 CA$133

0.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,448 $1,448

$1,775 CA$2,509

-18.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$947 $947

$1,497 CA$2,116

-36.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,639 $2,639

$3,082 CA$4,357

-14.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,917 $1,917

$2,416 CA$3,416

-20.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,350 $6,350

$8,069 CA$11.4K

-21.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,229 $3,229

$6,449 CA$9,118

-49.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,555 $3,555

$3,776 CA$5,339

-5.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.68

4.28

56.07%

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

Last update for Winston-Salem, NC: October 13, 2026

Last update for Vancouver: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Winston-Salem, NC

$947 39.7%

Vancouver

$1.5K 57% 58% $550

Groceries & Markets

Winston-Salem, NC

$574 24.1%

Vancouver

$392 14.9% 31.6% $181

Eating Out

Winston-Salem, NC

$333 14%

Vancouver

$270 10.3% 18.9% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Winston-Salem, NC

$288 12.1%

Vancouver

$171 6.5% 40.5% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Winston-Salem, NC

$113 4.7%

Vancouver

$125 4.8% 10.7% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Winston-Salem, NC

$73 3.1%

Vancouver

$67 2.6% 7.6% $5.5

Getting Around

Winston-Salem, NC

$57 2.4%

Vancouver

$104 3.9% 82.6% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,448 in Winston-Salem, NC and $1,775 in Vancouver. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 6% 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: $79.0 in Winston-Salem, NC vs $69.0 in Vancouver for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $574 vs $392 per month, with Vancouver cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Winston-Salem, NC

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🕒 Local time

06:25 6:25 AM

03:25 3:25 AM

3 h behind Winston-Salem, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

241,218

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

Winston-Salem, NC Vancouver 3,750 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

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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

Winston-Salem, NC vs Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Winston-Salem, NC and Vancouver differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($2,384 vs $2,626 including rent). Winston-Salem, NC is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 6% lower in Vancouver. 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: $1,448 in Winston-Salem, NC 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 Winston-Salem, NC – a meal for two runs $79.0 versus $69.0 in Vancouver. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,384 per month in Winston-Salem, NC versus $2,626 in Vancouver – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Winston-Salem, NC 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 Winston-Salem, NC gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.