Vancouver at a glance
- Vancouver is the most expensive of Canada's 10 priced cities: $2,446 a month in essentials, 61% above Quebec City at $1,518.
- The average net salary of $3,343 covers that 1.4×.
- 98.4 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at census subdivision level.
- PM2.5 averages 9.7 µg/m³ a year, 2× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 10 Canada cities we track, so every row says whether Vancouver is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $2,446 | $2,054 | $392 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $1,568 | $1,164 | 1.35× as much |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $1,845 | $1,412 | 1.31× as much |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $239 | $204 | $36 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $421 | $374 | $46 |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $136 | $185 | 1.36× as much |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $82 | $78 | $4 |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $3,343 | $3,036 | $306 |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $2,595 | $1,816 | 1.43× as much |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $3,548 | $2,242 | 1.58× as much |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Vancouver, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $19.52 | $17.74 | $1.78 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $85.16 | $71.97 | $13.19 |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $10.64 | $10.64 | same |
| Cappuccino, regular | $4.25 | $3.96 | $0.29 |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $5.68 | $5.68 | same |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $6.39 | $6.39 | same |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $2.18 | $2.12 | $0.06 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $1.70 | $1.71 | $0.01 |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $2.10 | $2.20 | $0.10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $2.74 | $2.87 | $0.12 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $4.87 | $3.67 | 1.33× as much |
| Eggs, 12 | $4.19 | $3.54 | $0.65 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $12.12 | $10.65 | $1.47 |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $14.36 | $11.43 | 1.26× as much |
| Apples, 1 kg | $4.19 | $4.05 | $0.14 |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $1.37 | $1.40 | $0.02 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $4.21 | $3.96 | $0.25 |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $2.99 | $2.49 | $0.50 |
| Onions, 1 kg | $2.78 | $2.75 | $0.02 |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $2.02 | $1.59 | 1.27× as much |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $2.48 | $2.57 | $0.09 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $81.61 | $77.88 | $3.73 |
| Taxi start | $2.70 | $2.91 | $0.21 |
| Taxi, 1 km | $1.62 | $1.41 | $0.21 |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.37 | $1.23 | $0.15 |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $82.56 | $134.80 | 1.63× as much |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $52.95 | $53.62 | $0.67 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $37.45 | $38.20 | $0.75 |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $50.75 | $42.95 | $7.80 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $12.65 | $11.61 | $1.04 |
Dating-age sex ratio
Vancouver has 98.4 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (census subdivision level). That is the 9th-highest of 10 Canada cities we track. Canada's national figure is 104.8, so Vancouver runs 6 below the country as a whole.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Vancouver ranks against every city we track
Vancouver sits ahead of 82% of the 545 cities we track on local salary. On women aged 20–39 it is ahead of 62% of 892. Its weakest measure is city-centre rent, ahead of only 9% of 553.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Vancouver sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
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Photo: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0.
