Boston vs Vancouver Cost of Living
Boston (United States) · Overall index 84.9 — Vancouver (Canada) · Overall index 67.8
Summary
- Overall, Vancouver is 20% cheaper than Boston.
- Rent in Vancouver is 32% cheaper than in Boston.
- Transport in Vancouver is 19% cheaper than in Boston.
| Item | Boston | Vancouver | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | -32% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $3,269 | $2,238 | -32% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $1,931 | $1,452 | -25% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $5,699 | $3,668 | -36% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $4,016 | $2,620 | -35% |
| Groceries | -18% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $1.23 | $1.13 | -8% |
| White bread (500g) | $3.9 | $3.03 | -22% |
| Rice (1kg) | $5.61 | $4.07 | -27% |
| Eggs (12) | $4.67 | $3.5 | -25% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $13.9 | $12.4 | -11% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $12 | $11.4 | -5% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $20 | $15.3 | -23% |
| Apples (1kg) | $6.14 | $4.33 | -29% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $2.28 | $1.87 | -18% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $4.62 | $3.85 | -17% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $5.51 | $4.99 | -9% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $3.25 | $2.7 | -17% |
| Onions (1kg) | $2.95 | $2.44 | -17% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $2.84 | $2.27 | -20% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $2.22 | $1.83 | -18% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $16.2 | $12.8 | -21% |
| Transport | -19% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $2.61 | $2.09 | -20% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $114 | $103 | -10% |
| Taxi, base fare | $3.53 | $2.83 | -20% |
| Taxi, per km | $1.74 | $1.43 | -18% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.86 | $0.7 | -19% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $28,251 | $20,323 | -28% |
| Dining out | -17% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $22.5 | $18.3 | -19% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $120 | $96.1 | -20% |
| Fast food combo meal | $10.3 | $8.11 | -21% |
| Cappuccino | $4.9 | $4.64 | -5% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $2.58 | $1.84 | -29% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $7.54 | $6.06 | -20% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $7.42 | $6.37 | -14% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.86 | $1.63 | -12% |
| Telecom | -8% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $53.5 | $47.5 | -11% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $66.8 | $62.1 | -7% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.32 | $0.28 | -12% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $13.5 | $13.4 | -1% |
| Utilities & household | -14% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $161 | $156 | -3% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.2 | $0.19 | -5% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $4.73 | $4.27 | -10% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $1.61 | $1.21 | -25% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $23.6 | $18 | -24% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $83.8 | $74.4 | -11% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $14.9 | $13.6 | -9% |
| Men's haircut | $30.1 | $25.1 | -17% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $27.4 | $22.4 | -18% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $1,899 | $1,656 | -13% |
3,256 total data points · Price data as of 2026-07-01 · Exchange rates as of 2026-07-15
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Estimates for reference only — not official statistics.
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