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New York vs Vancouver cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐บ๐ธ New York
๐จ๐ฆ Vancouver
At a glance
- Where Vancouver is clearly cheaper: Scooter rental (83%โ), Studio rent (month) (48%โ), Taxi (46%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Vancouver is easier to travel (1.4 vs 1.6). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ New York 2 vs Vancouver 1. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | New York | Vancouver | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | $ 20$20 | C$ 20$14.7 | Vancouver โ26% |
| Street food1 item | $ 10$10 | C$ 9$6.62 | Vancouver โ34% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | $ 55$55 | C$ 52$38.2 | Vancouver โ30% |
| Coffeeone cup | $ 6$6 | C$ 5.5$4.04 | Vancouver โ33% |
| Beerone bottle | $ 9$9 | C$ 8$5.88 | Vancouver โ35% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | $ 19$19 | C$ 17$12.5 | Vancouver โ34% |
| Bottled water | $ 2$2 | C$ 2.5$1.84 | Vancouver โ8% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | $ 3$3 | C$ 3$2.21 | Vancouver โ26% |
| Taxi5 km in town | $ 23$23 | C$ 17$12.5 | Vancouver โ46% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | $ 14$14 | C$ 11$8.09 | Vancouver โ42% |
| Transitone ride | $ 3$3 | C$ 3.5$2.57 | Vancouver โ14% |
| Scooter rentalper day | $ 68$68 | C$ 16$11.8 | Vancouver โ83% |
| Hotel night3-star | $ 270$270 | C$ 220$162 | Vancouver โ40% |
| Studio rent (month) | $ 3,300$3,300 | C$ 2,350$1,728 | Vancouver โ48% |
| Laundry | $ 4.5$4.5 | C$ 5.5$4.04 | Vancouver โ10% |
| SIM card1 week data | $ 30$30 | C$ 34$25 | Vancouver โ17% |
| Haircutcut | $ 42$42 | C$ 35$25.7 | Vancouver โ39% |
| Massage1 hour | $ 100$100 | C$ 100$73.5 | Vancouver โ26% |
| Half-day tourper person | $ 80$80 | C$ 100$73.5 | Vancouver โ8% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | $ 30$30 | C$ 35$25.7 | Vancouver โ14% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, New York or Vancouver?
Vancouver is 40% cheaper than New York. Daily budget $467 vs $291; a month $10,297 vs $5,844.
Which is easier to travel, New York or Vancouver?
Vancouver is easier: Vancouver 1.4/5 vs New York 1.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between New York and Vancouver?
With a short-term studio and living costs, New York is about $10,297 and Vancouver about $5,844 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.