Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
| Item | Philadelphia | Vancouver | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | $ 22$22 | C$ 20$14.7 | Vancouver โ33% |
| Street food1 item | $ 12$12 | C$ 9$6.62 | Vancouver โ45% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | $ 42$42 | C$ 52$38.2 | Vancouver โ9% |
| Coffeeone cup | $ 5.1$5.1 | C$ 5.5$4.04 | Vancouver โ21% |
| Beerone bottle | $ 6.5$6.5 | C$ 8$5.88 | Vancouver โ10% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | $ 14$14 | C$ 17$12.5 | Vancouver โ11% |
| Bottled water | $ 2$2 | C$ 2.5$1.84 | Vancouver โ8% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | $ 2.8$2.8 | C$ 3$2.21 | Vancouver โ21% |
| Taxi5 km in town | $ 15$15 | C$ 17$12.5 | Vancouver โ17% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | $ 9$9 | C$ 11$8.09 | Vancouver โ10% |
| Transitone ride | $ 2.9$2.9 | C$ 3.5$2.57 | Vancouver โ11% |
| Scooter rentalper day | $ 35$35 | C$ 16$11.8 | Vancouver โ66% |
| Hotel night3-star | $ 175$175 | C$ 220$162 | Vancouver โ8% |
| Studio rent (month) | $ 1,550$1,550 | C$ 2,350$1,728 | Philadelphia โ10% |
| Laundry | $ 4$4 | C$ 5.5$4.04 | similar |
| SIM card1 week data | $ 25$25 | C$ 34$25 | similar |
| Haircutcut | $ 33$33 | C$ 35$25.7 | Vancouver โ22% |
| Massage1 hour | $ 90$90 | C$ 100$73.5 | Vancouver โ18% |
| Half-day tourper person | $ 55$55 | C$ 100$73.5 | Philadelphia โ25% |
| 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%+.
Vancouver is 8% cheaper than Philadelphia. Daily budget $336 vs $291; a month $6,015 vs $5,844.
About the same: Philadelphia 1.4/5, Vancouver 1.4/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
With a short-term studio and living costs, Philadelphia is about $6,015 and Vancouver about $5,844 per month.
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.