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San Francisco 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 San Francisco
๐จ๐ฆ Vancouver
At a glance
- Where Vancouver is clearly cheaper: Scooter rental (74%โ), Street food (56%โ), Studio rent (month) (48%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Vancouver is easier to travel (1.4 vs 1.6). Biggest gap: safety โ San Francisco 3 vs Vancouver 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | San Francisco | Vancouver | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | $ 25$25 | C$ 20$14.7 | Vancouver โ41% |
| Street food1 item | $ 15$15 | C$ 9$6.62 | Vancouver โ56% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | $ 55$55 | C$ 52$38.2 | Vancouver โ30% |
| Coffeeone cup | $ 6.5$6.5 | C$ 5.5$4.04 | Vancouver โ38% |
| Beerone bottle | $ 9$9 | C$ 8$5.88 | Vancouver โ35% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | $ 17$17 | C$ 17$12.5 | Vancouver โ26% |
| Bottled water | $ 2.5$2.5 | C$ 2.5$1.84 | Vancouver โ26% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | $ 3$3 | C$ 3$2.21 | Vancouver โ26% |
| Taxi5 km in town | $ 16$16 | C$ 17$12.5 | Vancouver โ22% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | $ 11$11 | C$ 11$8.09 | Vancouver โ26% |
| Transitone ride | $ 2.85$2.85 | C$ 3.5$2.57 | Vancouver โ10% |
| Scooter rentalper day | $ 45$45 | C$ 16$11.8 | Vancouver โ74% |
| Hotel night3-star | $ 200$200 | C$ 220$162 | Vancouver โ19% |
| Studio rent (month) | $ 3,300$3,300 | C$ 2,350$1,728 | Vancouver โ48% |
| Laundry | $ 5$5 | C$ 5.5$4.04 | Vancouver โ19% |
| SIM card1 week data | $ 25$25 | C$ 34$25 | similar |
| Haircutcut | $ 38$38 | C$ 35$25.7 | Vancouver โ32% |
| Massage1 hour | $ 110$110 | C$ 100$73.5 | Vancouver โ33% |
| Half-day tourper person | $ 70$70 | C$ 100$73.5 | San Francisco โ5% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | $ 35$35 | C$ 35$25.7 | Vancouver โ26% |
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, San Francisco or Vancouver?
Vancouver is 35% cheaper than San Francisco. Daily budget $391 vs $291; a month $10,400 vs $5,844.
Which is easier to travel, San Francisco or Vancouver?
Vancouver is easier: Vancouver 1.4/5 vs San Francisco 1.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between San Francisco and Vancouver?
With a short-term studio and living costs, San Francisco is about $10,400 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.