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Vancouver vs Victoria cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐จ๐ฆ Vancouver
๐จ๐ฆ Victoria
At a glance
- Where Vancouver is clearly cheaper: Scooter rental (64%โ), Street food (40%โ), Laundry (21%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Vancouver | Victoria | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | C$ 20$14.7 | C$ 24$17.6 | Vancouver โ17% |
| Street food1 item | C$ 9$6.62 | C$ 15$11 | Vancouver โ40% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | C$ 52$38.2 | C$ 50$36.8 | similar |
| Coffeeone cup | C$ 5.5$4.04 | C$ 5.5$4.04 | similar |
| Beerone bottle | C$ 8$5.88 | C$ 9$6.62 | Vancouver โ11% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | C$ 17$12.5 | C$ 16$11.8 | Victoria โ6% |
| Bottled water | C$ 2.5$1.84 | C$ 2.75$2.02 | Vancouver โ9% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | C$ 3$2.21 | C$ 3$2.21 | similar |
| Taxi5 km in town | C$ 17$12.5 | C$ 18$13.2 | Vancouver โ6% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | C$ 11$8.09 | C$ 10$7.35 | Victoria โ9% |
| Transitone ride | C$ 3.5$2.57 | C$ 3$2.21 | Victoria โ14% |
| Scooter rentalper day | C$ 16$11.8 | C$ 45$33.1 | Vancouver โ64% |
| Hotel night3-star | C$ 220$162 | C$ 200$147 | Victoria โ9% |
| Studio rent (month) | C$ 2,350$1,728 | C$ 2,000$1,471 | Victoria โ15% |
| Laundry | C$ 5.5$4.04 | C$ 7$5.15 | Vancouver โ21% |
| SIM card1 week data | C$ 34$25 | C$ 35$25.7 | similar |
| Haircutcut | C$ 35$25.7 | C$ 32$23.5 | Victoria โ9% |
| Massage1 hour | C$ 100$73.5 | C$ 120$88.2 | Vancouver โ17% |
| Half-day tourper person | C$ 100$73.5 | C$ 100$73.5 | similar |
| Entry ticketTourist town | C$ 35$25.7 | C$ 35$25.7 | similar |
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, Vancouver or Victoria?
Vancouver and Victoria cost about the same. Daily budget $291 vs $284; a month $5,844 vs $6,054.
Which is easier to travel, Vancouver or Victoria?
About the same: Vancouver 1.4/5, Victoria 1.4/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Vancouver and Victoria?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Vancouver is about $5,844 and Victoria about $6,054 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.