Cost of living in Vancouver research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Vancouver is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Washington, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Vancouver is 116, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Vancouver is 1.2x higher than the national average.
Vancouver ranks as the #69 cheapest in Washington out of 192.
Vancouver ranks as the #4,558 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Vancouver is $343,900.
The median income in Vancouver is $67,462.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Vancouver has an overall cost of living index of 116, which is 1.2x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Washington, Vancouver has a cost of living index that's 1.0x higher than Washington's index of 115.
The standard of living in Vancouver ranks as #69 most affordable out of the 192 places we measured in Washington. By definition, that implies Vancouver ranks as the #123 most expensive place in the Evergreen State.
For more reading on life in Vancouver, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Vancouver. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Vancouver is 122.
The Groceries index in Vancouver is 112.
The Health index in Vancouver is 115.
The Housing index in Vancouver is 113.
The Transportation index in Vancouver is 130.
The Utilities index in Vancouver is 87.
Living Expense | Vancouver | Washington | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 116 | 115 | 100 | |
Services | 122 | 112 | 100 | |
Groceries | 112 | 109 | 100 | |
Health | 115 | 119 | 100 | |
Housing | 113 | 129 | 100 | |
Transportation | 130 | 116 | 100 | |
Utilities | 87 | 90 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Washington, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Vancouver is $343,900.
The Median Rent in Vancouver is $1,396.
The Median Income in Vancouver is $67,462.
The Home Value To Income in Vancouver is 5.1x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Vancouver is 0.25x.
Statistic | Vancouver | Washington | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $343,900 | $397,600 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $1,396 | $1,439 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $67,462 | $82,400 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 5.1x | 4.8x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.25x | 0.21x | 0.2x |
Item | Vancouver | Washington |
---|---|---|
Shampoo | $1.23 | $1.06 |
Movie | $11.1 | $10.68 |
Bowling | $19.95 | $14.67 |
Haircut | $33.67 | $18.62 |
Beauty Salon | $56.44 | $39.05 |
Item | Vancouver | Washington |
---|---|---|
Ground Beef | $4.74 | $4.22 |
Fried Chicken | $1.58 | $1.39 |
Milk | $2.12 | $2.05 |
Potatoes | $2.34 | $3.29 |
Pizza | $11.99 | $10.62 |
Beer | $11.24 | $9.38 |
Toothpaste | $2.65 | $2.34 |
Item | Vancouver | Washington |
---|---|---|
Optometrist | $146.25 | $108.57 |
Doctor | $168.67 | $116.17 |
Dentist | $101.75 | $99.13 |
Item | Vancouver | Washington |
---|---|---|
Gasoline | $2.78 | $2.22 |
Tire Balancing | $68.4 | $50.07 |
Item | Vancouver | Washington |
---|---|---|
All Electricity | $143.85 | $167.67 |
Phone | $170.53 | $175.64 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Vancouver. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Lake Oswego, OR has a cost of living index of 153, 1.3x Vancouver.
Orchards, WA has a cost of living index of 114, 1.0x Vancouver.
West Linn, OR has a cost of living index of 140, 1.2x Vancouver.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Vancouver |
---|---|---|---|
Lake Oswego, OR | 40,390 | 153 | 1.3x |
Orchards, WA | 28,371 | 114 | 1.0x |
West Linn, OR | 27,173 | 140 | 1.2x |
Camas, WA | 25,774 | 130 | 1.1x |
Hazel Dell, WA | 21,650 | 116 | 1.0x |
Battle Ground, WA | 20,536 | 117 | 1.0x |
Five Corners, WA | 20,428 | 114 | 1.0x |
Salmon Creek, WA | 19,809 | 118 | 1.0x |
Washougal, WA | 16,664 | 116 | 1.0x |
Minnehaha, WA | 11,508 | 119 | 1.0x |