On the same CMHC survey (October 2025), average rent was $1,625 for a 1 bedroom in Victoria and $1,806 in Vancouver, and $2,120 against $2,363 for a 2 bedroom. MLS benchmark prices for September 2026 were $1,150,300 for a single family home in the Victoria board area and $1,784,700 for a detached home in Metro Vancouver, and $542,800 against $682,500 for a condo or apartment. An adult monthly transit pass is $85 in Victoria and $117.20 for one zone in Vancouver. There is no valid percentage for how much more one city costs overall.
Victoria and Vancouver, figure by figure
Rent: CMHC Rental Market Survey, October 2025
| Unit | Victoria | Vancouver | Vancouver minus Victoria | Vacant units: Victoria | Vacant units: Vancouver |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor | $1,349 | $1,667 | +$318 | $1,539 | $1,988 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,625 | $1,806 | +$181 | $1,927 | $2,147 |
| 2 bedroom | $2,120 | $2,363 | +$243 | $2,426 | $2,903 |
| 3 bedrooms or more | $2,886 | $3,009 | +$123 | $2,944 | $3,673 |
Home prices: MLS HPI benchmark, September 2026
| Type | Victoria Real Estate Board area | Greater Vancouver REALTORS (Metro Vancouver) | Vancouver minus Victoria |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single family (Vancouver: detached) | $1,150,300 | $1,784,700 | +$634,400 |
| Condo apartment (Vancouver: apartment) | $542,800 | $682,500 | +$139,700 |
| Townhouse | $774,000 | $1,016,700 | +$242,700 |
Buses and trains: each agency’s adult fares
| Fare | Victoria (BC Transit) | Metro Vancouver (TransLink) |
|---|---|---|
| Single ride | $3.00 | $3.50 one zone, cash; $2.85 with stored value |
| Day pass | $6.00 | $12.55, all zones |
| Monthly pass | $85.00 (30 days) | $117.20 one zone, $156.70 two, $211.65 three |
How prices changed in each city over the last year
| Series | Victoria | Vancouver |
|---|---|---|
| All-items | +3.2% | +2.8% |
| Shelter | +2.5% | +1.5% |
| Rented accommodation | +4.0% | +3.4% |
| Owned accommodation | +1.3% | +0.1% |
| Water, fuel and electricity | +6.3% | +5.3% |
What is compared and what is not
Three comparisons are on the same footing: CMHC’s Rental Market Survey (same month, same method, both census metropolitan areas), the MLS Home Price Index benchmark from each real estate board for the same month, and each transit agency’s published adult fares. Those are shown as the two figures and the dollar gap between them.
Two things are deliberately missing. There is no overall percentage for how much more one city costs, because the Consumer Price Index cannot give one: it measures change over time inside each city, not what things cost. And there is no ranking or score, because whether a higher rent is “worth it” depends on pay, family and commute, which no published figure measures.
Reading the home price table
A benchmark is the estimate of the price of a typical home of that type, set by each board, and not an average of recent sales or a listing price. The Victoria figure is the board-wide row, not the smaller Victoria Core area its news release headlines. Both boards say prices are most useful over several months, so one month is a snapshot.
Using this if you are moving
Add your own pay, rent and everyday spending to the cost of living calculator, and check what share of your income Victoria rents take with the rent affordability calculator.
Frequently asked questions
Is Victoria cheaper than Vancouver?
On the figures published on the same basis, the rents, benchmark home prices and monthly transit pass shown here are lower in Victoria than in Vancouver, but that is not a verdict on the cost of living as a whole. Groceries, insurance, childcare, wages and what you would spend on a daily basis have no like-for-like published comparison, so this site does not rank the two cities.
Can I use the Consumer Price Index to compare the two cities?
No. Statistics Canada says the CPI measures price change from one time to another, so it cannot be used to indicate differences in price levels between provinces or urban centres. Victoria’s index (161.3 in August 2026) and Vancouver’s (167.0) are each relative to that city’s own 2002 prices. We show each city’s change over 12 months and never one index set against the other.
Why do you compare the whole Victoria board area with Metro Vancouver?
Because those are the two boards’ own areas for the MLS HPI benchmark. The Victoria Real Estate Board’s headline figures are for its Victoria Core only (a single family benchmark of $1,280,100 in September 2026), which is a smaller and pricier area. We use the board-wide row so the geography is closer to Metro Vancouver’s, and say so. The property types are the boards’ own definitions.
Are these asking rents?
No. CMHC’s figures are averages of what tenants pay across surveyed private apartments in the Victoria and Vancouver census metropolitan areas, in October 2025. A unit that is vacant now can cost more; CMHC’s vacant-unit averages are in the table.
Why is transit not a straight comparison?
Victoria has a single BC Transit fare, while TransLink’s fares depend on zones and the two systems cover different networks. The table gives each agency’s own published adult fares.
More in Moving to Victoria
- Moving to Victoria BCHub
- BC property transfer tax calculatorGuide
- Closing costs in BCGuide
- Rent in VictoriaGuide
- Rent affordability calculatorGuide
- Rental scam checklistGuide
- First-time home buyer in BCGuide
- Cost of livingGuide
- UVic and Camosun student housingGuide
- Victoria house pricesGuide
- Rent vs buy calculatorGuide
- Neighbourhood factsGuide
- Moving to Victoria checklistGuide
Sources
- CMHC: Rental Market Reports, Major Centres
- CMHC: Vancouver 2025 Rental Market Report data tables (Excel)
- CMHC: Victoria 2025 Rental Market Report data tables (Excel)
- Victoria Real Estate Board: current statistics
- Greater Vancouver REALTORS: September 2026 statistics package
- BC Transit: Victoria fares
- TransLink: Pricing and fare zones
- Statistics Canada: Consumer Price Index, monthly (Table 18-10-0004-01)
- Statistics Canada: The Canadian Consumer Price Index Reference Paper