Cost of living comparison
compared to
United States vs. Nelson BC Cost of Living Summary
United States is 23.0% more expensive than Nelson BC.
- Restaurants
- pay 25.2% more in United States
- Groceries
- pay 41.1% more in United States
- Transportation
- pay 28.6% more in United States
- Housing
- pay 25.1% more in United States
- Childcare
- pay 36.9% more in United States
- Entertainment and Sports
- pay 4.4% more in United States
- Clothing
- pay 0.1% less in United States
United States vs. Nelson BC Cost Breakdown
If you lived in United States instead of Nelson BC, you would:
pay 25.2% more for restaurants
Nelson BC | United States | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic meal with drink at inexpensive restaurant | $14.35 CA$20.37 | $19.45 | |
| Fast food combo meal McDonalds, or similar | $8.97 CA$12.73 | $11.12 | |
| Bottle of Coca-Cola (11 fl. oz) | $2.08 CA$2.95 | $2.56 | |
| Bottle of water (11 fl. oz) | $1.70 CA$2.41 | $2.00 | |
Nelson BC vs. United States - Cost of restaurants
pay 41.1% more for groceries
Nelson BC | United States | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Bread 1 loaf | $3.02 CA$4.28 | $3.56 | |
| Local cheese (8 oz) | $5.14 CA$7.29 | $6.50 | |
| Milk (1 gallon) | $7.44 CA$10.56 | $3.97 | |
| Eggs 1 dozen | $3.64 CA$5.17 | $4.27 | |
| Boneless chicken breast (1 lb) | $6.12 CA$8.68 | $5.41 | |
| Apples (1 lb) | $1.42 CA$2.02 | $2.37 | |
| Bananas (1 lb) | $0.29 CA$0.41 | $0.78 | |
| Oranges (1 lb) | $0.72 CA$1.02 | $2.04 | |
| Tomatoes (1 lb) | $1.97 CA$2.79 | $2.21 | |
| Potatoes (1 lb) | $1.31 CA$1.86 | $1.34 | |
| Onions (1 lb) | $1.25 CA$1.78 | $1.38 | |
Nelson BC vs. United States - Cost of groceries
pay 28.6% more for transportation
Nelson BC | United States | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | $4.52 CA$6.42 | $3.41 | |
| Monthly public transit pass | $32.29 CA$45.84 | $65.85 | |
| New Volkswagen Golf 1.4 (standard edition) | $24,382.26 CA$34,609.40 | $32,336.38 | |
| Taxi trip in downtown area (5 miles) | $17.18 CA$24.39 | $17.61 | |
Nelson BC vs. United States - Cost of transportation
pay 25.1% more for housing
Nelson BC | United States | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet connection 50 mbps or faster, cable/dsl | $57.41 CA$81.49 | $68.97 | |
| 1-Bedroom apartment in downtown area | $1,363.42 CA$1,935.31 | $1,664.59 | |
| 1-Bedroom apartment outside city center | $1,148.14 CA$1,629.73 | $1,416.15 | |
| Utilities for two (700 sq ft apartment) including electric, gas, water, heating | $111.30 CA$157.98 | $150.19 | |
Nelson BC vs. United States - Cost of housing
pay 36.9% more for childcare
Nelson BC | United States | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Private preschool for 1 child, monthly | $1,040.51 CA$1,476.94 | $1,387.27 | |
| Middle school for 1 child, two semesters | $16,504.56 CA$23,427.40 | $23,196.46 | |
Nelson BC vs. United States - Cost of childcare
pay 4.4% more for entertainment and sports
Nelson BC | United States | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic/local beer (1 pint) | $5.02 CA$7.13 | $5.84 | |
| Cappuccino in mid-range area | $3.95 CA$5.60 | $5.15 | |
| Pack of cigarettes Marlboro or similar | $14.35 CA$20.37 | $9.90 | |
| Monthly membership at local gym | $58.84 CA$83.52 | $51.45 | |
| Movie ticket to theater/cinema | $11.48 CA$16.30 | $13.64 | |
Nelson BC vs. United States - Cost of entertainment and sports
pay 0.1% less for clothing
Nelson BC | United States | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular jeans Levi's brand | $50.23 CA$71.30 | $51.08 | |
| Regular dress from H&M or similar store | $40.66 CA$57.72 | $41.81 | |
| Running shoes Nike or Adidas | $84.52 CA$119.97 | $87.56 | |
| Men's business shoes (leather) | $122.59 CA$174.01 | $112.04 | |
Nelson BC vs. United States - Cost of clothing
The statistics used to build this comparison are calculated using data from users just like you. We average the price of thousands of data points entered by users across the world. Learn more about our data sources. Page last updated: June 2026
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