How Much Does Vancouver Cost per Day
A full breakdown of Vancouver prices: daily budgets by tier, every itemised cost from the guide, and where the money actually goes.
The short answer
Budget travellers in Vancouver spend around CAD 130 a day. Mid-range travel runs closer to CAD 280, and a splurge day lands around CAD 550. Per person per day in CAD. Vancouver runs close to Toronto on food and transport but noticeably higher on accommodation, especially June through September.
Daily cost breakdown
- Stay
- Food
- Transport
- Activities
| Tier | Stay | Food | Transport | Activities | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | CAD 60 | CAD 40 | CAD 15 | CAD 15 | CAD 130 |
| Mid-range | CAD 160 | CAD 75 | CAD 20 | CAD 25 | CAD 280 |
| Splurge | CAD 350 | CAD 150 | CAD 40 | CAD 60 | CAD 600 |
A mid-range day: CAD 160 hotel room split two ways or solo in a budget hotel, CAD 12.55 day pass on the Compass Card, CAD 26 Museum of Anthropology entry, CAD 15 breakfast at Granville Island, CAD 20 sushi or ramen lunch, CAD 45 dinner with a drink in Yaletown. Comes to roughly CAD 260-280 before a bigger-ticket attraction like Capilano or Grouse Mountain, which adds meaningfully to the day.
Every priced item in this guide
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Stanley Park Seawall | free to enter and walk; bike and blade rentals run roughly CAD 10-15/hour near the Georgia Street entrance, confirm current rates before you go |
| Museum of Anthropology at UBC | CAD 26 adult; half-price (CAD 13) Thursdays after 5pm; free for Indigenous peoples and UBC students/staff/faculty |
| Granville Island Public Market | free to enter and browse |
| Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art | CAD 15 adult, taxes not included |
| Gastown and the Steam Clock | free |
| Fresh sockeye and spot prawns | CAD 20-40 for a plate |
| Ramen | CAD 14-20 |
| Dim sum | CAD 20-35 per person |
| Japadog and food-truck street food | CAD 6-10 |
| Craft beer | CAD 7-9 a pint |
| Vietnamese pho | CAD 12-16 |
What I actually paid
- Sales tax here is a real number, not a rounding error. Twelve percent on top of a menu price adds up over a week, and unlike some provinces it isn't folded into one line, so budget for it rather than being surprised at checkout.
How to spend less
- The SeaBus across Burrard Inlet costs the same as a bus fare and gives you nearly the same harbour view as a paid boat tour
- The Grouse Grind trail up Grouse Mountain is free; you only pay if you want the gondola down (or up, if you skip the climb)
- Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge in North Vancouver is a free alternative to Capilano's paid one, smaller but genuinely comparable
- Stanley Park, the seawall, Gastown, and Granville Island's market itself are all free; save ticket budget for one or two paid attractions rather than all of them