Which place is cheaper, Vancouver or Edmonton?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Edmonton or Vancouver?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Edmonton and Vancouver can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Edmonton or Vancouver?
Edmonton
The capital of Alberta, Canada, Edmonton has a population of just over one million people in its metropolitan area. It is also North America's northernmost city of this large size. It's a beautiful place to visit because of the North Saskatchewan River Valley which has over one hundred kilometers of hiking trails, wildlife spotting, and overlooks. The valley has a string of parks which are wonderful to visit. In addition to the beautiful outdoor setting and activities, Edmonton also offers the largest shopping mall in North America, West Edmonton Mall. It's also a city with a lot of culture including a lively theater scene, many different festivals, and no shortage of sporting events that you could attend.
Vancouver
Vancouver is a beautiful and cosmopolitan city in Western Canada. It is also the largest city in British Columbia, and is dramatically positioned between the coast and mountains. It's a very international city, with a high level of energy and countless activites that you can enjoy while you're in town. In addition to offering all of the activities and entertainment of a modern city, it is also in jumping off distance to any number of outdoor activities.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Contiki Tours to Canada, The Best G Adventures Tours to Canada, The Best 3-Day Tours from Vancouver, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Vancouver.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayEdmonton $179Vancouver $141
The average daily cost (per person) in Edmonton is $179, while the average daily cost in Vancouver is $141. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Edmonton and Vancouver in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personEdmonton $101Vancouver $87
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomEdmonton $202Vancouver $174
Compare Hotels in Edmonton and Vancouver
Looking for a hotel in Edmonton or Vancouver? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Edmonton Hotel Prices and Vancouver Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Edmonton $79Vancouver $12
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Edmonton
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Edmonton:
- Private Departure Transfer from Hotels to Edmonton Airport: $43
- Edmonton to Edmonton Airport (YEG) - Departure Private Transfer: $42
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Vancouver
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Vancouver are as follows:
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SkyTrain from Airport$6.35
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Taxi from Airport to Downtown$21
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15 min Taxi Ride$8.71
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SkyTrain DayPass$6.53
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Vancouver
Also for Vancouver, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Departure Transfer to Vancouver Airport (YVR): $32
- Cypress/Grouse Mountain to Vancouver Airport - Departure Transfer: $38
- White Rock to Vancouver Airport (YVR) - Departure Private Transfer: $46
- Canada Place Port to Vancouver Airport(YVR) - Departure Transfer : $55
- Vancouver Airport (YVR) to Canada Place Port - Arrival Transfer: $55
- City Highlights Tour with Hotel Transfers: $57
- Transfer Private Vehicle Vancouver Airport (YVR)-Vancouver Downtown: $67
- Vancouver to Victoria: Ferry with Bus Transfer: $72
- Vancouver to Victoria, Coach Bus Transfer: $74
- Vancouver Harbour Water Airport to Whistler - Arrival Transfer: $76
- Vancouver to Victoria - Vancouver Hotel Pickup - Coach Bus Transfer: $83
- Departure Private Transfer Vancouver to YVR Airport or Cruise Port- Business Car: $85
Is it cheaper to fly into Edmonton or Vancouver?
Prices for flights to both Vancouver and Edmonton change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
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Food Meals for one dayEdmonton $16Vancouver $31
Typical Food Prices in Edmonton
Some typical examples of dining costs in Edmonton are as follows:
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Snacks$7.26
Typical Food Prices in Vancouver
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Vancouver:
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All You Can Eat Sushi Lunch$8.80
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Vancouver
For Vancouver, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Vancouver Delicious Donut Adventure & Walking Food Tour: $78
- The Gastown Experience Walking Food Tour: $84
- Experience Gastown Vancouver's Elite Walking Food Tour: $93
- Gastown Historic Walking Food Tour: $96
- North Vancouver Shipyards Food Tour: $108
- VIP Granville Island Market Vancouver - Walking Food Tour: $111
- Vancouver Authentic Chinese Food Tour: $134
- Downtown Vancouver Asian Eats - Walking Food Tour: $138
- Authentic Asian Eats Walking Food Tour: $141
- 3-Hour Bowen Island Boat Cruise with Dinner: $152
- Granville Island Uncorked Vancouver - Walking Food Tour: $156
- Vancouver Evening Dinner Cruise: $158
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Edmonton $91Vancouver $36
Tours and Activities in Edmonton
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Edmonton are as follows:
- Discover the Early History of Strathcona with Historic Walking Tour: $4.48
- Edmonton Oilers Ice Hockey Game Ticket at Rogers Place: $259
- Edmonton River Valley 60-Minute Segway Adventure: $45
- Edmonton River Valley 90-Minute Segway Adventure: $63
- Edmonton Self-Guided Audio Tour: $9.00
- 1-Hour Segway Adventure in Louise McKinney Park: $44
- Edmonton Oilers Ice Hockey Game Ticket: $232
- Self-Guided Audio Tour: $11
- Romantic Tour Around Edmonton For Couples: $223
- Scavenger Hunt Adventure in Edmonton by Crazy Dash: $10
- Summer Sunset Cruise (2Hr Tour): $89
- The Best of Edmonton Walking Tour: $224
Tours and Activities in Vancouver
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Vancouver.
- Vancouver self-guided tour App - multilingual AudioGuide: $4.27
- Self-Guided Smartphone Walking Tour of Gastown: $4.72
- Self-Guided Smartphone Walking Tour of Gastown: $4.85
- Discover Stanley Park with a Smartphone Audio Walking Tour: $5.08
- Fort Langley: a Film & Television Smartphone Audio Walking Tour: $5.22
- Cycling the Seawall: A Self-Guided Audio Tour Along the Stanley Park Seawall: $5.46
- Historic Walking Tours of Vancouver with Then & Now Images!: $6.72
- Walking Tour Along Stanley Park's Seawall: $6.72
- Vancouver Downtown: Espionage Adventure Outdoor Escape Game: $6.92
- Self-Guided Smartphone Tour of Stanley Park: $7.26
- Self-Guided Smartphone Walking Tours of Stanley Park: $7.46
- VanDusen Botanical Garden Admission Ticket: $7.69
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayEdmonton -Vancouver $16
Sample the Local Flavors in Edmonton
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Edmonton:
- Edmonton Brewery Tour: $104
Sample the Local Flavors in Vancouver
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Vancouver:
- Gastown Pub Crawl: $22
- Vancouver - Granville Pub Crawl: $25
- 3.5-Hour Craft Brewery Tour: $84
- Vancouver Behind-the-Scenes Brewery Tour: $93
- Fraser Valley Wine Tour with a light Lunch from Vancouver: $134
- Vancouver Wine Tour (Fraser Valley): $134
- From Half-Day Fraser Valley Wine Tour: $137
- Taste of the Valley Wine Tour: $149
- Stawamus Chief Hike and Local Brewery Tasting: $164
- Stawamus Chief Hike & Local Brewery Tasting : $168
- Full-Day Private Fraser Valley Wine Tour from Vancouver: $189
- Private Half Day Wine Tasting Tour: $332
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Edmonton and Vancouver, we can see that Edmonton is more expensive. And not only is Vancouver much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Vancouver would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Vancouver and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Edmonton would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Edmonton than you might in Vancouver.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Edmonton Expensive? and Is Vancouver Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Edmonton or Vancouver?
Vancouver has a larger population, and is about 3 times larger than the population of Edmonton. When comparing the sizes of Edmonton and Vancouver, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.