New Westminster · Cost of living 2026
New Westminster cost of living 2026: a complete monthly budget
New Westminster consistently offers the best value of any central Metro Vancouver city — CMHC's zone-level data puts purpose-built rents about 10–15% below Vancouver proper and 5–10% below Burnaby for the same square footage, and the secondary-market gap is usually larger. Three SkyTrain stations mean a household here can realistically live car-free; the typical newcomer budget saves $700–1,000/month versus a Vancouver Westside equivalent. Groceries, utilities, mobile, and internet match the Metro Vancouver baseline. Daycare market rates are slightly below Vancouver and the $10/day program has moderate coverage. Queensborough's outlet shopping and the River Market's Donald's grocer are practical money-savers for weekly household runs.
The bottom line
Two example monthly budgets
Single adult, one-bedroom apartment
$2,528/mo
CMHC rent + groceries + utilities + transit + lifestyle. Add ~$400-700 if you own a car.
Family of 4, two-bedroom + one preschool daycare spot
$5,076/mo
CMHC 2-bed rent + family groceries + utilities + 2 transit passes + 1 daycare. Infant daycare adds ~$500-700/month.
How New Westminster compares
Where New Westminster sits in the Metro Vancouver rental market
One-bedroom CMHC rent across all 6 Tier-1 Greater Vancouver cities, with New Westminster highlighted. CMHC numbers are conservative — they only cover existing long-term tenants in purpose-built rental buildings.
CMHC One-bedroom rent across Greater Vancouver
The biggest line
Rent
CMHC purpose-built 1-bedroom
$1,521/mo
Conservative — only existing long-term tenants in purpose-built rental buildings.
Market 1-bedroom (new lease)
$1,875/mo
What you'll actually pay if you sign today on a typical condo.
The second biggest line
Groceries
Estimated monthly grocery spend by household type, derived from Statistics Canada's Survey of Household Spending and adjusted to 2026 dollars using the food CPI.
Mostly fixed Metro-wide
Utilities
BC Hydro is a regulated provincial Crown corporation, FortisBC serves natural gas across the Lower Mainland, and water/sewerage for apartment renters is typically embedded in rent. Internet and mobile costs are roughly the Canadian average.
Cheap if you don't own a car
Transit
If you own a car, add roughly $200-350/month for ICBC insurance (varies sharply by driving record and postal code), $150-300 for gas, and $100-300 for parking depending on neighbourhood.
The biggest family expense
Daycare
Market rates above. The BC $10-a-day program offers some spots at a flat $200/month — coverage varies by city and waitlists are 12-24 months.
Discretionary
Dining & lifestyle
Casual meals out (~10/month)
$180/mo
A typical fast-casual or pub meal for one runs $18-22 before tip.
Mid-range restaurant (~4/month)
$200/mo
Sit-down dinner for one with a drink runs $45-60 before tip.
Keep going
Plan the rest of your move to New Westminster
New Westminster city guide
Neighbourhood overviews, transit, schools, weather — the full city snapshot.
Is New Westminster safe?
Calibrated Crime Severity Index, safest neighbourhoods, and newcomer scams to know about.
How to find a rental
Step-by-step newcomer guide to finding and signing a rental in BC — with tenancy rights and cited fees.
Day trips from Vancouver
Hour-by-hour plans with cited costs — useful once you've done the budget maths and want to get out and explore.