The Cheapest Cities in Greater Vancouver for Newcomers
This comparison uses CMHC's October 2025 average rents for purpose-built rental apartments so each city is measured from the same survey. These averages describe the survey universe and are not asking-rent quotes for homes available today. Compare current listings with the same unit size and tenure, then add the cost and time of the actual commute before choosing a city.
The ranking
Delta
At $1787/month CMHC average for a 2-bedroom, Delta is the cheapest city in Greater Vancouver we've built data for. That's roughly 30% below the City of Vancouver.
Surrey
Surrey ranks second on cost at $1872/month. Noticeably cheaper than Vancouver but with meaningfully better transit than the cheapest city.
Richmond
Richmond at $2046/month sits in the middle — not as cheap as Surrey, not as expensive as the North Shore or Vancouver proper.
New Westminster
New Westminster CMHC 2BR average is $2134/month.
Burnaby
Burnaby CMHC 2BR average is $2147/month.
Coquitlam
Coquitlam CMHC 2BR average is $2175/month.
Port Coquitlam
Port Coquitlam CMHC 2BR average is $2175/month.
Langley
Langley CMHC 2BR average is $2203/month.
North Vancouver
North Vancouver CMHC 2BR average is $2444/month.
Vancouver
Vancouver CMHC 2BR average is $2644/month.
The top three in detail
Delta leads on price — its Ladner, Tsawwassen, and North Delta communities are the most suburban and furthest-flung in our set, with older, lower-density rental stock and no SkyTrain. Surrey comes second, held down by its distance from downtown Vancouver and a large supply of older purpose-built rentals across Whalley, Newton, and Guildford. Richmond rounds out the top three: cheaper than Vancouver thanks to its flat delta geography and mall-centric downtown, but pricier than Surrey and Delta because of the Canada Line and its proximity to YVR. Remember that the lowest rent isn't the best value — Delta and Surrey trade cheaper apartments for the longest commutes to downtown Vancouver.
All 10 cities compared
Full data for all 10 Greater Vancouver cities, in ranked order for this category.
| Metric | Delta | Surrey | Richmond | New Westminster | Burnaby | Coquitlam | Port Coquitlam | Langley | North Vancouver | Vancouver |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Population Stats Canada 2021 Census | 108,455 | 568,322 | 209,937 | 78,916 | 249,125 | 148,625 | 61,498 | 161,566 | 146,288 | 662,248 |
Land area | 179.66 km² | 316.41 km² | 128.96 km² | 15.6 km² | 90.61 km² | 122.3 km² | 29.16 km² | 317.2 km² | 172.9 km² | 115.18 km² |
Median age | 44 | 38.4 | 43.4 | 41 | 41.4 | 42.2 | 41.5 | 40.5 | 42.8 | 40 |
Foreign-born | 33% | 45.6% | 60% | 37% | 52.6% | 45.9% | 34.4% | 22.8% | 35.2% | 41.8% |
Top non-English language | Punjabi | Punjabi | Cantonese | Mandarin | Mandarin | Korean | Cantonese | Punjabi | Persian | Cantonese |
Median household income Stats Canada 2020 income year | $104,000 | $94,500 | $78,500 | $76,000 | $82,500 | $98,500 | $102,000 | $108,000 | $110,500 | $80,500 |
1BR rent (CMHC avg) CMHC purpose-built rental | $1,550 | $1,602 | $1,676 | $1,645 | $1,730 | $1,708 | $1,708 | $1,765 | $1,918 | $1,862 |
2BR rent (CMHC avg) | $1,787 | $1,872 | $2,046 | $2,134 | $2,147 | $2,175 | $2,175 | $2,203 | $2,444 | $2,644 |
Transit pass (monthly) | $212 | $212 | $157 | $157 | $157 | $212 | $212 | $212 | $157 | $117 |
Annual rainfall | 900 mm | 1255 mm | 1108 mm | 1250 mm | 1323 mm | 1833 mm | 1650 mm | 1450 mm | 2477 mm | 1189 mm |
Walk Score | 40 | 45 | 63 | 77 | 68 | 51 | 48 | 45 | 60 | 80 |
SkyTrain lines | None | Expo Line · Surrey–Langley extension (under construction) | Canada Line | Expo Line · Millennium Line | Expo Line · Millennium Line | Millennium Line (Evergreen Extension) | None (West Coast Express commuter rail only) | None (Surrey–Langley extension expected late 2029) | None (SeaBus only) | Expo Line · Millennium Line · Canada Line |
Safety (CSI, 2024) Statistics Canada Crime Severity Index · lower is safer | 83.5 ▴ +8.5 vs national | 83.5 ▴ +8.5 vs national | 83.5 ▴ +8.5 vs national | 83.5 ▴ +8.5 vs national | 83.5 ▴ +8.5 vs national | 83.5 ▴ +8.5 vs national | 83.5 ▴ +8.5 vs national | 83.5 ▴ +8.5 vs national | 83.5 ▴ +8.5 vs national | 83.5 ▴ +8.5 vs national |