Nelson, British Columbia Cost Of Living

B+

4%

Overall NAT. AVG.

4%

Groceries NAT. AVG.

4%

Housing NAT. AVG.

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Date & Last Updated: This data reflects 2025 and was released from Statistics Canada.

The cost of living index is based on a national average of 100. For example, if the cost of living score is 90, then the estimated cost of living is 10% lower than the national average. If the score is 110, then the estimated cost of living is 10% higher than average. The overall index is calculated using weighted estimates across major everyday expense categories, including housing (30%), groceries (16%), transportation (12%), healthcare (10%), utilities (8%), lifestyle and entertainment (8%), household expenses (8%), and education and childcare (8%). All values are AI-assisted city-level estimates designed for directional comparisons.
Index	Nelson	British Columbia	National
Cost of living	104	117	100
Groceries	104	106	100
Health care	105	100	100
Housing	104	139	100
Transportation	96	103	100
Utilities	113	105	100
Lifestyle & Entertainment	n/a	n/a	n/a
Household Items	n/a	n/a	n/a
Education & Childcare	n/a	n/a	n/a

Cost Of Living Quick Facts

The cost of living in Nelson is 11% lower than the British Columbia average
The cost of living in Nelson is 4% higher than the national average
Nelson housing is 4% higher than the national average
British Columbia general sales tax is 17% higher than the national average
British Columbia state income tax is 40% lower than the national average

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Price difference in compared to

Cost of living index
Groceries index
Health care index
Housing index
Transportation index
Utilities index
Lifestyle index
Household index
Educare index

British Columbia Sales Tax

State	General Sales Tax	With Max Surtax
British Columbia	7%	12%

British Columbia Income Tax

State	Income Tax (Low)	Income Tax (High)
British Columbia	5.06%	16.8%

Nearby cities with low cost of living

City	Population	Cost of Living Index	National Avg.
Central Kootenay F, BC	4,086	104	4.3%
Central Kootenay I, BC	2,696	106	6.1%
Central Kootenay E, BC	4,061	108	7.7%
Castlegar, BC	8,697	108	7.8%
Nelson, BC	11,592	104	4.4%

Cities with similar population

City	Population	Cost of Living Index	National Avg.
Berkley, CO	11,591	n/a
L'Île-Perrot, QC	11,591	87	13.2%
Lowes Island, VA	11,593	n/a
Kalaoa, HI	11,594	n/a
Merriam, KS	11,587	n/a
Nelson, BC	11,592	104	4.4%

Date & Last Updated: This data reflects 2020 and was released from Statistics Canada.