Software Engineer Salary: Vancouver vs San Francisco
Annual median salary comparison (2024). All figures include local currency, USD equivalent, and PPP-adjusted purchasing power.
🇨🇦 Vancouver
Canada
CA$110K CAD
$81K USD
$99K PPP
VS
USD Difference
-56%
Vancouver vs San Francisco
🇺🇸 San Francisco
United States
$185K USD
$185K USD
$185K PPP
Higher Purchasing Power
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Vancouver | San Francisco | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local Currency Salary | CA$110K CAD | $185K USD | — |
| USD Equivalent | $81K | $185K | -56% |
| PPP-Adjusted SalaryWINNER | $99K | $185K 🏆 | -46% |
| 25th Percentile | CA$88K CAD | $148K USD | — |
| Median | CA$110K CAD | $185K USD | — |
| 75th Percentile | CA$138K CAD | $231K USD | — |
| Annual Mean | CA$119K CAD | $200K USD | — |
What Does This Mean?
Vancouver offers a Software Engineer salary of $81K USD, while San Francisco offers $185K USD — a difference of -56% in raw terms.
After adjusting for purchasing power parity (PPP), Vancouver's salary is worth $99K in US purchasing power terms, versus $185K for San Francisco. This means San Francisco offers better real purchasing power for this role.
PPP adjustment accounts for differences in local prices — for example, housing costs 3x more in San Francisco than in Warsaw, so a San Francisco salary needs to be much higher to provide an equivalent standard of living.