City comparison
Burien, WA is about 125 miles (200 km) from Vancouver, WA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 150 miles, or about 2 h 45 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Burien, WA to Vancouver, WA takes about 15 min, covering roughly 125 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Vancouver has a population of 190,700, vs 51,505 in Burien — about 3.7× larger by population. By land area, Vancouver covers about 49 sq mi vs 10 sq mi for Burien.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Burien | Vancouver | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,649/mo | $1,525/mo | 8.1% higher in Burien |
| Median home value | $566,500 | $403,400 | 40.4% higher in Burien |
| Median household income | $84,583 | $73,626 | 14.9% higher in Burien |
| Groceries index | 104.0 | 105.1 | 1.1% higher in Vancouver |
| Utilities index | 95.7 | 108.6 | 13.5% higher in Vancouver |
| Transportation index | 106.6 | 100.5 | 6.1% higher in Burien |
| Healthcare index | 106.6 | 100.5 | 6.1% higher in Burien |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Burien, you'd need $91,022 in Vancouver to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Vancouver, WA is about 9% cheaper overall than Burien, WA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 20% higher in Burien than in Vancouver. If you earn $80,000 in Burien, you'd need about $72,818 in Vancouver to keep the same standard of living.