Price was born as Vera Evelyn Bryant in Bedminster, a district of Bristol, England, on 16 December 1904 as the eldest of four children; she had a sister and two brothers. Her mother, Mary Elizabeth Bryant, died in 1985 aged 101, and her great-grandmother lived to be 93 years old.

As a child, Price and her family moved to nearby Bishopston, where her father continued his work as an engineer and inventor. She joined the Civil Service when she was 21, but was forced to leave following her marriage. Price was widowed at the age of 33.

In 1937, Price was allowed to rejoin the Civil Service, this time working in the Foreign Office. She was posted worldwide and eventually earned the position of head of the registry. During World War II, she deciphered a wide variety of codes.

Price later became a probation officer in London, holding that position until she was 51, when she was employed at HM Treasury until her retirement aged 60. Following her departure from the workforce, she moved back to her home city to care for her elderly mother.

Throughout her life, Price was a devout Christian, having been brought up with traditional values of the religion. As a supercentenarian, she dressed and washed independently, enjoyed reading newspapers and autobiographies, and completed jigsaw puzzles.

Price died in her sleep at a Bristol residential home at the age of 110 years, 144 days. She was survived by her niece Carole Jenkins, then 74 years old.