Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Canada and Vanuatu

For one person, living is cheaper in Canada: $2,317 a month against $3,216 in Vanuatu, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

🇨🇦 Canada
$2,317
/mo nomad
🇻🇺 Vanuatu
$3,216
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Canada and in Vanuatu

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Canada and in Vanuatu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,317 per month in Canada vs $3,216 in Vanuatu, rent included.

  • Canada $2,317
  • Vanuatu $3,216

A couple spends around $3,358 per month in Canada vs $4,324 in Vanuatu, rent included.

  • Canada $3,358
  • Vanuatu $4,324

A family of three spends $4,399 per month in Canada vs $5,432 in Vanuatu, rent included.

  • Canada $4,399
  • Vanuatu $5,432

The regional cost range is wider in Canada ($884–$3,722) than in Vanuatu ($3,155–$3,454), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Canada is roughly 28% lower than in Vanuatu on average.

Both Canada and Vanuatu are pricier than the global median – Canada by 71%, Vanuatu by 137%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Canada
Vanuatu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.00 CA$25.44
$12.42 VUV 1,457
44.93%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$70.6 CA$99.8
$55.9 VUV 6,553
26.39%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.78 CA$15.24
$14.15 VUV 1,660
-23.82%
Cappuccino
$3.74 CA$5.29
$3.97 VUV 466
-5.79%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.03 CA$2.86
$2.30 VUV 270
-11.74%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.71 CA$2.42
$2.33 VUV 274
-26.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.56 CA$7.87
$5.03 VUV 590
10.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.64 CA$7.98
$7.35 VUV 863
-23.27%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Canada
Vanuatu
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.26 CA$3.19
$3.13 VUV 367
-27.80%
White Bread (500g)
$2.66 CA$3.76
$2.50 VUV 293
6.40%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.50 CA$4.94
$3.86 VUV 452
-9.33%
Eggs
$3.64 CA$5.14
$6.21 VUV 728
-41.38%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.82 CA$15.29
$16.29 VUV 1,911
-33.58%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.82 CA$16.71
$16.00 VUV 1,876
-26.13%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.48 CA$21.88
$13.25 VUV 1,554
16.83%
Apples (1kg)
$4.14 CA$5.85
$6.57 VUV 771
-36.99%
Banana (1kg)
$1.43 CA$2.02
$2.07 VUV 243
-30.92%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.84 CA$5.43
$3.91 VUV 459
-1.79%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.11 CA$5.81
$10.09 VUV 1,184
-59.27%
Potato (1kg)
$2.60 CA$3.67
$8.96 VUV 1,052
-70.98%
Onion (1kg)
$2.44 CA$3.45
$4.34 VUV 510
-43.78%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.54 CA$3.60
$2.60 VUV 305
-2.31%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.71 CA$2.42
$1.16 VUV 137
47.41%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.03 CA$19.83
$9.57 VUV 1,122
46.60%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.34 CA$18.85
$12.45 VUV 1,460
7.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.92 CA$4.13
$2.94 VUV 344
-0.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.18 CA$4.50
$2.99 VUV 351
6.35%
🚌 Getting Around
Canada
Vanuatu
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.42 CA$3.43
$1.29 VUV 151
87.60%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$73.1 CA$103
$67.7 VUV 7,943
7.93%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.17 CA$4.49
$2.51 VUV 295
26.29%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.45 CA$2.05
$0.81 VUV 95.4
79.01%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$26.76 CA$37.83
$5.00 VUV 587
435.20%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.23 CA$1.74
$1.84 VUV 216
-33.15%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.5K CA$38.9K
$23.0K VUV 2.7M
19.41%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.2K CA$29.9K
$37.3K VUV 4.4M
-43.27%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Canada
Vanuatu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$146 CA$207
$624 VUV 73.2K
-76.57%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$42.95 CA$60.7
$22.95 VUV 2,692
87.15%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$58.3 CA$82.4
$360 VUV 42.2K
-83.81%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Canada
Vanuatu
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.50 CA$57.3
$67.9 VUV 7,963
-40.34%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.38 CA$27.40
$16.80 VUV 1,971
15.36%
Cinema Ticket
$11.17 CA$15.79
-
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Canada
Vanuatu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$771 CA$1,090
$632 VUV 74.1K
22.03%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.5K CA$20.5K
$6,850 VUV 803.5K
111.45%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Canada
Vanuatu
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.9 CA$76.2
$40.81 VUV 4,787
32.12%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.89 CA$55.0
$66.5 VUV 7,797
-41.49%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$88.3 CA$125
$85.2 VUV 9,991
3.69%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$101 CA$143
$103 VUV 12.1K
-1.90%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Canada
Vanuatu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,262 CA$1,784
$1,566 VUV 183.7K
-19.42%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,139 CA$1,610
$1,198 VUV 140.6K
-4.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,060 CA$2,913
$3,359 VUV 394.0K
-38.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,730 CA$2,445
$1,897 VUV 222.5K
-8.81%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,554 CA$6,438
$6,080 VUV 713.1K
-25.09%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,933 CA$5,560
$2,184 VUV 256.2K
80.07%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Canada
Vanuatu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,050 CA$4,312
$345 VUV 40.4K
784.63%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.87
6.18
-21.20%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Canada: October 20, 2026

Last update for Vanuatu: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Canada
$1.1K
Vanuatu
$1.2K 5.2% $59
Groceries & Markets
Canada
$372
Vanuatu
$482 29.6% $110
Eating Out
Canada
$275
Vanuatu
$248 10% $27
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Canada
$248
Vanuatu
$1K 307% $760
Clothing & Footwear
Canada
$127
Vanuatu
$133 4.7% $6
Getting Around
Canada
$93
Vanuatu
$79 14.8% $14
Sport & Entertainment
Canada
$63
Vanuatu
$68 * 8% $5

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,207 in Canada vs $794 in Vanuatu. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,437 in Ottawa and $1,587 in Port Vila.

Average salary: $2,936 in Canada vs $488 in Vanuatu. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 52% higher in Canada.

Dining out costs 129% more in Canada.

Public transport is 79% more expensive in Canada.

Salaries are 502% higher in Canada, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Canada.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Canada
🇻🇺 Vanuatu
🕒 Local time
10:47 10:47 AM
01:47 1:47 AM
15 h ahead of Canada
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
36,991,981
300,019
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

VUV, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Vanuatu Vatu exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 117 VUV (1,000 VUV = 8.53 USD). 1 EUR = 132 VUV (1,000 VUV = 7.58 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Canada Vanuatu 13,420 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Canada
  • Vanuatu

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Canada vs Vanuatu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Canada more expensive than Vanuatu?
Canada is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 39% lower on average.
Is everything cheaper in Canada?
Not necessarily. Overall, Vanuatu costs about 39% more, but the gap varies by category, and some expenses can be lower in Vanuatu. Compare the categories that matter most for your budget.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget in Canada or in Vanuatu?
$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Canada, but in Vanuatu it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.
Should I move to Canada or to Vanuatu?
Canada is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.

Canada vs other spots: cost of living compared

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