Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between St John and Vancouver

For one person, living is cheaper in St John: $315 a month against $2,684 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $28,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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St John

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$315

/mo nomad

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,684

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in St John and in Vancouver

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $315 in St John versus $2,684 in Vancouver.

St John $315
Vancouver $2,684

Estimated couple costs with rent: $928 in St John versus $3,878 in Vancouver.

St John $928
Vancouver $3,878

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,540 in St John versus $5,072 in Vancouver.

St John $1,540
Vancouver $5,072

Living in St John costs roughly 88% less than in Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: St John is 77% below, Vancouver is 100% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.15 $20.15

$17.30 CA$24.66

16.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$174 $174

$69.0 CA$98.3

152.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 CA$15.05

Cappuccino

$7.10 $7.10

$3.89 CA$5.54

82.52%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 $3.02

$2.05 CA$2.93

47.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.62 CA$2.31

26.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$5.54 CA$7.90

47.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.05 $8.05

$6.33 CA$9.02

27.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.30

White Bread (500g)

$2.50 CA$3.56

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.44 CA$6.33

Eggs

$4.07 CA$5.80

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.28 CA$16.08

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.42 CA$19.13

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.10 CA$28.65

Apples (1kg)

$4.06 CA$5.78

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 CA$1.90

Oranges (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.57

Tomato (1kg)

$4.05 CA$5.78

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 CA$3.88

Onion (1kg)

$2.89 CA$4.12

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 CA$3.61

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 CA$2.31

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.57 CA$22.19

Wine (Bottle)

$14.05 CA$20.03

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 CA$3.83

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 CA$4.26

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.44 CA$3.48

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.4 CA$119

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.71 CA$3.87

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 CA$2.24

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.39 CA$44.75

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.38 CA$1.96

13.77%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$28.1K CA$40.0K

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$19.8K CA$28.2K

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$81.2 CA$116

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$37.45 CA$53.4

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 CA$73.2

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.47 CA$62.0

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.53 CA$17.86

Cinema Ticket

$12.54 CA$17.88

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,094 CA$1,560

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K $13.4K

$19.9K CA$28.4K

-32.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 CA$81.3

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.73 CA$46.66

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.6 CA$132

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.2 CA$134

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,745 CA$2,488

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,484 CA$2,115

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,998 CA$4,273

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,422 CA$3,453

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.9K $12.9K

$8,002 CA$11.4K

60.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,457 CA$9,204

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,080 $5,080

$3,799 CA$5,416

33.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.05

4.28

64.72%

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

Last update for St John: October 5, 2026

Last update for Vancouver: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

St John

–

Vancouver

$1.5K 56.6%

Groceries & Markets

St John

–

Vancouver

$399 15.2%

Eating Out

St John

–

Vancouver

$272 10.4%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

St John

–

Vancouver

$170 6.5%

Clothing & Footwear

St John

–

Vancouver

$124 4.8%

Getting Around

St John

–

Vancouver

$104 4%

Sport & Entertainment

St John

–

Vancouver

$69 2.6%

Cost Breakdown

St John pays 34% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out at a mid-range restaurant: $174 in St John vs $69.0 in Vancouver for two.

Good to know

🇻🇮 St John

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🕒 Local time

02:34 2:34 AM

23:34 11:34 PM

3 h behind St John

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,743

631,486

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

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Between locations

St John Vancouver 6,200 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

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Vancouver

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

St John vs Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

St John and Vancouver differ by about 753% in total monthly costs ($315 vs $2,684 including rent). St John is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 34% higher in St John, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Dining out is cheaper in St John – a meal for two runs $174 versus $69.0 in Vancouver. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $315 per month in St John versus $2,684 in Vancouver – a 753% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $315 in St John versus $2,684 in Vancouver, a $2,000 budget is realistic in St John but tight or insufficient in Vancouver. The gap between the two cities makes St John the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, St John and Vancouver are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find St John gentler on the wallet – expenses run 753% less than in Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.