Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Cayo Coco

For one person, living is cheaper in Cayo Coco: $1,224 a month against $2,684 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $17,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Vancouver
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,684
/mo nomad
Cayo Coco
🇨🇺 Cuba
$1,224
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Cayo Coco

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,684 in Vancouver versus $1,224 in Cayo Coco.

  • Vancouver $2,684
  • Cayo Coco $1,224

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,878 in Vancouver versus $1,695 in Cayo Coco.

  • Vancouver $3,878
  • Cayo Coco $1,695

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,072 in Vancouver versus $2,166 in Cayo Coco.

  • Vancouver $5,072
  • Cayo Coco $2,166

Living in Vancouver is roughly 119% more expensive than in Cayo Coco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Vancouver is 100% above, Cayo Coco is 9% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Vancouver
Cayo Coco
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.30 CA$24.66
$5.05 CUP 121
242.57%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$69.0 CA$98.3
$15.06 CUP 361
357.90%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.56 CA$15.05
$7.07 CUP 170
49.36%
Cappuccino
$3.89 CA$5.54
$0.98 CUP 23.43
296.94%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.05 CA$2.93
$1.95 CUP 46.88
5.13%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.62 CA$2.31
$1.03 CUP 24.67
57.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.54 CA$7.90
$2.05 CUP 49.15
170.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.33 CA$9.02
$3.08 CUP 73.8
105.52%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Vancouver
Cayo Coco
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.31 CA$3.30
$2.94 CUP 70.6
-21.43%
White Bread (500g)
$2.50 CA$3.56
$1.01 CUP 24.27
147.52%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.44 CA$6.33
$1.95 CUP 46.77
127.69%
Eggs
$4.07 CA$5.80
$3.58 CUP 85.9
13.69%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.28 CA$16.08
$6.12 CUP 147
84.31%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.42 CA$19.13
$4.86 CUP 117
176.13%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.10 CA$28.65
$9.94 CUP 239
102.21%
Apples (1kg)
$4.06 CA$5.78
$4.91 CUP 118
-17.31%
Banana (1kg)
$1.33 CA$1.90
$1.01 CUP 24.28
31.68%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.91 CA$5.57
$1.01 CUP 24.28
287.13%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.05 CA$5.78
$0.99 CUP 23.72
309.09%
Potato (1kg)
$2.72 CA$3.88
$1.01 CUP 24.26
169.31%
Onion (1kg)
$2.89 CA$4.12
$3.05 CUP 73.2
-5.25%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.53 CA$3.61
$1.03 CUP 24.61
145.63%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.62 CA$2.31
$0.99 CUP 23.70
63.64%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$15.57 CA$22.19
$2.96 CUP 71.0
426.01%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.05 CA$20.03
$10.06 CUP 241
39.66%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.69 CA$3.83
$2.04 CUP 48.93
31.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.99 CA$4.26
$2.05 CUP 49.27
45.85%
🚌 Getting Around
Vancouver
Cayo Coco
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.44 CA$3.48
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$83.4 CA$119
$19.65 CUP 472
324.17%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.71 CA$3.87
$1.02 CUP 24.52
165.69%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.57 CA$2.24
$1.02 CUP 24.57
53.92%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$31.39 CA$44.75
$19.61 CUP 471
60.07%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.38 CA$1.96
$0.97 CUP 23.38
42.27%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.1K CA$40.0K
$68.9K CUP 1.7M
-59.27%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.8K CA$28.2K
$79.5K CUP 1.9M
-75.06%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Vancouver
Cayo Coco
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$81.2 CA$116
$39.37 CUP 945
106.15%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$37.45 CA$53.4
$40.66 CUP 976
-7.89%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$51.4 CA$73.2
$216 CUP 5,191
-76.25%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Vancouver
Cayo Coco
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.47 CA$62.0
$39.22 CUP 941
10.84%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.53 CA$17.86
$9.85 CUP 236
27.21%
Cinema Ticket
$12.54 CA$17.88
$0.98 CUP 23.44
1179.59%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Vancouver
Cayo Coco
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,094 CA$1,560
$89.9 CUP 2,158
1117.08%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$19.9K CA$28.4K
$14.8K CUP 355.5K
34.48%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Vancouver
Cayo Coco
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.0 CA$81.3
$40.14 CUP 963
42.05%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$32.73 CA$46.66
$30.02 CUP 720
9.03%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$92.6 CA$132
$74.7 CUP 1,793
23.99%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$94.2 CA$134
$80.7 CUP 1,937
16.65%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Vancouver
Cayo Coco
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,745 CA$2,488
$403 CUP 9,664
333.44%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,484 CA$2,115
$426 CUP 10.2K
248.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,998 CA$4,273
$1,030 CUP 24.7K
190.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,422 CA$3,453
$622 CUP 14.9K
289.53%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,002 CA$11.4K
$302 CUP 7,243
2551.75%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,457 CA$9,204
$356 CUP 8,541
1714.29%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Vancouver
Cayo Coco
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,799 CA$5,416
$20.21 CUP 485
18699.41%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.28
10
-57.20%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 3, 2026

Last update for Cayo Coco: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Vancouver
$1.5K
Cayo Coco
$426 71.3% $1.1K
Groceries & Markets
Vancouver
$399
Cayo Coco
$233 41.5% $165
Eating Out
Vancouver
$272
Cayo Coco
$102 62.6% $170
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Vancouver
$170
Cayo Coco
$296 74.3% $126
Clothing & Footwear
Vancouver
$124
Cayo Coco
$102 18.4% $23
Getting Around
Vancouver
$104
Cayo Coco
$26 * 75.1% $78
Sport & Entertainment
Vancouver
$69
Cayo Coco
$41 39.9% $27

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,745 in Vancouver and $403 in Cayo Coco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 18699% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $69.0 in Vancouver vs $15.00 in Cayo Coco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $399 vs $233 per month, with Cayo Coco cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Vancouver
🇨🇺 Cayo Coco
🕒 Local time
22:45 10:45 PM
01:45 1:45 AM
3 h ahead of Vancouver
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
631,486
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CUP, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

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).

Cuban Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 24 CUP (100 CUP = 4.17 USD). 1 EUR = 26.92 CUP (100 CUP = 3.72 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Vancouver Cayo Coco 4,900 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Vancouver
  • Cayo Coco

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
Vancouver vs Cayo Coco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Vancouver or Cayo Coco?
Cayo Coco wins on cost – living expenses run 119% lower than in Vancouver. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cayo Coco the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Vancouver or in Cayo Coco?
Average pay runs 18699% higher in Vancouver, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Vancouver compared to Cayo Coco?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,745 in Vancouver versus $403 in Cayo Coco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How expensive is transport in Vancouver compared to Cayo Coco?
A monthly transit pass in Cayo Coco runs roughly 324% less than in Vancouver. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
How do childcare costs compare in Vancouver and in Cayo Coco?
Childcare runs $1,094 in Vancouver versus $89.9 in Cayo Coco. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Vancouver or in Cayo Coco?
At $1,224 in Cayo Coco versus $2,684 in Vancouver, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cayo Coco but tight or insufficient in Vancouver. The gap between the two cities makes Cayo Coco the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Vancouver or Cayo Coco?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Cayo Coco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 119% less than in Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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