Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Cozumel

For one person, living is cheaper in Cozumel: $1,157 a month against $2,683 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $18,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Vancouver, Canada
Cozumel, Mexico
Vancouver
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,683
/mo nomad
Cozumel
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,157
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Cozumel

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 Cozumel actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,683 in Vancouver versus $1,157 in Cozumel.

  • Vancouver $2,683
  • Cozumel $1,157

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,963 in Vancouver versus $1,819 in Cozumel.

  • Vancouver $3,963
  • Cozumel $1,819

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,244 in Vancouver versus $2,481 in Cozumel.

  • Vancouver $5,244
  • Cozumel $2,481

Living in Vancouver is roughly 132% more expensive than in Cozumel, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Vancouver is 98% above, Cozumel is 14% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Vancouver
Cozumel
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.10 CA$25.45
$8.54 MX$160
111.94%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$71.0 CA$99.8
$43.83 MX$820
61.94%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.57 CA$14.86
$8.26 MX$154
27.97%
Cappuccino
$3.97 CA$5.58
$2.81 MX$52.5
41.28%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.07 CA$2.91
$1.11 MX$20.68
86.49%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.85 CA$2.60
$0.93 MX$17.47
98.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.67 CA$7.97
$1.63 MX$30.54
247.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.61 CA$9.30
$3.01 MX$56.3
119.60%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Vancouver
Cozumel
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.16 CA$3.03
$1.39 MX$26.00
55.40%
White Bread (500g)
$2.58 CA$3.63
$1.60 MX$29.88
61.25%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.30 CA$6.04
$1.68 MX$31.48
155.95%
Eggs
$4.09 CA$5.76
$1.89 MX$35.31
116.40%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.12 CA$17.04
$9.97 MX$186
21.56%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.28 CA$18.68
$7.80 MX$146
70.26%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.11 CA$28.28
$12.14 MX$227
65.65%
Apples (1kg)
$3.96 CA$5.58
$2.46 MX$45.93
60.98%
Banana (1kg)
$1.43 CA$2.01
$1.37 MX$25.70
4.38%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.71 CA$5.21
$2.09 MX$39.18
77.51%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.92 CA$5.52
$1.52 MX$28.49
157.89%
Potato (1kg)
$2.87 CA$4.03
$2.25 MX$42.11
27.56%
Onion (1kg)
$2.98 CA$4.19
$1.74 MX$32.49
71.26%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.61 CA$3.68
$1.47 MX$27.52
77.55%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.63 CA$2.30
$1.10 MX$20.63
48.18%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$15.94 CA$22.42
$4.33 MX$80.9
268.13%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.25 CA$20.04
$10.81 MX$202
31.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.52 CA$3.55
$1.44 MX$26.89
75.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.87 CA$4.04
$2.50 MX$46.68
14.80%
🚌 Getting Around
Vancouver
Cozumel
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.57 CA$3.61
$0.67 MX$12.52
283.58%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$84.4 CA$119
$30.41 MX$569
177.41%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.74 CA$3.86
$2.67 MX$49.88
2.62%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.63 CA$2.29
$3.02 MX$56.4
-46.03%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$31.90 CA$44.86
$8.86 MX$166
260.05%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.46 CA$2.05
$1.34 MX$25.09
8.96%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.7K CA$37.6K
$20.2K MX$378.6K
31.96%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.0K CA$29.6K
$22.9K MX$429.3K
-8.37%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Vancouver
Cozumel
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$88.2 CA$124
$57.5 MX$1,075
53.57%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$36.72 CA$51.6
$20.06 MX$375
83.05%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$49.81 CA$70.1
$21.74 MX$407
129.12%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Vancouver
Cozumel
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.34 CA$63.8
$37.37 MX$699
21.33%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.13 CA$17.06
$19.59 MX$366
-38.08%
Cinema Ticket
$12.55 CA$17.65
$5.94 MX$111
111.28%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Vancouver
Cozumel
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,055 CA$1,484
$258 MX$4,828
308.91%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$28.5K CA$40.1K
$3,536 MX$66.1K
705.64%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Vancouver
Cozumel
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$56.4 CA$79.3
$54.1 MX$1,011
4.35%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.37 CA$48.34
$52.8 MX$987
-34.84%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$89.8 CA$126
$101 MX$1,889
-11.09%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$94.3 CA$133
$84.1 MX$1,572
12.23%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Vancouver
Cozumel
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,738 CA$2,444
$585 MX$10.9K
196.92%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,528 CA$2,150
$428 MX$8,011
256.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,107 CA$4,369
$1,582 MX$29.6K
96.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,547 CA$3,582
$758 MX$14.2K
235.83%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,540 CA$12.0K
$1,921 MX$35.9K
344.58%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,328 CA$8,899
$1,140 MX$21.3K
455.01%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Vancouver
Cozumel
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,770 CA$5,302
$635 MX$11.9K
493.76%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.24
11.64
-63.57%

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

Last update for Vancouver: November 2, 2026

Last update for Cozumel: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Vancouver
$1.5K
Cozumel
$428 72% $1.1K
Groceries & Markets
Vancouver
$398
Cozumel
$249 37.4% $149
Eating Out
Vancouver
$281
Cozumel
$149 47% $132
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Vancouver
$175
Cozumel
$99 43.2% $76
Clothing & Footwear
Vancouver
$124
Cozumel
$131 6.2% $7.6
Getting Around
Vancouver
$106
Cozumel
$51 51.8% $55
Sport & Entertainment
Vancouver
$70
Cozumel
$49 30.1% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,738 in Vancouver and $585 in Cozumel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays about 5.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $71 in Vancouver vs $44 in Cozumel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $398 vs $249 per month, with Cozumel cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Vancouver
🇲🇽 Cozumel
🕒 Local time
13:57 1:57 PM
15:57 3:57 PM
2 h ahead of Vancouver
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
631,486
77,236
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.711 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.636 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.7 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.9 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Vancouver Cozumel 4,530 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Vancouver
  • Cozumel

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 Cozumel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Vancouver and in Cozumel?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,683 in Vancouver and $1,157 in Cozumel, so Cozumel is about 57% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Vancouver or Cozumel?
Average pay in Vancouver is about 5.9 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Vancouver and in Cozumel?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,738 in Vancouver versus $585 in Cozumel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Vancouver. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Cozumel – a meal for two runs $44 versus $71 in Vancouver. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,157 in Cozumel versus $2,683 in Vancouver, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cozumel but tight or insufficient in Vancouver. The gap between the two cities makes Cozumel the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Vancouver and Cozumel?
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.
Where should expats move: Vancouver or Cozumel?
Expats usually find Cozumel gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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