Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Esmeraldas

For one person, living is cheaper in Esmeraldas: $857 a month against $2,683 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $21,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Esmeraldas
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Esmeraldas Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,683

/mo nomad

Esmeraldas

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$857

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Esmeraldas

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,683 in Vancouver versus $857 in Esmeraldas.

Vancouver $2,683
Esmeraldas $857

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,963 in Vancouver versus $1,421 in Esmeraldas.

Vancouver $3,963
Esmeraldas $1,421

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,244 in Vancouver versus $1,985 in Esmeraldas.

Vancouver $5,244
Esmeraldas $1,985

Living in Vancouver is roughly 213% more expensive than in Esmeraldas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Vancouver is 98% above, Esmeraldas is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.10 CA$25.37

$2.92 $2.92

519.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.0 CA$99.5

$54.8 $54.8

29.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.57 CA$14.81

$3.89 $3.89

171.72%

Cappuccino

$3.97 CA$5.56

$3.44 $3.44

15.41%

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

$2.07 CA$2.90

$0.49 $0.49

322.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 CA$2.59

$0.51 $0.51

262.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.67 CA$7.95

$3.60 $3.60

57.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.61 CA$9.27

$6.16 $6.16

7.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 CA$3.02

$0.98 $0.98

120.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 CA$3.62

$1.58 $1.58

63.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.30 CA$6.02

$1.51 $1.51

184.77%

Eggs

$4.09 CA$5.74

$2.16 $2.16

89.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.12 CA$16.98

$6.57 $6.57

84.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.28 CA$18.62

$5.49 $5.49

141.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.11 CA$28.19

$7.86 $7.86

155.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.96 CA$5.56

$2.29 $2.29

72.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 CA$2.00

$1.22 $1.22

17.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.71 CA$5.20

$1.32 $1.32

181.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 CA$5.50

$1.14 $1.14

243.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 CA$4.02

$1.26 $1.26

127.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 CA$4.17

$1.07 $1.07

178.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CA$3.66

$0.49 $0.49

432.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 CA$2.29

$1.03 $1.03

58.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.94 CA$22.35

$5.97 $5.97

167.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 CA$19.97

$8.29 $8.29

71.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 CA$3.54

$1.51 $1.51

66.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 CA$4.03

$3.09 $3.09

-7.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.57 CA$3.60

$0.34 $0.34

655.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.4 CA$118

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.74 CA$3.85

$1.48 $1.48

85.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 CA$2.28

$1.23 $1.23

32.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.90 CA$44.71

$10.12 $10.12

215.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 CA$2.04

$0.85 $0.85

71.76%

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

$26.7K CA$37.4K

$23.3K $23.3K

14.66%

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

$21.0K CA$29.5K

$29.5K $29.5K

-28.70%

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

$88.2 CA$124

$28.90 $28.90

205.33%

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

$36.72 CA$51.5

$18.12 $18.12

102.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.81 CA$69.8

$28.69 $28.69

73.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.34 CA$63.6

$30.26 $30.26

49.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.13 CA$17.00

$16.45 $16.45

-26.26%

Cinema Ticket

$12.55 CA$17.59

$6.47 $6.47

93.97%

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

$1,055 CA$1,479

$757 $757

39.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.5K CA$39.9K

$8,921 $8,921

219.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 CA$79.1

$69.9 $69.9

-19.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.37 CA$48.18

$50.6 $50.6

-32.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 CA$126

$115 $115

-21.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.3 CA$132

$106 $106

-11.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 CA$2,436

$420 $420

314.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,528 CA$2,143

$274 $274

458.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,107 CA$4,355

$811 $811

283.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,547 CA$3,570

$505 $505

404.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,540 CA$12.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,328 CA$8,870

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,770 CA$5,284

$442 $442

753.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.24

10.12

-58.10%

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

Last update for Vancouver: November 2, 2026

Last update for Esmeraldas: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.5K 57%

Esmeraldas

$274 31.9% 82.1% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$398 14.9%

Esmeraldas

$191 22.3% 52% $207

Eating Out

Vancouver

$281 10.5%

Esmeraldas

$111 12.9% 60.7% $171

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$175 6.5%

Esmeraldas

$76 8.8% 56.7% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$124 4.6%

Esmeraldas

$154 18% 24.4% $30

Getting Around

Vancouver

$106 3.9%

Esmeraldas

$9 * 1.1% 91.5% $97

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$70 2.6%

Esmeraldas

$43 5% 38.7% $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 $1,738 in Vancouver and $420 in Esmeraldas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays about 8.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $71 in Vancouver vs $55 in Esmeraldas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $398 vs $191 per month, with Esmeraldas cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇪🇨 Esmeraldas

🕒 Local time

00:52 12:52 AM

02:52 2:52 AM

2 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

95,216

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.635 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.635 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Vancouver Esmeraldas 6,770 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Vancouver
Esmeraldas

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 Esmeraldas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Esmeraldas is about 68% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Vancouver is about 8.5 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,738 in Vancouver versus $420 in Esmeraldas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 108% higher in Vancouver. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $2,683 per month in Vancouver versus $857 in Esmeraldas – Esmeraldas is about 68% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $857 in Esmeraldas versus $2,683 in Vancouver, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Esmeraldas but tight or insufficient in Vancouver. The gap between the two cities makes Esmeraldas 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.

It comes down to priorities – Esmeraldas wins on affordability, Vancouver on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.