Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Saint John Island

For one person, living is cheaper in Vancouver: $2,684 a month against $6,201 in Saint John Island, rent and utilities included – about $42,200 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
297

Cost of Living Index in Saint John Island
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Saint John Island Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,684

/mo nomad

Saint John Island

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$6,201

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Saint John Island

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 Saint John Island actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,684 in Vancouver versus $6,201 in Saint John Island.

Vancouver $2,684
Saint John Island $6,201

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,878 in Vancouver versus $8,382 in Saint John Island.

Vancouver $3,878
Saint John Island $8,382

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,072 in Vancouver versus $10.6K in Saint John Island.

Vancouver $5,072
Saint John Island $10.6K

Living in Vancouver costs roughly 57% less than in Saint John Island, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 100% above, Saint John Island 363% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 CA$24.66

$69.9 $69.9

-75.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.0 CA$98.3

$150 $150

-53.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 CA$15.05

$15.14 $15.14

-30.25%

Cappuccino

$3.89 CA$5.54

$9.16 $9.16

-57.53%

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

$2.05 CA$2.93

$3.41 $3.41

-39.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 CA$2.31

$3.48 $3.48

-53.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.54 CA$7.90

$5.13 $5.13

7.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.33 CA$9.02

$6.87 $6.87

-7.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.30

$3.15 $3.15

-26.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.50 CA$3.56

$7.96 $7.96

-68.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.44 CA$6.33

$12.02 $12.02

-63.06%

Eggs

$4.07 CA$5.80

$12.07 $12.07

-66.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.28 CA$16.08

$32.43 $32.43

-65.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.42 CA$19.13

$33.00 $33.00

-59.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.10 CA$28.65

$24.11 $24.11

-16.63%

Apples (1kg)

$4.06 CA$5.78

$21.82 $21.82

-81.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 CA$1.90

$3.91 $3.91

-65.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.57

$17.29 $17.29

-77.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.05 CA$5.78

$11.89 $11.89

-65.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 CA$3.88

$7.74 $7.74

-64.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.89 CA$4.12

$7.86 $7.86

-63.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 CA$3.61

$4.95 $4.95

-48.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 CA$2.31

$3.55 $3.55

-54.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.57 CA$22.19

$8.86 $8.86

75.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.05 CA$20.03

$23.36 $23.36

-39.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 CA$3.83

$4.58 $4.58

-41.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 CA$4.26

$6.17 $6.17

-51.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.44 CA$3.48

$7.15 $7.15

-65.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.4 CA$119

$149 $149

-43.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.71 CA$3.87

$30.31 $30.31

-91.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 CA$2.24

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.39 CA$44.75

$50.2 $50.2

-37.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 CA$1.96

$1.56 $1.56

-11.54%

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

$28.1K CA$40.0K

$47.1K $47.1K

-40.45%

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

$19.8K CA$28.2K

$52.2K $52.2K

-62.06%

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

$81.2 CA$116

$297 $297

-72.64%

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

$37.45 CA$53.4

$98.4 $98.4

-61.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 CA$73.2

$101 $101

-49.27%

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)

$19.9K CA$28.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 CA$81.3

$80.4 $80.4

-29.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.73 CA$46.66

$49.69 $49.69

-34.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.6 CA$132

$84.9 $84.9

9.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.2 CA$134

$100 $100

-6.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,745 CA$2,488

$4,020 $4,020

-56.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,484 CA$2,115

$3,511 $3,511

-57.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,998 CA$4,273

$5,081 $5,081

-41.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,422 CA$3,453

$4,566 $4,566

-46.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,002 CA$11.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,457 CA$9,204

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,799 CA$5,416

$4,412 $4,412

-13.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

-38.86%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 3, 2026

Last update for Saint John Island: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.5K 56.6%

Saint John Island

$3.5K 57.3% 137% $2K

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$399 15.2%

Saint John Island

$987 16.1% 148% $588

Eating Out

Vancouver

$272 10.4%

Saint John Island

$781 12.8% 187% $509

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$170 6.5%

Saint John Island

$496 8.1% 192% $326

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$124 4.8%

Saint John Island

$142 2.3% 14% $17

Getting Around

Vancouver

$104 4%

Saint John Island

$208 * 3.4% 100% $104

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$69 2.6%

Saint John Island

- * 0% 100%

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 $4,020 in Saint John Island. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint John Island pays 16% 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 $150 in Saint John Island for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $399 vs $987 per month, with Vancouver cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇻🇮 Saint John Island

🕒 Local time

05:35 5:35 AM

08:35 8:35 AM

3 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

4,170

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

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).

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

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Vancouver Saint John Island 6,200 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Vancouver
Saint John Island

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 Saint John Island: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vancouver wins on cost – living expenses run 131% lower than in Saint John Island. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Vancouver the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 16% lower in Saint John Island. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,745 in Vancouver versus $4,020 in Saint John Island. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 147% higher in Saint John Island. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,684 per month in Vancouver versus $6,201 in Saint John Island – a 131% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Vancouver is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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, Vancouver and Saint John Island 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 Vancouver gentler on the wallet – expenses run 131% less than in Saint John Island. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.