Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and St John

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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Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,684

/mo nomad

St John

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$315

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Vancouver $2,684
St John $315

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

Vancouver $3,878
St John $928

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

Vancouver $5,072
St John $1,540

Living in Vancouver is roughly 753% more expensive than in St John, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 CA$24.66

$20.15 $20.15

-14.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.0 CA$98.3

$174 $174

-60.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 CA$15.05

Cappuccino

$3.89 CA$5.54

$7.10 $7.10

-45.21%

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

$2.05 CA$2.93

$3.02 $3.02

-32.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 CA$2.31

$2.05 $2.05

-20.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.54 CA$7.90

$8.16 $8.16

-32.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.33 CA$9.02

$8.05 $8.05

-21.37%

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)

$1.38 CA$1.96

$1.57 $1.57

-12.10%

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)

$19.9K CA$28.4K

$13.4K $13.4K

48.17%

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)

$8,002 CA$11.4K

$12.9K $12.9K

-37.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,457 CA$9,204

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,799 CA$5,416

$5,080 $5,080

-25.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

7.05

-39.29%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 3, 2026

Last update for St John: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.5K 56.6%

St John

–

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$399 15.2%

St John

–

Eating Out

Vancouver

$272 10.4%

St John

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$170 6.5%

St John

–

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$124 4.8%

St John

–

Getting Around

Vancouver

$104 4%

St John

–

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$69 2.6%

St John

–

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: $69.0 in Vancouver vs $174 in St John for two.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇻🇮 St John

🕒 Local time

01:21 1:21 AM

04:21 4:21 AM

3 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

2,743

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

From you

Vancouver
St John

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 St John: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

On paper, salaries run 34% lower in St John. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

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 $2,684 per month in Vancouver versus $315 in St John – 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, Vancouver and St John 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.