Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Tena

For one person, living is cheaper in Tena: $891 a month against $2,683 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $21,500 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
43

Cost of Living Index in Tena
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Tena Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,683

/mo nomad

Tena

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$891

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Tena

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

A single person spends $2,683 per month in Vancouver vs $891 in Tena, rent included.

Vancouver $2,683
Tena $891

A couple spends around $3,963 per month in Vancouver vs $1,475 in Tena, rent included.

Vancouver $3,963
Tena $1,475

A family of three spends $5,244 per month in Vancouver vs $2,060 in Tena, rent included.

Vancouver $5,244
Tena $2,060

Vancouver costs about 201% more than Tena, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Vancouver sits 98% above the global median, while Tena is 34% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.10 CA$25.37

$5.63 $5.63

221.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.0 CA$99.5

$54.8 $54.8

29.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.57 CA$14.81

$7.58 $7.58

39.45%

Cappuccino

$3.97 CA$5.56

$3.34 $3.34

18.86%

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

$2.07 CA$2.90

$1.43 $1.43

44.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 CA$2.59

$1.05 $1.05

76.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.67 CA$7.95

$3.43 $3.43

65.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.61 CA$9.27

$6.12 $6.12

8.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 CA$3.02

$1.14 $1.14

89.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 CA$3.62

$1.60 $1.60

61.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.30 CA$6.02

$1.51 $1.51

184.77%

Eggs

$4.09 CA$5.74

$2.08 $2.08

96.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.12 CA$16.98

$6.51 $6.51

86.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.28 CA$18.62

$5.42 $5.42

145.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.11 CA$28.19

$7.67 $7.67

162.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.96 CA$5.56

$2.33 $2.33

69.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 CA$2.00

$1.22 $1.22

17.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.71 CA$5.20

$1.27 $1.27

192.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 CA$5.50

$1.13 $1.13

246.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 CA$4.02

$1.19 $1.19

141.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 CA$4.17

$1.08 $1.08

175.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CA$3.66

$0.87 $0.87

200.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 CA$2.29

$1.00 $1.00

63.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.94 CA$22.35

$5.93 $5.93

168.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 CA$19.97

$8.27 $8.27

72.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 CA$3.54

$1.58 $1.58

59.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 CA$4.03

$3.10 $3.10

-7.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.57 CA$3.60

$0.33 $0.33

678.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.4 CA$118

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.74 CA$3.85

$1.53 $1.53

79.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 CA$2.28

$0.75 $0.75

117.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.90 CA$44.71

$9.91 $9.91

221.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 CA$2.04

$0.86 $0.86

69.77%

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

$26.7K CA$37.4K

$23.4K $23.4K

14.22%

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

$21.0K CA$29.5K

$30.1K $30.1K

-30.13%

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

$88.2 CA$124

$28.50 $28.50

209.61%

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

$36.72 CA$51.5

$17.84 $17.84

105.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.81 CA$69.8

$28.34 $28.34

75.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.34 CA$63.6

$29.89 $29.89

51.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.13 CA$17.00

$16.69 $16.69

-27.32%

Cinema Ticket

$12.55 CA$17.59

$6.50 $6.50

93.08%

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

$1,055 CA$1,479

$729 $729

44.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.5K CA$39.9K

$9,064 $9,064

214.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 CA$79.1

$71.3 $71.3

-20.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.37 CA$48.18

$50.4 $50.4

-31.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 CA$126

$116 $116

-22.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.3 CA$132

$109 $109

-13.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 CA$2,436

$422 $422

311.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,528 CA$2,143

$270 $270

465.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,107 CA$4,355

$802 $802

287.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,547 CA$3,570

$507 $507

402.63%

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

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 Tena: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.5K 57%

Tena

$270 30.4% 82.3% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$398 14.9%

Tena

$193 21.7% 51.6% $205

Eating Out

Vancouver

$281 10.5%

Tena

$147 16.5% 47.7% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$175 6.5%

Tena

$75 8.4% 57.3% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$124 4.6%

Tena

$156 17.5% 26.1% $32

Getting Around

Vancouver

$106 3.9%

Tena

$6.6 * 0.7% 93.7% $99

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$70 2.6%

Tena

$43 4.8% 39.1% $28

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,738 in Vancouver versus $422 in Tena. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71 in Vancouver versus $55 in Tena. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $398 vs $193 – making Tena the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇪🇨 Tena

🕒 Local time

23:06 11:06 PM

01:06 1:06 AM

2 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

16,669

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.635 EUR

1 USD = 0.891 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 = 0.891 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Vancouver Tena 7,060 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Vancouver
Tena

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 Tena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Vancouver is pricier by about 201%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,024 per month in Vancouver and $1,336 in Tena. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tena, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $422 there versus $1,738 in Vancouver.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,683 in Vancouver and $891 in Tena. That makes Tena about 67% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,055 per month in Vancouver and $729 in Tena. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Tena, where all-in costs run around $891, than in Vancouver at $2,683. In Tena it covers expenses comfortably, while in Vancouver it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tena – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.