Vancouver: Money & Costs

• Currency

  Name

  Canadian Dollar

  Symbol

  C$

  Paper currency comes in denominations of five (blue), 10 (purple), 20 (green) and 50 (red). The brown C$100.00 bill and larger bills are less common and can be difficult to change.

  Canadian coins come in denominations of one (penny), five (nickel), 10 (dime) and 25 (quarter) cent pieces. There are also the gold C$1.00 (loonie) and C$2.00 (toonie) pieces. The gold-coloured loonie features the loon, a common Canadian water bird, while the two-toned toonie is jauntily decorated with a polar bear.

• Changing Your Money

  It's best to change money at companies such as American Express or Thomas Cook/Travelex, which specialise in international transactions. If you can't find a money exchange office or booth, try a bank. American Express and Thomas Cook are the best travellers cheques to have, and you should make sure they are either in US or Canadian dollar denominations. Credit cards are widely accepted, especially Visa, MasterCard and American Express. ABMs (ATMs) are common throughout Canada.

• Money Tips

  You will find ATMs in many grocery stores, malls, airports and so on, and most are linked to the international networks, the most common being Cirrus, Plus, Star and Maestro. You can also grab cash from an ATM if you use a major credit card although this method tends to be more expensive because, in addition to a service fee, you'll be charged interest immediately.

  Be aware that shops and businesses rarely accept personal cheques, but credit cards are widely accepted (except perhaps in remote, rural communities where cash is king). Still, you'll find it hard or impossible to rent a car, book a room or order tickets over the phone without having a piece of plastic.

• Sample Price Guide

  cup of coffee

  C$ 1.25

  bowl of wonton noodles

  C$ 7.00

  pint of microbrew beer

  C$ 5.00

  SkyTrain fare

  C$ 2.25

  movie ticket

  C$ 11.00

  litre of bottled water

  C$ 0.90

  souvenir t-shirt

  C$ 10.00

  litre of petrol

  C$ 0.95

  newspaper

  C$ 1.00

  pack of cigarettes

  C$ 5.00-7.00

  Average Room Prices
  Low	Mid	High	Deluxe
  C$20-80	C$80-175	C$175-250	C$250+
  Average Meal Prices
  Low	Mid	High	Deluxe
  C$4-7	C$7-15	C$15-30	C$30+

• Tipping

  Tip waitstaff 15% of the pre-tax bill for good service, and up to 20% if the service is excellent. Bartenders get at least a dollar per drink, or 15% when buying a round. Tip taxi drivers about 10% of the fare, rounding up to the nearest dollar. Skycaps, bellhops and cloakroom attendants get around C$2.00 per item; housekeepers are tipped C$2.00 to C$5.00 per night you stay.

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