Costco Canada announced it would increase membership fees this fall, but how much do Canadians pay compared to shoppers worldwide?
According to the company’s July sales report, the warehouse chain now operates 884 locations internationally and reported global net sales of USD 19.26 billion.
As the retailer continues to expand, we examined the cost of membership at Costco locations in different countries.
Even with the Gold Star membership set to increase to C$65 (from C$60) and the Executive membership set to go up to C$130 (from C$120) on September 1, membership fees at Costco Canada are certainly not the priciest compared to other countries.
A Costco Executive membership in the US is by far the most expensive at C$164.23 per year, while a Gold Star membership in Mexico only costs C$36.73. But even more affordable than that is the online shopping membership option for UK shoppers, at just C$26.54 annually.
Scroll on to see how other countries compare.
Number of locations: 108
Executive: $120
Gold Star: $60
Number of locations: 611
Executive: US$120 (C$164.23)
Gold Star: US$82 (C$82.11)
Number of locations: 40
Executive: 1,100 Mexican pesos (C$80.82)
Gold Star: 500 Mexican pesos (C$36.73)
Number of locations: 1
Corporate: 3,800 Icelandic króna (C$37.55)
Membership with a license to resell alcohol: 3,800 Icelandic króna (C$37.55)
Annual membership: 4,800 Icelandic króna (C$47.44)
Number of locations: 5
Business affiliation: 25 Euros (C$37.67)
Gold Star: 30 Euros (C$45.21)
Number of locations: 1
Corporate: 500 Swedish krona (C$65.64)
Gold star: 500 Swedish krona (C$65.64)
Wine and spirits: 500 Swedish krona (C$65.64)
Number of locations: 2
Privilege: 36 Euros (C$54.25)
Business: 36 Euros (C$54.25)
Number of locations: 29
Trade executive: £67.20 (C$118.88)
Individual executive: £74.40 (C$131.62)
Trade: £26.40 (C$46.71)
Individual: £33.60 (C$59.44)
Annual subscription (online shopping only): £15 (C$26.54)
Number of locations: 15
Executive: AUD$130 (C$118.43)
Gold Star: AUD$65 (C$59.22)
Number of locations: 1
Gold Star: NZ$60 (C$49.51)
Business: NZ$55 (C$45.38)
Number of locations: 33
Executive: ¥9,900 (C$91.64)
Gold Star: ¥4,840 (C$44.89)
Business: 33,000 South Korean won (C$33.47)
Executive: 80,000 South Korean won (C$81.14)
Gold Star: 38,500 South Korean won (C$39.05)
Number of locations: 7
Business: US$55 (C$75.30)
Gold Star: US$55 (C$75.30)
Number of locations: 14
Gold Star: 1,350 New Taiwan dollars (C$57.42)
Executive: 3,000 New Taiwan dollars (C$127.59)
Business: 1,150 New Taiwan dollars (C$48.91)