The United Nations set two numbers for the cost of sending money across a border: an average below 3 percent, and no corridor above 5 percent, both by 2030. The World Bank tracks 15 corridors out of Canada. In 2025, ten of them were still above 5 percent on the headline measure. Which measure you use, though, changes the answer from ten to two.
Start with the concrete version. On the World Bank’s benchmark transfer of 200 US dollars, the Canada to Guyana corridor cost an average of 8.35 percent in 2025. That is 16.70 dollars taken out of a 200 dollar transfer. The same 200 dollars sent from Canada to Nigeria cost 3.15 percent, or 6.30 dollars. Same sender country, same amount, and a difference of 10.40 dollars depending on where the money lands.
