Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ajax, ON and West Lafayette, IN

For one person, living is cheaper in West Lafayette, IN: $2,355 a month against $2,515 in Ajax, ON, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ajax, ON, Canada
West Lafayette, IN, United States
Ajax, ON
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,515
/mo nomad
West Lafayette, IN
🇺🇸 United States
$2,355
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ajax, ON and in West Lafayette, IN

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ajax, ON and in West Lafayette, IN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,515 per month in Ajax, ON vs $2,355 in West Lafayette, IN, rent included.

  • Ajax, ON $2,515
  • West Lafayette, IN $2,355

A couple spends around $3,611 per month in Ajax, ON vs $3,410 in West Lafayette, IN, rent included.

  • Ajax, ON $3,611
  • West Lafayette, IN $3,410

A family of three spends $4,707 per month in Ajax, ON vs $4,465 in West Lafayette, IN, rent included.

  • Ajax, ON $4,707
  • West Lafayette, IN $4,465

Ajax, ON costs about 7% more than West Lafayette, IN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Ajax, ON and West Lafayette, IN sit above the global median – Ajax, ON by 85%, West Lafayette, IN by 73%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ajax, ON
West Lafayette, IN
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.19 CA$25.43
$12.19 $12.19
49.22%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$53.8 CA$75.2
$63.9 $63.9
-15.76%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.50 CA$14.67
$6.65 $6.65
57.89%
Cappuccino
$3.76 CA$5.25
$4.38 $4.38
-14.16%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.83 CA$2.55
$1.90 $1.90
-3.68%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.52 CA$2.13
$1.56 $1.56
-2.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.52 CA$4.91
$5.31 $5.31
-33.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.62 CA$7.86
$3.40 $3.40
65.29%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ajax, ON
West Lafayette, IN
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.02 CA$2.82
$0.69 $0.69
192.75%
White Bread (500g)
$2.99 CA$4.18
$3.27 $3.27
-8.56%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.41 CA$4.77
$2.01 $2.01
69.65%
Eggs
$3.87 CA$5.41
$3.78 $3.78
2.38%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.56 CA$14.75
$21.68 $21.68
-51.29%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.77 CA$16.45
$6.09 $6.09
93.27%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.12 CA$23.92
$27.48 $27.48
-37.70%
Apples (1kg)
$4.14 CA$5.78
$4.48 $4.48
-7.59%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 CA$2.42
$1.25 $1.25
38.40%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.15 CA$4.41
$3.41 $3.41
-7.62%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.37 CA$4.71
$5.21 $5.21
-35.32%
Potato (1kg)
$2.31 CA$3.23
$3.34 $3.34
-30.84%
Onion (1kg)
$2.46 CA$3.44
$3.38 $3.38
-27.22%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.20 CA$3.08
$1.97 $1.97
11.68%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.94 CA$2.71
$2.34 $2.34
-17.09%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.11 CA$19.73
$11.16 $11.16
26.43%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.79 CA$19.27
$11.14 $11.14
23.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.12 CA$2.97
$1.68 $1.68
26.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.55 CA$3.57
$5.12 $5.12
-50.20%
🚌 Getting Around
Ajax, ON
West Lafayette, IN
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.47 CA$3.45
$1.02 $1.02
142.16%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$86.5 CA$121
$27.64 $27.64
212.88%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.38 CA$4.73
$5.54 $5.54
-38.99%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$0.97 $0.97
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$24.55 CA$34.31
$18.18 $18.18
35.04%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.18 CA$1.65
$0.87 $0.87
35.63%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.2K CA$39.3K
$26.9K $26.9K
4.62%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.8K CA$30.4K
$27.4K $27.4K
-20.56%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ajax, ON
West Lafayette, IN
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$128 CA$179
$160 $160
-20.11%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$29.35 CA$41.01
$53.4 $53.4
-45.06%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$58.9 CA$82.3
$63.6 $63.6
-7.41%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ajax, ON
West Lafayette, IN
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$33.96 CA$47.46
$30.07 $30.07
12.94%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 CA$15.00
$12.61 $12.61
-14.91%
Cinema Ticket
$10.33 CA$14.44
$13.24 $13.24
-21.98%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ajax, ON
West Lafayette, IN
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$522 CA$729
$1,002 $1,002
-47.93%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.7K CA$23.4K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ajax, ON
West Lafayette, IN
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$51.9 CA$72.6
$75.7 $75.7
-31.40%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.8 CA$72.5
$42.86 $42.86
20.95%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.9 CA$133
$66.3 $66.3
43.08%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$107 CA$150
$90.1 $90.1
19.23%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ajax, ON
West Lafayette, IN
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,510 CA$2,110
$1,404 $1,404
7.53%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,374 CA$1,921
$1,235 $1,235
11.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,351 CA$3,286
$2,342 $2,342
0.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,173 CA$3,038
$1,949 $1,949
11.50%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$1,830 $1,830
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,868 $1,868
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ajax, ON
West Lafayette, IN
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,081 CA$4,305
$8,580 $8,580
-64.10%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.8
6.49
-26.04%

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

Last update for Ajax, ON: October 27, 2026

Last update for West Lafayette, IN: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ajax, ON
$1.4K
West Lafayette, IN
$1.2K 10.1% $139
Groceries & Markets
Ajax, ON
$369
West Lafayette, IN
$404 9.5% $35
Eating Out
Ajax, ON
$264
West Lafayette, IN
$217 17.8% $47
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ajax, ON
$216
West Lafayette, IN
$277 28.2% $61
Clothing & Footwear
Ajax, ON
$138
West Lafayette, IN
$124 10.2% $14
Getting Around
Ajax, ON
$100 *
West Lafayette, IN
$42 57.8% $58
Sport & Entertainment
Ajax, ON
$55
West Lafayette, IN
$57 3.5% $1.9

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,510 in Ajax, ON versus $1,404 in West Lafayette, IN. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in West Lafayette, IN are about 2.8 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54 in Ajax, ON versus $64 in West Lafayette, IN. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $369 vs $404 – making Ajax, ON the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Ajax, ON
🇺🇸 West Lafayette, IN
🕒 Local time
12:37 12:37 PM
12:37 12:37 PM
Same time as Ajax, ON
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
119,677
28,997
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.715 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ajax, ON West Lafayette, IN 750 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Ajax, ON
  • West Lafayette, IN

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
Ajax, ON vs West Lafayette, IN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is West Lafayette, IN cheaper than Ajax, ON?
Yes – Ajax, ON is pricier by about 7%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,773 per month in Ajax, ON and $3,533 in West Lafayette, IN. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What is the rent difference between Ajax, ON and West Lafayette, IN?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,510 in Ajax, ON and $1,404 in West Lafayette, IN. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
What are total monthly expenses in Ajax, ON and in West Lafayette, IN?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,515 in Ajax, ON and $2,355 in West Lafayette, IN. That makes West Lafayette, IN about 6% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 68% less in West Lafayette, IN. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $2,000 enough to cover costs in Ajax, ON or in West Lafayette, IN?
$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,515 in Ajax, ON and $2,355 in West Lafayette, IN. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is it better to live in Ajax, ON or in West Lafayette, IN?
It depends on your priorities. West Lafayette, IN has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,355 in West Lafayette, IN to $2,515 in Ajax, ON. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Ajax, ON vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?