Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Canada

Name: Canada
Address: CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Canada: $2,288 a month against $2,542 in Australia, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Australia
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Australia Living Index
111

Cost of Living Index in Canada
Learn more

Canada Living Index

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🇦🇺 Australia

$2,542

/mo nomad

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,288

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Australia and in Canada

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

A single person spends $2,542 per month in Australia vs $2,288 in Canada, rent included.

Australia $2,542
Canada $2,288

A couple spends around $3,717 per month in Australia vs $3,318 in Canada, rent included.

Australia $3,717
Canada $3,318

A family of three spends $4,893 per month in Australia vs $4,348 in Canada, rent included.

Australia $4,893
Canada $4,348

The regional cost range is wider in Canada ($878–$3,623) than in Australia ($1,646–$3,152), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Australia is about 11% higher than in Canada on average.

Both Australia and Canada are pricier than the global median – Australia by 88%, Canada by 69%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.16 A$24.69

$17.44 CA$24.66

-1.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.9 A$121

$68.8 CA$97.3

21.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.20 A$16.12

$10.70 CA$15.13

4.67%

Cappuccino

$3.92 A$5.64

$3.83 CA$5.42

2.35%

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

$2.83 A$4.07

$2.03 CA$2.87

39.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 A$3.31

$1.64 CA$2.32

40.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.68 A$11.06

$5.43 CA$7.68

41.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.25 A$11.87

$5.74 CA$8.12

43.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 A$2.53

$2.14 CA$3.03

-17.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 A$3.99

$2.64 CA$3.73

4.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 A$3.16

$3.46 CA$4.89

-36.71%

Eggs

$4.99 A$7.18

$3.53 CA$5.00

41.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 A$14.31

$10.70 CA$15.12

-7.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.03 A$12.99

$11.86 CA$16.77

-23.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.25 A$21.94

$14.84 CA$20.98

2.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.67 A$5.28

$4.04 CA$5.71

-9.16%

Banana (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.39

$1.37 CA$1.94

122.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 A$4.50

$3.72 CA$5.26

-16.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.56 A$6.56

$3.99 CA$5.65

14.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 A$4.04

$2.63 CA$3.72

6.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 A$3.44

$2.38 CA$3.36

0.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 A$3.39

$2.51 CA$3.55

-6.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 A$2.36

$1.75 CA$2.47

-6.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.42 A$55.3

$14.07 CA$19.90

173.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.77 A$19.82

$13.32 CA$18.83

3.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.69 A$6.75

$2.86 CA$4.05

63.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.08 A$7.31

$3.16 CA$4.47

60.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.72 A$3.91

$2.50 CA$3.53

8.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.8 A$138

$71.5 CA$101

34.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 A$5.10

$3.09 CA$4.38

14.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 A$2.23

$1.43 CA$2.03

8.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.00 A$57.6

$26.16 CA$36.98

52.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 A$1.87

$1.18 CA$1.67

10.17%

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

$28.2K A$40.5K

$28.0K CA$39.6K

0.60%

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

$28.5K A$40.9K

$18.8K CA$26.6K

51.03%

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

$198 A$285

$148 CA$210

33.53%

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

$28.75 A$41.37

$42.44 CA$60.0

-32.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 A$84.4

$58.5 CA$82.7

0.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.7 A$81.6

$40.65 CA$57.5

39.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.08 A$27.46

$18.99 CA$26.84

0.47%

Cinema Ticket

$15.02 A$21.62

$11.25 CA$15.90

33.51%

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

$2,154 A$3,099

$753 CA$1,064

186.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.9K A$25.8K

$14.3K CA$20.2K

25.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.0 A$112

$52.5 CA$74.2

48.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 A$78.8

$38.23 CA$54.0

43.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 A$161

$87.8 CA$124

27.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 A$179

$103 CA$146

20.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,540 A$2,215

$1,236 CA$1,747

24.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 A$1,758

$1,120 CA$1,583

9.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,478 A$3,566

$1,996 CA$2,822

24.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,930 A$2,778

$1,714 CA$2,423

12.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,153 A$11.7K

$4,503 CA$6,365

81.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,053 A$8,711

$3,888 CA$5,497

55.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,944 A$5,676

$2,921 CA$4,129

35.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.93

4.87

21.77%

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

Last update for Australia: October 13, 2026

Last update for Canada: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Australia

$1.2K 48.1%

Canada

$1.1K 48.9% 8.3% $102

Groceries & Markets

Australia

$370 14.6%

Canada

$366 16% 1.1% $4.2

Eating Out

Australia

$293 11.5%

Canada

$271 11.9% 7.6% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Australia

$286 11.2%

Canada

$249 10.9% 12.7% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Australia

$166 6.5%

Canada

$127 5.5% 23.8% $39

Getting Around

Australia

$118 4.6%

Canada

$92 4% 22.2% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Australia

$87 3.4%

Canada

$63 2.8% 27.2% $24

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,366 in Australia vs $1,199 in Canada. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,716 in Canberra and $1,473 in Ottawa.

Average salary: $3,849 in Australia vs $2,892 in Canada. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 14% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 30% more in Australia.

Public transport is 29% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 33% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Australia

🇨🇦 Canada

🕒 Local time

08:39 8:39 AM

17:39 5:39 PM

15 h behind Australia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,473,055

36,991,981

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Australia Canada 16,110 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Australia
Canada

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

Australia vs Canada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Canada is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 11% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Australia: a central one-bedroom averages $1,366 versus $1,199 in Canada.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Canada, adding to the overall 11% price gap.

$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Canada, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Canada is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.