Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Canada Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Canada

Name: Canada
Address: CA

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,182 per month in Australia vs $2,316 in Canada, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,216 per month in Australia vs $3,376 in Canada, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,250 per month in Australia vs $4,436 in Canada, rent included.

Australia is roughly 6% cheaper than Canada on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Australia and Canada are pricier than the global median – Australia by 63%, Canada by 73%.

Canada has a wider regional cost range ($1,310–$3,100) than Australia ($1,579–$2,759), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Canada.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 A$22.54

$18.44 CA$25.53

-12.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.6 A$110

$74.5 CA$103

5.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.48 A$13.21

$10.88 CA$15.07

-12.87%

Cappuccino

$3.56 A$4.96

$3.90 CA$5.39

-8.72%

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

$2.60 A$3.62

$2.16 CA$2.99

20.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 A$3.08

$1.73 CA$2.40

27.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.47 A$9.02

$5.74 CA$7.94

12.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 A$10.02

$6.05 CA$8.37

18.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 A$2.18

$2.20 CA$3.05

-29.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 A$3.53

$2.75 CA$3.81

-8.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 A$2.82

$3.66 CA$5.07

-44.81%

Eggs

$4.47 A$6.23

$3.63 CA$5.03

23.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.86 A$12.35

$11.72 CA$16.22

-24.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.38 A$11.68

$12.28 CA$17.01

-31.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 A$19.10

$14.88 CA$20.60

-7.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 A$4.50

$4.14 CA$5.73

-21.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 A$3.96

$1.45 CA$2.01

95.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 A$4.15

$3.79 CA$5.25

-21.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.38 A$6.10

$4.09 CA$5.66

7.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 A$3.41

$2.73 CA$3.78

-10.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 A$2.94

$2.77 CA$3.83

-23.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 A$3.02

$2.62 CA$3.62

-17.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 A$2.21

$1.87 CA$2.59

-15.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.61 A$42.65

$14.79 CA$20.48

106.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.23 A$19.83

$13.08 CA$18.11

8.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.55 A$6.34

$3.03 CA$4.19

50.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.91 A$6.84

$3.41 CA$4.72

43.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.89 A$4.03

$2.52 CA$3.49

14.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.5 A$136

$77.9 CA$108

25.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 A$4.94

$3.49 CA$4.83

1.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 A$2.43

$1.48 CA$2.04

18.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.10 A$53.1

$28.25 CA$39.12

34.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 A$1.62

$1.15 CA$1.59

0.87%

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

$28.8K A$40.1K

$25.4K CA$35.2K

13.21%

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

$23.2K A$32.3K

$20.6K CA$28.6K

12.43%

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

$179 A$249

$155 CA$214

15.47%

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

$26.75 A$37.27

$45.76 CA$63.4

-41.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 A$74.8

$62.2 CA$86.1

-13.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.44 A$67.5

$43.67 CA$60.5

10.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.88 A$23.52

$18.14 CA$25.11

-6.95%

Cinema Ticket

$13.61 A$18.97

$11.38 CA$15.76

19.60%

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

$1,605 A$2,236

$798 CA$1,104

101.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$17.7K

$12.1K CA$16.8K

5.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.4 A$99.5

$56.8 CA$78.7

25.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.0 A$69.7

$42.19 CA$58.4

18.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 A$139

$87.9 CA$122

13.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 A$152

$106 CA$147

2.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,385 A$1,930

$1,359 CA$1,882

1.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,076 A$1,500

$1,204 CA$1,667

-10.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,284 A$3,183

$2,136 CA$2,957

6.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,757 A$2,448

$1,860 CA$2,575

-5.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,462 A$10.4K

$4,642 CA$6,427

60.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,617 A$7,827

$3,852 CA$5,333

45.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,070 A$5,672

$3,029 CA$4,194

34.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.35

6.33

0.32%

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

Last update for Australia: June 1, 2026

Last update for Canada: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,233 in Australia vs $1,281 in Canada. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,548 in Canberra and $1,500 in Ottawa.

Average salary: $3,906 in Australia vs $2,972 in Canada. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Dining out costs 13% more in Australia.

Salaries are 31% higher in Australia, giving Australia stronger purchasing power.

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

Australia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 2% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Canada, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Canada consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Australia, contributing to the overall 2% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

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

Australia 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.