Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Canada and Australia

Name: Australia
Address: AU

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.

111

Cost of Living Index in Canada
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Canada Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Australia
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Australia Living Index

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🇨🇦 Canada

$2,288

/mo nomad

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,542

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Canada and in Australia

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

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

Canada $2,288
Australia $2,542

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

Canada $3,318
Australia $3,717

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

Canada $4,348
Australia $4,893

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 Canada is roughly 10% lower than in Australia on average.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.44 CA$24.66

$17.16 A$24.69

1.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.8 CA$97.3

$83.9 A$121

-17.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.70 CA$15.13

$11.20 A$16.12

-4.46%

Cappuccino

$3.83 CA$5.42

$3.92 A$5.64

-2.30%

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

$2.03 CA$2.87

$2.83 A$4.07

-28.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 CA$2.32

$2.30 A$3.31

-28.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.43 CA$7.68

$7.68 A$11.06

-29.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 CA$8.12

$8.25 A$11.87

-30.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 CA$3.03

$1.76 A$2.53

21.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 CA$3.73

$2.77 A$3.99

-4.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.46 CA$4.89

$2.19 A$3.16

57.99%

Eggs

$3.53 CA$5.00

$4.99 A$7.18

-29.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.70 CA$15.12

$9.94 A$14.31

7.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.86 CA$16.77

$9.03 A$12.99

31.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.84 CA$20.98

$15.25 A$21.94

-2.69%

Apples (1kg)

$4.04 CA$5.71

$3.67 A$5.28

10.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 CA$1.94

$3.05 A$4.39

-55.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.72 CA$5.26

$3.12 A$4.50

19.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 CA$5.65

$4.56 A$6.56

-12.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 CA$3.72

$2.81 A$4.04

-6.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 CA$3.36

$2.39 A$3.44

-0.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 CA$3.55

$2.35 A$3.39

6.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 CA$2.47

$1.64 A$2.36

6.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.07 CA$19.90

$38.42 A$55.3

-63.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.32 CA$18.83

$13.77 A$19.82

-3.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 CA$4.05

$4.69 A$6.75

-39.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 CA$4.47

$5.08 A$7.31

-37.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.50 CA$3.53

$2.72 A$3.91

-8.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.5 CA$101

$95.8 A$138

-25.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 CA$4.38

$3.54 A$5.10

-12.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 CA$2.03

$1.55 A$2.23

-7.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.16 CA$36.98

$40.00 A$57.6

-34.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 CA$1.67

$1.30 A$1.87

-9.23%

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

$28.0K CA$39.6K

$28.2K A$40.5K

-0.59%

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

$18.8K CA$26.6K

$28.5K A$40.9K

-33.79%

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

$148 CA$210

$198 A$285

-25.11%

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

$42.44 CA$60.0

$28.75 A$41.37

47.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.5 CA$82.7

$58.6 A$84.4

-0.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.65 CA$57.5

$56.7 A$81.6

-28.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.99 CA$26.84

$19.08 A$27.46

-0.47%

Cinema Ticket

$11.25 CA$15.90

$15.02 A$21.62

-25.10%

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

$753 CA$1,064

$2,154 A$3,099

-65.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.3K CA$20.2K

$17.9K A$25.8K

-20.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 CA$74.2

$78.0 A$112

-32.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.23 CA$54.0

$54.8 A$78.8

-30.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.8 CA$124

$112 A$161

-21.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 CA$146

$124 A$179

-17.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 CA$1,747

$1,540 A$2,215

-19.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,120 CA$1,583

$1,222 A$1,758

-8.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,996 CA$2,822

$2,478 A$3,566

-19.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,714 CA$2,423

$1,930 A$2,778

-11.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,503 CA$6,365

$8,153 A$11.7K

-44.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,888 CA$5,497

$6,053 A$8,711

-35.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,921 CA$4,129

$3,944 A$5,676

-25.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.87

5.93

-17.88%

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

Last update for Canada: October 13, 2026

Last update for Australia: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Canada

$1.1K 48.9%

Australia

$1.2K 48.1% 9.1% $102

Groceries & Markets

Canada

$366 16%

Australia

$370 14.6% 1.1% $4.2

Eating Out

Canada

$271 11.9%

Australia

$293 11.5% 8.2% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Canada

$249 10.9%

Australia

$286 11.2% 14.5% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Canada

$127 5.5%

Australia

$166 6.5% 31.2% $39

Getting Around

Canada

$92 4%

Australia

$118 4.6% 28.6% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Canada

$63 2.8%

Australia

$87 3.4% 37.4% $24

Cost Breakdown

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

Average salary: $2,892 in Canada vs $3,849 in Australia. 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

🇨🇦 Canada

🇦🇺 Australia

🕒 Local time

22:29 10:29 PM

13:29 1:29 PM

15 h ahead of Canada

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,991,981

26,473,055

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Canada Australia 16,110 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Canada
Australia

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

Canada vs Australia: 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.