Cost of Living Comparison Between Canada and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Canada and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,316 per month in Canada vs $712 in China, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,376 per month in Canada vs $1,132 in China, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,436 per month in Canada vs $1,551 in China, rent included.

Canada costs about 225% more than China on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Canada sits 73% above the global median, while China is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Canada has a wider regional cost range ($1,310–$3,100) than China ($520–$1,209), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Canada.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.44 CA$25.64

$2.81 ¥19.01

556.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.5 CA$104

$23.30 ¥158

219.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 CA$15.13

$5.01 ¥33.93

117.17%

Cappuccino

$3.90 CA$5.42

$3.01 ¥20.42

29.57%

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

$2.16 CA$3.01

$0.45 ¥3.03

380.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 CA$2.41

$0.29 ¥1.97

496.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 CA$7.98

$0.95 ¥6.42

504.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.05 CA$8.41

$2.05 ¥13.90

195.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 CA$3.06

$1.76 ¥11.89

25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 CA$3.83

$1.62 ¥11.00

69.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.66 CA$5.09

$0.95 ¥6.46

285.26%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.05

$1.56 ¥10.57

132.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.72 CA$16.29

$13.06 ¥88.4

-10.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.28 CA$17.08

$3.28 ¥22.21

274.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.88 CA$20.69

$10.65 ¥72.1

39.72%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 CA$5.75

$1.78 ¥12.05

132.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.02

$1.24 ¥8.43

16.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.79 CA$5.27

$1.50 ¥10.13

152.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.09 CA$5.68

$1.15 ¥7.80

255.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 CA$3.80

$0.75 ¥5.08

264.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.77 CA$3.85

$0.86 ¥5.82

222.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.62 CA$3.64

$0.62 ¥4.17

322.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 CA$2.60

$0.56 ¥3.82

233.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.79 CA$20.57

$3.51 ¥23.80

321.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.08 CA$18.19

$11.66 ¥79.0

12.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 CA$4.21

$0.80 ¥5.41

278.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 CA$4.74

$1.66 ¥11.26

105.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.52 CA$3.50

$0.43 ¥2.93

486.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 CA$108

$20.86 ¥141

273.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 CA$4.85

$1.37 ¥9.28

154.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.05

$0.35 ¥2.39

322.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.25 CA$39.29

$6.63 ¥44.90

326.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 CA$1.59

$1.14 ¥7.71

0.88%

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

$25.4K CA$35.4K

$19.2K ¥129.9K

32.65%

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

$20.6K CA$28.7K

$16.8K ¥113.5K

23.05%

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

$155 CA$215

$51.2 ¥347

202.60%

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

$45.76 CA$63.6

$10.16 ¥68.8

350.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 CA$86.4

$11.51 ¥78.0

440.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.67 CA$60.7

$40.53 ¥275

7.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 CA$25.22

$15.05 ¥102

20.53%

Cinema Ticket

$11.38 CA$15.83

$6.10 ¥41.33

86.56%

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

$798 CA$1,109

$402 ¥2,724

98.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K CA$16.8K

$17.7K ¥119.7K

-31.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 CA$79.0

$45.57 ¥309

24.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.19 CA$58.7

$33.26 ¥225

26.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.9 CA$122

$72.6 ¥492

21.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$148

$74.5 ¥504

43.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 CA$1,890

$429 ¥2,908

216.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,204 CA$1,674

$257 ¥1,742

367.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 CA$2,970

$895 ¥6,065

138.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,860 CA$2,586

$541 ¥3,667

243.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,642 CA$6,455

$5,015 ¥34.0K

-7.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,852 CA$5,357

$2,469 ¥16.7K

56.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,029 CA$4,212

$1,055 ¥7,143

187.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.33

4.06

55.91%

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

Last update for Canada: May 31, 2026

Last update for China: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,281 in Canada vs $286 in China. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,500 in Ottawa and $916 in Beijing (Pekin).

Average salary: $2,972 in Canada vs $861 in China. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 348% higher in Canada.

Dining out costs 224% more in Canada.

Public transport is 261% more expensive in Canada.

Salaries are 245% higher in Canada.

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 China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

China is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 155% 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 China, contributing to the overall 155% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in China, but in Canada it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

China 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.