Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Canada and China

Name: China
Address: CN

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $791 a month against $2,310 in Canada, rent and utilities included – about $18,200 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
38

Cost of Living Index in China
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China Living Index

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🇨🇦 Canada

$2,310

/mo nomad

🇨🇳 China

$791

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Canada and in China

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 China actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,310 per month in Canada vs $791 in China, rent included.

Canada $2,310
China $791

A couple spends around $3,356 per month in Canada vs $1,251 in China, rent included.

Canada $3,356
China $1,251

A family of three spends $4,403 per month in Canada vs $1,711 in China, rent included.

Canada $4,403
China $1,711

The regional cost range is wider in Canada ($889–$3,737) than in China ($465–$1,222), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Canada is about 192% higher than in China on average.

Canada sits 70% above the global median, while China is 42% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.16 CA$25.38

$2.98 ¥19.78

509.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.2 CA$99.5

$22.09 ¥147

222.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.81 CA$15.11

$5.20 ¥34.55

107.88%

Cappuccino

$3.78 CA$5.28

$2.97 ¥19.71

27.27%

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

$2.11 CA$2.96

$0.48 ¥3.18

339.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 CA$2.32

$0.30 ¥2.00

453.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.62 CA$7.85

$1.08 ¥7.17

420.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.72 CA$7.99

$2.28 ¥15.13

150.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 CA$3.04

$1.80 ¥11.94

20.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 CA$3.64

$1.68 ¥11.13

54.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.65 CA$5.11

$0.92 ¥6.13

296.74%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.07

$1.61 ¥10.72

125.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.76 CA$15.04

$13.38 ¥88.9

-19.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.90 CA$16.62

$3.35 ¥22.25

255.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.42 CA$21.55

$11.35 ¥75.4

35.86%

Apples (1kg)

$4.03 CA$5.63

$1.82 ¥12.11

121.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.94

$1.31 ¥8.68

5.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 CA$5.41

$1.49 ¥9.88

160.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 CA$5.70

$1.27 ¥8.46

221.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 CA$3.59

$0.71 ¥4.73

261.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 CA$3.46

$0.93 ¥6.20

166.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.65 CA$3.70

$0.62 ¥4.11

327.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 CA$2.40

$0.56 ¥3.73

205.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.32 CA$20.01

$3.78 ¥25.12

278.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.49 CA$18.85

$12.13 ¥80.6

11.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 CA$3.97

$0.83 ¥5.53

242.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 CA$4.62

$1.68 ¥11.19

96.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.57

$0.29 ¥1.91

779.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.9 CA$101

$17.83 ¥118

303.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 CA$4.44

$1.49 ¥9.88

113.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 CA$2.15

$0.37 ¥2.49

316.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.69 CA$37.30

$7.10 ¥47.17

275.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 CA$1.74

$1.26 ¥8.36

-1.59%

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

$27.9K CA$39.0K

$19.4K ¥129.2K

43.36%

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

$21.1K CA$29.4K

$17.5K ¥116.5K

20.13%

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

$147 CA$206

$54.6 ¥363

170.12%

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

$41.80 CA$58.4

$8.73 ¥58.0

378.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.2 CA$84.1

$11.07 ¥73.5

443.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.01 CA$54.5

$40.77 ¥271

-4.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.06 CA$26.64

$14.48 ¥96.2

31.63%

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$15.66

$6.78 ¥45.05

65.34%

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

$721 CA$1,008

$517 ¥3,433

39.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K CA$20.7K

$19.8K ¥131.6K

-25.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 CA$77.2

$46.53 ¥309

18.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.95 CA$54.4

$35.66 ¥237

9.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.4 CA$122

$77.0 ¥512

13.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 CA$142

$80.3 ¥533

26.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,290 CA$1,803

$386 ¥2,564

234.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,130 CA$1,579

$235 ¥1,558

381.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,036 CA$2,845

$822 ¥5,461

147.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,731 CA$2,418

$453 ¥3,011

282.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,769 CA$6,664

$4,697 ¥31.2K

1.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,730 CA$5,211

$2,372 ¥15.8K

57.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,070 CA$4,289

$1,093 ¥7,264

180.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.87

3.46

40.75%

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

Last update for Canada: October 26, 2026

Last update for China: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Canada

$1.1K 48.9%

China

$235 29.6% 79.2% $895

Groceries & Markets

Canada

$371 16.1%

China

$210 26.5% 43.4% $161

Eating Out

Canada

$278 12%

China

$88 11.1% 68.3% $190

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Canada

$249 10.8%

China

$74 9.4% 70.2% $175

Clothing & Footwear

Canada

$127 5.5%

China

$108 13.6% 15.4% $20

Getting Around

Canada

$93 4%

China

$22 2.8% 76% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Canada

$61 2.7%

China

$54 6.9% 11.6% $7.1

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,250 in Canada vs $298 in China. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,434 in Ottawa and $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

Average salary: $2,968 in Canada vs $873 in China. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 319% higher in Canada.

Dining out costs 191% more in Canada.

Public transport is 267% more expensive in Canada.

Salaries are about 3.4 times higher in Canada, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Canada.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Canada

🇨🇳 China

🕒 Local time

03:10 3:10 AM

16:10 4:10 PM

13 h ahead of Canada

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,991,981

1,442,965,000

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 6.64 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.42 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Canada China 10,450 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Canada
China

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 China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

China is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 66% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Canada: a central one-bedroom averages $1,250 versus $298 in China.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in China – part of why living there is about 66% cheaper overall.

$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. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.