Cost of Living Comparison Between Canada and Eritrea Cost of Living Comparison Between Canada and Eritrea

Name: Eritrea
Address: ER

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,217 per month in Canada vs $689 in Eritrea, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,254 per month in Canada vs $1,083 in Eritrea, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,291 per month in Canada vs $1,477 in Eritrea, rent included.

The cost of living in Canada is about 222% higher than in Eritrea on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Canada sits 61% above the global median, while Eritrea is 50% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.28 CA$25.35

$21.04 ERN 316

-13.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.2 CA$98.8

$34.65 ERN 520

105.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.96 CA$15.20

$5.48 ERN 82.3

100.00%

Cappuccino

$3.95 CA$5.47

$0.73 ERN 10.94

441.10%

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

$2.07 CA$2.88

$0.97 ERN 14.58

113.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 CA$2.42

$0.99 ERN 14.85

75.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.93 CA$8.23

$0.96 ERN 14.37

517.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 CA$7.89

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.09

$1.56 ERN 23.43

42.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 CA$3.76

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.72 CA$5.16

$2.33 ERN 35.02

59.66%

Eggs

$3.61 CA$5.01

$4.47 ERN 67.1

-19.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.81 CA$14.99

$2.98 ERN 44.72

262.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.22 CA$16.95

$26.38 ERN 396

-53.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.68 CA$21.75

$10.09 ERN 152

55.40%

Apples (1kg)

$4.25 CA$5.89

$12.07 ERN 181

-64.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 CA$1.98

$1.31 ERN 19.75

9.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.02 CA$5.57

$2.04 ERN 30.63

97.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.09 CA$5.67

$1.14 ERN 17.16

258.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.68 CA$3.72

$1.78 ERN 26.74

50.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.45 CA$3.40

$0.90 ERN 13.55

172.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.67 CA$3.70

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 CA$2.50

$2.15 ERN 32.35

-16.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.46 CA$20.05

Wine (Bottle)

$13.58 CA$18.84

$12.23 ERN 184

11.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 CA$3.94

$1.02 ERN 15.25

178.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 CA$4.52

$1.02 ERN 15.26

219.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 CA$3.41

$0.12 ERN 1.78

1950.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.2 CA$104

$8.10 ERN 122

827.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 CA$4.37

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 CA$2.14

$0.58 ERN 8.72

165.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.55 CA$38.21

$10.08 ERN 151

173.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 CA$1.61

$2.57 ERN 38.65

-54.86%

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

$28.4K CA$39.3K

$66.9K ERN 1.0M

-57.61%

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

$19.5K CA$27.0K

$69.4K ERN 1.0M

-71.94%

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

$155 CA$215

$25.13 ERN 377

516.39%

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

$43.47 CA$60.3

$67.5 ERN 1,014

-35.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.4 CA$83.8

$199 ERN 2,983

-69.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.15 CA$57.1

$27.35 ERN 411

50.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.79 CA$27.45

$4.86 ERN 73.0

307.20%

Cinema Ticket

$11.53 CA$15.98

$1.22 ERN 18.32

845.08%

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

$786 CA$1,089

$25.50 ERN 383

2980.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K CA$20.6K

$2,585 ERN 38.8K

473.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 CA$76.3

$138 ERN 2,067

-60.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.25 CA$57.2

$122 ERN 1,835

-66.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.1 CA$122

$200 ERN 3,001

-55.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$147

$150 ERN 2,256

-29.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 CA$1,797

$255 ERN 3,828

408.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,168 CA$1,619

$200 ERN 3,003

484.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,044 CA$2,835

$453 ERN 6,808

350.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,779 CA$2,467

$424 ERN 6,364

319.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,786 CA$6,638

$1,256 ERN 18.9K

281.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,973 CA$5,510

$2,293 ERN 34.4K

73.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,078 CA$4,270

$492 ERN 7,383

526.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.86

18.5

-73.73%

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

Last update for Canada: September 8, 2026

Last update for Eritrea: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,228 in Canada vs $123 in Eritrea. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,496 in Ottawa and $247 in Asmara.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 898% higher in Canada.

Dining out costs 288% more in Canada.

Public transport is 1400% more expensive 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 Eritrea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Eritrea is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 240% 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 Eritrea, contributing to the overall 240% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Eritrea, but in Canada it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Eritrea 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.