Cost of Living Comparison Between Canada and Japan Cost of Living Comparison Between Canada and Japan

Name: Japan
Address: JP

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,214 per month in Canada vs $1,189 in Japan, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,247 per month in Canada vs $1,873 in Japan, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,279 per month in Canada vs $2,557 in Japan, rent included.

The cost of living in Canada is about 86% higher than in Japan on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Canada sits 61% above the global median, while Japan is 13% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

The regional cost range is wider in Canada ($891–$3,752) than in Japan ($757–$1,653), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.99 CA$24.89

$6.12 ¥956

193.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.3 CA$98.6

$30.69 ¥4,794

132.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.91 CA$15.09

$4.90 ¥765

122.65%

Cappuccino

$3.88 CA$5.37

$3.20 ¥499

21.25%

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

$2.17 CA$3.01

$1.17 ¥182

85.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 CA$2.32

$0.78 ¥122

114.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.80 CA$8.02

$3.11 ¥486

86.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 CA$8.04

$3.66 ¥571

58.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 CA$3.03

$1.48 ¥231

47.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 CA$3.81

$1.51 ¥236

82.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.69 CA$5.11

$4.82 ¥752

-23.44%

Eggs

$3.68 CA$5.09

$2.09 ¥327

76.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.83 CA$14.99

$11.74 ¥1,835

-7.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.20 CA$16.88

$6.40 ¥1,000

90.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.58 CA$21.56

$17.67 ¥2,761

-11.83%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 CA$5.79

$4.76 ¥743

-12.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$1.96

$2.37 ¥371

-40.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.02 CA$5.57

$4.28 ¥669

-6.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.17 CA$5.77

$4.36 ¥680

-4.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 CA$3.78

$2.73 ¥427

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 CA$3.52

$2.62 ¥409

-3.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.57 CA$3.55

$1.25 ¥196

105.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 CA$2.38

$0.90 ¥140

91.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.43 CA$19.96

$3.96 ¥619

264.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.62 CA$18.84

$8.50 ¥1,328

60.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 CA$4.01

$1.97 ¥308

47.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 CA$4.51

$2.56 ¥400

27.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.48 CA$3.43

$1.40 ¥219

77.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.9 CA$104

$55.3 ¥8,643

35.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 CA$4.30

$3.54 ¥553

-12.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.05

$3.11 ¥486

-52.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.37 CA$37.87

$19.69 ¥3,075

39.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.62

$1.09 ¥171

7.34%

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

$28.1K CA$38.9K

$21.8K ¥3.4M

29.20%

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

$20.0K CA$27.7K

$16.2K ¥2.5M

23.59%

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

$154 CA$214

$158 ¥24.6K

-2.11%

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

$43.31 CA$59.9

$24.79 ¥3,873

74.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.3 CA$83.5

$32.46 ¥5,071

85.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.22 CA$57.0

$52.8 ¥8,253

-21.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.08 CA$27.78

$17.71 ¥2,767

13.38%

Cinema Ticket

$11.64 CA$16.11

$12.61 ¥1,970

-7.69%

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

$782 CA$1,083

$562 ¥87.7K

39.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K CA$20.5K

$11.6K ¥1.8M

28.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.9 CA$76.0

$45.40 ¥7,092

20.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.73 CA$55.0

$28.46 ¥4,447

39.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 CA$125

$60.6 ¥9,467

48.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 CA$148

$77.8 ¥12.2K

37.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,317 CA$1,822

$573 ¥89.5K

129.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,136 CA$1,571

$379 ¥59.2K

199.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,089 CA$2,890

$1,338 ¥209.0K

56.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,809 CA$2,504

$752 ¥117.5K

140.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,846 CA$6,706

$5,535 ¥864.8K

-12.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,928 CA$5,435

$2,846 ¥444.6K

38.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,998 CA$4,148

$2,055 ¥321.0K

45.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.86

2.05

137.07%

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

Last update for Canada: August 31, 2026

Last update for Japan: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,225 in Canada vs $490 in Japan. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,501 in Ottawa and $1,230 in Tokyo.

Average salary: $2,968 in Canada vs $1,876 in Japan. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 150% higher in Canada.

Dining out costs 100% more in Canada.

Salaries are 58% higher in Canada, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Japan.

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 Japan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Japan is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 93% 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 Japan, contributing to the overall 93% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

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

Japan 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.