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 $2,316 per month in Canada vs $1,243 in Japan, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,376 per month in Canada vs $1,941 in Japan, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,436 per month in Canada vs $2,638 in Japan, rent included.

Canada costs about 86% more than Japan on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Canada sits 73% above the global median, while Japan is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Canada has a wider regional cost range ($1,310–$3,100) than Japan ($1,019–$1,684), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Canada.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.44 CA$25.70

$6.75 ¥1,082

173.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.5 CA$104

$34.81 ¥5,580

113.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 CA$15.17

$5.62 ¥901

93.59%

Cappuccino

$3.90 CA$5.43

$3.41 ¥547

14.37%

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

$2.16 CA$3.01

$1.09 ¥175

98.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 CA$2.42

$0.84 ¥134

105.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 CA$8.00

$3.43 ¥550

67.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.05 CA$8.43

$4.14 ¥663

46.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 CA$3.07

$1.55 ¥249

41.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 CA$3.84

$1.53 ¥245

79.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.66 CA$5.10

$4.53 ¥726

-19.21%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.07

$2.27 ¥363

59.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.72 CA$16.33

$12.11 ¥1,942

-3.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.28 CA$17.12

$7.00 ¥1,122

75.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.88 CA$20.74

$19.78 ¥3,170

-24.77%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 CA$5.76

$5.35 ¥858

-22.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.03

$2.62 ¥420

-44.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.79 CA$5.29

$4.67 ¥749

-18.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.09 CA$5.69

$4.74 ¥760

-13.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 CA$3.81

$2.85 ¥457

-4.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.77 CA$3.86

$2.68 ¥430

3.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.62 CA$3.65

$1.34 ¥215

95.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 CA$2.60

$0.95 ¥152

96.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.79 CA$20.61

$4.13 ¥662

258.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.08 CA$18.23

$8.28 ¥1,328

57.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 CA$4.22

$2.17 ¥348

39.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 CA$4.75

$2.94 ¥472

15.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.52 CA$3.51

$1.56 ¥250

61.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 CA$109

$58.7 ¥9,412

32.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 CA$4.86

$4.25 ¥682

-17.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.06

$2.89 ¥463

-48.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.25 CA$39.38

$23.36 ¥3,745

20.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 CA$1.60

$1.17 ¥188

-1.71%

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

$25.4K CA$35.5K

$23.5K ¥3.8M

8.42%

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

$20.6K CA$28.8K

$17.5K ¥2.8M

17.66%

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

$155 CA$216

$175 ¥28.0K

-11.29%

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

$45.76 CA$63.8

$27.13 ¥4,349

68.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 CA$86.6

$34.95 ¥5,603

77.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.67 CA$60.9

$59.0 ¥9,452

-25.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 CA$25.28

$15.90 ¥2,548

14.09%

Cinema Ticket

$11.38 CA$15.86

$12.97 ¥2,079

-12.26%

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

$798 CA$1,112

$341 ¥54.6K

133.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K CA$16.9K

$13.5K ¥2.2M

-10.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 CA$79.2

$48.49 ¥7,773

17.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.19 CA$58.8

$32.95 ¥5,281

28.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.9 CA$123

$63.1 ¥10.1K

39.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$148

$86.9 ¥13.9K

22.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 CA$1,894

$605 ¥96.9K

124.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,204 CA$1,678

$418 ¥67.0K

188.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 CA$2,977

$1,362 ¥218.4K

56.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,860 CA$2,592

$844 ¥135.2K

120.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,642 CA$6,469

$5,620 ¥900.9K

-17.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,852 CA$5,368

$3,060 ¥490.4K

25.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,029 CA$4,221

$1,859 ¥298.0K

62.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.33

1.82

247.80%

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

Last update for Canada: May 31, 2026

Last update for Japan: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,281 in Canada vs $484 in Japan. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,500 in Ottawa and $1,094 in Tokyo.

Average salary: $2,972 in Canada vs $1,862 in Japan. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 165% higher in Canada.

Dining out costs 94% more in Canada.

Public transport is 20% more expensive in Canada.

Salaries are 60% higher in Canada, giving Japan stronger purchasing power.

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 63% 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 63% 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.