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 $2,319 per month in Canada vs $1,243 in Japan, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,378 per month in Canada vs $1,941 in Japan, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,437 per month in Canada vs $2,639 in Japan, rent included.

The cost of living in Canada is about 87% higher than in Japan on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Canada sits 74% above the global median, while Japan is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

The regional cost range is wider in Canada ($1,332–$3,143) than in Japan ($1,022–$1,701), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.63 CA$26.21

$6.86 ¥1,114

171.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.0 CA$104

$34.82 ¥5,657

112.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.92 CA$15.37

$5.57 ¥906

96.05%

Cappuccino

$3.76 CA$5.29

$3.25 ¥528

15.69%

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

$2.19 CA$3.08

$1.09 ¥177

100.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 CA$2.44

$0.83 ¥135

109.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.93 CA$8.34

$3.38 ¥549

75.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.95 CA$8.38

$4.24 ¥689

40.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.28 CA$3.21

$1.52 ¥247

50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 CA$3.76

$1.61 ¥261

65.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.78 CA$5.32

$4.60 ¥748

-17.83%

Eggs

$3.50 CA$4.92

$2.21 ¥359

58.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.70 CA$16.46

$12.07 ¥1,961

-3.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.30 CA$17.31

$6.73 ¥1,094

82.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.44 CA$21.73

$19.13 ¥3,107

-19.29%

Apples (1kg)

$4.28 CA$6.02

$5.35 ¥870

-20.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.04

$2.59 ¥421

-44.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.01 CA$5.64

$4.64 ¥754

-13.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 CA$6.00

$5.00 ¥813

-14.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.78

$2.93 ¥476

-8.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 CA$3.72

$2.59 ¥421

2.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.64 CA$3.71

$1.37 ¥222

92.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 CA$2.66

$0.95 ¥154

98.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.77 CA$20.78

$4.09 ¥664

261.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.32 CA$18.74

$8.80 ¥1,430

51.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.96 CA$4.17

$2.11 ¥343

40.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 CA$4.61

$2.83 ¥459

15.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 CA$3.68

$1.50 ¥243

74.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.1 CA$110

$59.3 ¥9,636

31.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 CA$4.81

$4.28 ¥695

-20.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 CA$2.10

$2.96 ¥482

-49.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.07 CA$40.91

$23.97 ¥3,895

21.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 CA$1.69

$1.18 ¥192

1.69%

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

$25.5K CA$35.8K

$23.2K ¥3.8M

9.71%

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

$20.6K CA$28.9K

$17.5K ¥2.8M

17.63%

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

$152 CA$213

$175 ¥28.5K

-13.55%

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

$46.70 CA$65.7

$26.45 ¥4,298

76.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.8 CA$87.0

$34.77 ¥5,650

77.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.36 CA$61.0

$58.7 ¥9,540

-26.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.05 CA$25.40

$15.73 ¥2,555

14.75%

Cinema Ticket

$11.51 CA$16.19

$13.02 ¥2,116

-11.60%

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

$806 CA$1,134

$347 ¥56.4K

132.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K CA$17.1K

$13.5K ¥2.2M

-9.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 CA$77.9

$49.15 ¥7,986

12.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.80 CA$58.8

$32.83 ¥5,335

27.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.7 CA$126

$62.7 ¥10.2K

43.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$149

$87.0 ¥14.1K

21.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,329 CA$1,870

$607 ¥98.7K

118.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 CA$1,698

$418 ¥68.0K

188.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 CA$2,972

$1,361 ¥221.1K

55.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,833 CA$2,579

$829 ¥134.8K

120.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,639 CA$6,527

$5,522 ¥897.3K

-16.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,849 CA$5,415

$3,030 ¥492.4K

27.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,948 CA$4,148

$1,807 ¥293.6K

63.16%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Japan: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,281 in Canada vs $485 in Japan. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,481 in Ottawa and $1,120 in Tokyo.

Average salary: $2,904 in Canada vs $1,839 in Japan. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 164% higher in Canada.

Dining out costs 94% more in Canada.

Public transport is 20% more expensive 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 64% 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 64% 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.