Cost of Living Comparison Between Canada and South Korea Cost of Living Comparison Between Canada and South Korea

Name: South Korea
Address: KR

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,320 per month in Canada vs $1,429 in South Korea, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,376 per month in Canada vs $2,249 in South Korea, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,432 per month in Canada vs $3,068 in South Korea, rent included.

The cost of living in Canada is about 62% higher than in South Korea on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Canada and South Korea are pricier than the global median – Canada by 74%, South Korea by 7%.

The regional cost range is wider in Canada ($1,313–$3,141) than in South Korea ($1,229–$1,770), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.11 CA$25.38

$7.19 ₩10.3K

151.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.9 CA$104

$43.49 ₩62.6K

69.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.22 CA$15.72

$5.71 ₩8,218

96.50%

Cappuccino

$3.78 CA$5.30

$3.67 ₩5,283

3.00%

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

$2.16 CA$3.03

$1.57 ₩2,264

37.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 CA$2.46

$0.78 ₩1,122

125.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.87 CA$8.22

$3.63 ₩5,224

61.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 CA$8.27

$4.89 ₩7,035

20.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 CA$3.08

$2.20 ₩3,169

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 CA$3.92

$3.06 ₩4,406

-8.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.64 CA$5.10

$3.10 ₩4,462

17.42%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.94

$2.95 ₩4,247

19.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.44 CA$16.02

$13.86 ₩19.9K

-17.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.51 CA$17.53

$9.43 ₩13.6K

32.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.01 CA$21.04

$30.00 ₩43.2K

-49.97%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.91

$7.89 ₩11.4K

-46.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 CA$2.00

$3.56 ₩5,119

-59.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.94 CA$5.52

$5.84 ₩8,401

-32.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 CA$5.81

$6.33 ₩9,103

-34.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 CA$3.88

$3.80 ₩5,470

-27.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.77 CA$3.89

$2.94 ₩4,227

-5.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 CA$3.58

$2.46 ₩3,539

3.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 CA$2.61

$1.20 ₩1,733

55.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.58 CA$20.43

$3.34 ₩4,801

336.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.23 CA$18.54

$14.93 ₩21.5K

-11.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 CA$4.11

$2.03 ₩2,919

44.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 CA$4.58

$2.93 ₩4,219

11.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.65

$1.09 ₩1,566

139.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.3 CA$110

$46.70 ₩67.2K

67.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.51 CA$4.92

$3.22 ₩4,627

9.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 CA$2.17

$0.57 ₩824

171.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.70 CA$40.22

$8.75 ₩12.6K

228.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 CA$1.68

$1.19 ₩1,711

0.84%

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

$24.6K CA$34.5K

$27.4K ₩39.4M

-10.16%

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

$20.6K CA$28.8K

$24.3K ₩35.0M

-15.58%

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

$155 CA$217

$169 ₩242.4K

-7.93%

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

$46.34 CA$64.9

$41.27 ₩59.4K

12.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.5 CA$89.0

$22.12 ₩31.8K

187.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.90 CA$60.1

$53.1 ₩76.3K

-19.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.87 CA$25.04

$20.08 ₩28.9K

-11.01%

Cinema Ticket

$11.50 CA$16.11

$10.90 ₩15.7K

5.50%

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

$815 CA$1,142

$383 ₩550.2K

113.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K CA$16.9K

$23.2K ₩33.4M

-48.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 CA$78.0

$57.6 ₩82.8K

-3.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.56 CA$59.6

$48.05 ₩69.1K

-11.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.2 CA$124

$80.3 ₩115.5K

9.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 CA$151

$109 ₩157.2K

-1.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 CA$1,866

$614 ₩882.4K

117.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,177 CA$1,649

$408 ₩586.7K

188.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,194 CA$3,074

$1,580 ₩2.3M

38.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 CA$2,645

$977 ₩1.4M

93.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,592 CA$6,435

$14.4K ₩20.7M

-68.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,805 CA$5,332

$7,535 ₩10.8M

-49.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,913 CA$4,081

$2,161 ₩3.1M

34.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.33

4.2

50.71%

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

Last update for Canada: July 25, 2026

Last update for South Korea: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,283 in Canada vs $457 in South Korea. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,468 in Ottawa and $964 in Seoul.

Average salary: $2,911 in Canada vs $1,951 in South Korea. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 181% higher in Canada.

Dining out costs 70% more in Canada.

Public transport is 442% more expensive in Canada.

Salaries are 49% higher in Canada, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Korea.

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 South Korea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

South Korea is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 49% 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 South Korea, contributing to the overall 49% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

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

South Korea 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.