Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Canada and South Korea

Name: South Korea
Address: KR

For one person, living is cheaper in South Korea: $1,596 a month against $2,310 in Canada, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

111

Cost of Living Index in Canada
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Canada Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in South Korea
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South Korea Living Index

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🇨🇦 Canada

$2,310

/mo nomad

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,596

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Canada and in South Korea

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Canada and in South Korea actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,310 per month in Canada vs $1,596 in South Korea, rent included.

Canada $2,310
South Korea $1,596

A couple spends around $3,356 per month in Canada vs $2,542 in South Korea, rent included.

Canada $3,356
South Korea $2,542

A family of three spends $4,403 per month in Canada vs $3,487 in South Korea, rent included.

Canada $4,403
South Korea $3,487

The regional cost range is wider in Canada ($889–$3,737) than in South Korea ($1,044–$1,848), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Canada is about 45% higher than in South Korea on average.

Both Canada and South Korea are pricier than the global median – Canada by 70%, South Korea by 17%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.16 CA$25.38

$7.44 ₩9,936

144.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.2 CA$99.5

$44.54 ₩59.5K

59.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.81 CA$15.11

$6.51 ₩8,694

66.05%

Cappuccino

$3.78 CA$5.28

$3.83 ₩5,113

-1.31%

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

$2.11 CA$2.96

$1.59 ₩2,125

32.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 CA$2.32

$0.78 ₩1,039

112.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.62 CA$7.85

$3.84 ₩5,122

46.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.72 CA$7.99

$4.42 ₩5,906

29.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 CA$3.04

$2.20 ₩2,937

-1.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 CA$3.64

$2.96 ₩3,954

-12.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.65 CA$5.11

$3.54 ₩4,722

3.11%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.07

$3.22 ₩4,296

12.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.76 CA$15.04

$13.36 ₩17.8K

-19.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.90 CA$16.62

$8.89 ₩11.9K

33.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.42 CA$21.55

$26.17 ₩34.9K

-41.08%

Apples (1kg)

$4.03 CA$5.63

$8.49 ₩11.3K

-52.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.94

$3.39 ₩4,521

-59.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 CA$5.41

$6.42 ₩8,565

-39.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 CA$5.70

$5.87 ₩7,840

-30.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 CA$3.59

$3.89 ₩5,196

-33.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 CA$3.46

$2.84 ₩3,796

-12.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.65 CA$3.70

$2.69 ₩3,589

-1.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 CA$2.40

$1.15 ₩1,542

48.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.32 CA$20.01

$3.42 ₩4,570

318.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.49 CA$18.85

$16.56 ₩22.1K

-18.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 CA$3.97

$2.13 ₩2,837

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 CA$4.62

$2.91 ₩3,883

13.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.57

$1.10 ₩1,465

131.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.9 CA$101

$48.35 ₩64.6K

48.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 CA$4.44

$3.52 ₩4,694

-9.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 CA$2.15

$0.65 ₩872

136.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.69 CA$37.30

$9.13 ₩12.2K

192.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 CA$1.74

$1.38 ₩1,844

-10.14%

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

$27.9K CA$39.0K

$30.3K ₩40.4M

-7.87%

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

$21.1K CA$29.4K

$30.0K ₩40.0M

-29.76%

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

$147 CA$206

$210 ₩280.0K

-29.72%

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

$41.80 CA$58.4

$40.27 ₩53.8K

3.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.2 CA$84.1

$24.18 ₩32.3K

149.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.01 CA$54.5

$53.8 ₩71.8K

-27.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.06 CA$26.64

$16.81 ₩22.4K

13.38%

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$15.66

$11.50 ₩15.4K

-2.52%

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

$721 CA$1,008

$985 ₩1.3M

-26.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K CA$20.7K

$23.7K ₩31.6M

-37.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 CA$77.2

$58.9 ₩78.6K

-6.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.95 CA$54.4

$45.48 ₩60.7K

-14.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.4 CA$122

$78.3 ₩104.6K

11.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 CA$142

$97.7 ₩130.4K

3.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,290 CA$1,803

$645 ₩861.1K

100.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,130 CA$1,579

$446 ₩595.3K

153.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,036 CA$2,845

$1,711 ₩2.3M

18.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,731 CA$2,418

$999 ₩1.3M

73.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,769 CA$6,664

$15.8K ₩21.1M

-69.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,730 CA$5,211

$8,299 ₩11.1M

-55.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,070 CA$4,289

$2,345 ₩3.1M

30.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.87

4.23

15.13%

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

Last update for Canada: October 26, 2026

Last update for South Korea: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Canada

$1.1K 48.9%

South Korea

$446 27.9% 60.5% $684

Groceries & Markets

Canada

$371 16.1%

South Korea

$451 28.3% 21.6% $80

Eating Out

Canada

$278 12%

South Korea

$163 10.2% 41.5% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Canada

$249 10.8%

South Korea

$274 17.2% 9.9% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Canada

$127 5.5%

South Korea

$126 7.9% 0.9% $1.1

Getting Around

Canada

$93 4%

South Korea

$60 3.7% 36% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Canada

$61 2.7%

South Korea

$77 4.8% 25% $15

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,250 in Canada vs $493 in South Korea. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,434 in Ottawa and $924 in Seoul.

Average salary: $2,968 in Canada vs $2,148 in South Korea. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 154% higher in Canada.

Dining out costs 52% more in Canada.

Public transport is 38% more expensive in Canada.

Salaries are 38% higher in Canada.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Canada

🇰🇷 South Korea

🕒 Local time

01:45 1:45 AM

15:45 3:45 PM

14 h ahead of Canada

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,991,981

51,466,201

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.71 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1,335 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD). 1 EUR = 1,491 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.71 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Canada South Korea 10,510 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Canada
South Korea

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 31% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Canada: a central one-bedroom averages $1,250 versus $493 in South Korea.

$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. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.