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 $2,323 per month in Canada vs $1,426 in South Korea, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,377 per month in Canada vs $2,249 in South Korea, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,431 per month in Canada vs $3,071 in South Korea, rent included.

Canada costs about 63% more than 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 73%, South Korea by 6%.

Canada has a wider regional cost range ($1,344–$3,069) than South Korea ($1,253–$1,784), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Canada.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.33 CA$25.11

$7.34 ₩10.8K

149.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.4 CA$99.2

$44.05 ₩64.9K

64.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.87 CA$14.89

$5.73 ₩8,448

89.70%

Cappuccino

$3.72 CA$5.10

$3.66 ₩5,396

1.64%

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

$2.10 CA$2.87

$1.64 ₩2,412

28.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 CA$2.31

$0.77 ₩1,138

118.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.99 CA$8.20

$3.74 ₩5,515

60.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.73 CA$7.85

$4.68 ₩6,894

22.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CA$3.04

$2.24 ₩3,301

-0.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.80 CA$3.83

$3.15 ₩4,635

-11.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.66 CA$5.02

$2.95 ₩4,349

24.07%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.82

$3.03 ₩4,470

16.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 CA$15.53

$13.95 ₩20.5K

-18.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.52 CA$17.16

$9.38 ₩13.8K

33.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.15 CA$20.75

$30.14 ₩44.4K

-49.73%

Apples (1kg)

$4.25 CA$5.83

$7.78 ₩11.5K

-45.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 CA$2.07

$3.48 ₩5,134

-56.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.96 CA$5.42

$5.84 ₩8,604

-32.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 CA$5.75

$6.11 ₩9,009

-31.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.75 CA$3.77

$3.89 ₩5,730

-29.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.73 CA$3.74

$2.84 ₩4,179

-3.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.57 CA$3.52

$2.41 ₩3,554

6.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 CA$2.56

$1.19 ₩1,760

57.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.67 CA$20.10

$3.38 ₩4,979

334.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.25 CA$18.15

$15.87 ₩23.4K

-16.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$3.99

$2.05 ₩3,025

41.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 CA$4.56

$2.89 ₩4,254

15.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.64 CA$3.61

$1.12 ₩1,656

135.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 CA$106

$46.99 ₩69.2K

65.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.37 CA$4.61

$3.29 ₩4,842

2.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 CA$2.02

$0.56 ₩829

162.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.78 CA$39.43

$8.79 ₩12.9K

227.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 CA$1.57

$1.19 ₩1,755

-3.36%

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

$24.9K CA$34.1K

$27.7K ₩40.8M

-10.06%

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

$20.3K CA$27.8K

$24.2K ₩35.7M

-16.21%

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

$156 CA$214

$167 ₩246.2K

-6.54%

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

$46.08 CA$63.1

$41.36 ₩60.9K

11.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.4 CA$85.4

$21.78 ₩32.1K

186.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.98 CA$60.3

$51.8 ₩76.3K

-15.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.92 CA$24.56

$19.40 ₩28.6K

-7.63%

Cinema Ticket

$11.43 CA$15.66

$11.22 ₩16.5K

1.87%

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

$815 CA$1,117

$392 ₩577.6K

107.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K CA$16.8K

$22.6K ₩33.3M

-45.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.9 CA$76.6

$57.9 ₩85.3K

-3.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.52 CA$56.9

$47.54 ₩70.0K

-12.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 CA$122

$80.6 ₩118.7K

10.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$150

$109 ₩160.6K

0.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,379 CA$1,890

$625 ₩920.5K

120.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 CA$1,661

$418 ₩615.3K

190.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,160 CA$2,960

$1,564 ₩2.3M

38.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,866 CA$2,556

$963 ₩1.4M

93.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,998 CA$6,847

$13.0K ₩19.2M

-61.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,001 CA$5,481

$8,275 ₩12.2M

-51.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,031 CA$4,153

$2,241 ₩3.3M

35.25%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for South Korea: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,283 in Canada vs $459 in South Korea. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,475 in Ottawa and $956 in Seoul.

Average salary: $3,008 in Canada vs $1,973 in South Korea. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 180% higher in Canada.

Dining out costs 70% more in Canada.

Public transport is 450% more expensive in Canada.

Salaries are 52% higher in Canada.

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 45% 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 45% 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.