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 $1,425 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 $4,433 per month in Canada vs $3,073 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 ($1,320–$3,077) than South Korea ($1,246–$1,761), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Canada.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.77 CA$26.22

$7.18 ₩10.9K

161.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.2 CA$104

$43.22 ₩65.6K

71.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.25 CA$15.71

$5.82 ₩8,842

93.30%

Cappuccino

$3.86 CA$5.39

$3.83 ₩5,817

0.78%

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

$2.19 CA$3.06

$1.58 ₩2,400

38.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 CA$2.36

$0.78 ₩1,184

116.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.96 CA$8.32

$3.64 ₩5,535

63.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 CA$8.25

$4.72 ₩7,169

25.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.29 CA$3.19

$2.24 ₩3,399

2.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.76 CA$3.85

$3.14 ₩4,768

-12.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.60 CA$5.03

$3.05 ₩4,636

18.03%

Eggs

$3.50 CA$4.89

$3.11 ₩4,719

12.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.47 CA$16.01

$14.06 ₩21.4K

-18.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.38 CA$17.30

$9.59 ₩14.6K

29.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.97 CA$20.90

$30.17 ₩45.8K

-50.38%

Apples (1kg)

$4.22 CA$5.90

$8.02 ₩12.2K

-47.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 CA$2.10

$3.52 ₩5,343

-57.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.90 CA$5.45

$5.81 ₩8,816

-32.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.11 CA$5.73

$6.29 ₩9,556

-34.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 CA$3.90

$3.68 ₩5,587

-24.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 CA$3.66

$2.96 ₩4,495

-11.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.66 CA$3.72

$2.52 ₩3,820

5.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 CA$2.53

$1.19 ₩1,811

52.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.71 CA$20.55

$3.29 ₩4,994

347.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.87 CA$17.98

$16.53 ₩25.1K

-22.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.02 CA$4.21

$2.11 ₩3,200

43.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 CA$4.74

$2.98 ₩4,518

13.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.59 CA$3.62

$1.07 ₩1,630

142.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.1 CA$109

$46.80 ₩71.1K

66.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 CA$4.97

$3.36 ₩5,110

5.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 CA$2.05

$0.58 ₩876

153.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.11 CA$40.65

$8.73 ₩13.3K

233.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.63

$1.24 ₩1,883

-5.65%

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

$24.6K CA$34.4K

$27.9K ₩42.4M

-11.77%

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

$20.5K CA$28.6K

$24.1K ₩36.6M

-14.85%

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

$154 CA$215

$168 ₩255.6K

-8.48%

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

$46.20 CA$64.5

$41.60 ₩63.2K

11.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.1 CA$88.1

$21.62 ₩32.8K

191.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.87 CA$59.9

$52.0 ₩79.0K

-17.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.61 CA$24.60

$19.62 ₩29.8K

-10.24%

Cinema Ticket

$11.46 CA$16.00

$11.10 ₩16.9K

3.24%

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

$813 CA$1,136

$383 ₩581.5K

112.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K CA$17.1K

$22.7K ₩34.4M

-46.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.3 CA$78.6

$58.6 ₩88.9K

-3.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.36 CA$57.8

$48.36 ₩73.4K

-14.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.0 CA$124

$79.7 ₩121.0K

11.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$149

$108 ₩164.3K

-1.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,380 CA$1,927

$626 ₩951.3K

120.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,182 CA$1,651

$413 ₩627.8K

185.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,125 CA$2,968

$1,569 ₩2.4M

35.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,889 CA$2,638

$979 ₩1.5M

92.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,826 CA$6,740

$13.8K ₩21.0M

-65.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,896 CA$5,441

$7,144 ₩10.8M

-45.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,947 CA$4,115

$2,077 ₩3.2M

41.86%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for South Korea: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,279 in Canada vs $457 in South Korea. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,500 in Ottawa and $962 in Seoul.

Average salary: $2,945 in Canada vs $1,931 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 442% more expensive in Canada.

Salaries are 53% 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 46% 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 46% 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.