Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Canada and the United Kingdom

For one person, living is cheaper in Canada: $2,310 a month against $2,462 in the United Kingdom, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Canada
United Kingdom
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,310
/mo nomad
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,462
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Canada and in the United Kingdom

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 the United Kingdom actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,310 per month in Canada vs $2,462 in the United Kingdom, rent included.

  • Canada $2,310
  • United Kingdom $2,462

A couple spends around $3,356 per month in Canada vs $3,600 in the United Kingdom, rent included.

  • Canada $3,356
  • United Kingdom $3,600

A family of three spends $4,403 per month in Canada vs $4,738 in the United Kingdom, rent included.

  • Canada $4,403
  • United Kingdom $4,738

Cost ranges are similar: Canada spans $889–$3,737, the United Kingdom $1,126–$4,646. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

The cost of living in Canada is roughly 6% lower than in the United Kingdom on average.

Both Canada and the United Kingdom are pricier than the global median – Canada by 70%, the United Kingdom by 81%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Canada
United Kingdom
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.16 CA$25.52
$21.48 £16.15
-15.46%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$71.2 CA$100
$85.7 £64.4
-16.95%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.81 CA$15.19
$10.61 £7.98
1.89%
Cappuccino
$3.78 CA$5.31
$4.91 £3.69
-23.01%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11 CA$2.97
$2.66 £2.00
-20.68%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.66 CA$2.33
$1.87 £1.40
-11.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.62 CA$7.89
$6.63 £4.98
-15.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.72 CA$8.04
$6.84 £5.14
-16.37%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Canada
United Kingdom
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.17 CA$3.06
$1.68 £1.26
29.17%
White Bread (500g)
$2.60 CA$3.66
$1.72 £1.29
51.16%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.65 CA$5.13
$2.17 £1.63
68.20%
Eggs
$3.63 CA$5.10
$4.00 £3.01
-9.25%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.76 CA$15.12
$9.42 £7.08
14.23%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.90 CA$16.72
$9.19 £6.90
29.49%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.42 CA$21.67
$14.77 £11.10
4.40%
Apples (1kg)
$4.03 CA$5.66
$2.97 £2.23
35.69%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 CA$1.95
$1.62 £1.22
-14.81%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.88 CA$5.44
$2.85 £2.15
36.14%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.08 CA$5.74
$3.52 £2.65
15.91%
Potato (1kg)
$2.57 CA$3.61
$1.83 £1.38
40.44%
Onion (1kg)
$2.48 CA$3.48
$1.61 £1.21
54.04%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.65 CA$3.72
$1.25 £0.94
112.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.71 CA$2.41
$1.66 £1.25
3.01%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.32 CA$20.12
$23.65 £17.77
-39.45%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.49 CA$18.95
$10.50 £7.89
28.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.84 CA$3.99
$2.98 £2.24
-4.70%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.30 CA$4.64
$3.51 £2.64
-5.98%
🚌 Getting Around
Canada
United Kingdom
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.55 CA$3.59
$3.98 £2.99
-35.93%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$71.9 CA$101
$107 £80.7
-33.04%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.18 CA$4.47
$5.18 £3.89
-38.61%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.54 CA$2.16
$2.35 £1.76
-34.47%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$26.69 CA$37.50
$26.84 £20.17
-0.56%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.24 CA$1.75
$1.99 £1.49
-37.69%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.9K CA$39.2K
$39.4K £29.6K
-29.33%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.1K CA$29.6K
$40.5K £30.4K
-47.96%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Canada
United Kingdom
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$147 CA$207
$327 £246
-54.95%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$41.80 CA$58.7
$18.21 £13.69
129.54%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$60.2 CA$84.6
$43.60 £32.77
38.12%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Canada
United Kingdom
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.01 CA$54.8
$42.36 £31.83
-7.91%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.06 CA$26.78
$18.22 £13.69
4.61%
Cinema Ticket
$11.21 CA$15.75
$13.85 £10.41
-19.06%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Canada
United Kingdom
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$721 CA$1,013
$1,868 £1,404
-61.40%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.8K CA$20.9K
$22.6K £17.0K
-34.40%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Canada
United Kingdom
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.3 CA$77.7
$92.9 £69.8
-40.53%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.95 CA$54.7
$45.92 £34.51
-15.18%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$87.4 CA$123
$102 £76.4
-14.01%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$101 CA$142
$102 £76.8
-0.94%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Canada
United Kingdom
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,290 CA$1,813
$1,342 £1,009
-3.87%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,130 CA$1,588
$1,073 £807
5.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,036 CA$2,861
$2,231 £1,677
-8.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,731 CA$2,432
$1,742 £1,309
-0.64%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,769 CA$6,700
$5,601 £4,210
-14.86%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,730 CA$5,240
$4,265 £3,205
-12.55%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Canada
United Kingdom
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,070 CA$4,313
$3,349 £2,517
-8.35%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.87
5.32
-8.46%

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

Last update for Canada: October 26, 2026

Last update for the United Kingdom: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Canada
$1.1K
United Kingdom
$1.1K 5% $57
Groceries & Markets
Canada
$371
United Kingdom
$307 17.2% $64
Eating Out
Canada
$278
United Kingdom
$328 18% $50
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Canada
$249
United Kingdom
$389 56% $140
Clothing & Footwear
Canada
$127
United Kingdom
$154 21.1% $27
Getting Around
Canada
$93
United Kingdom
$140 50.8% $47
Sport & Entertainment
Canada
$61
United Kingdom
$70 14% $8.6

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,250 in Canada vs $1,287 in the United Kingdom. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,434 in Ottawa and $2,811 in London.

Average salary: $2,968 in Canada vs $3,251 in the United Kingdom. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Dining out costs 30% more in the United Kingdom.

Public transport is 53% more expensive in the United Kingdom.

Salaries are 10% higher in the United Kingdom.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Canada
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
🕒 Local time
05:26 5:26 AM
09:26 9:26 AM
4 h ahead of Canada
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
36,991,981
67,326,569
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.712 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.64 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.752 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.836 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Canada United Kingdom 5,360 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Canada
  • United Kingdom

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 United Kingdom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Canada more expensive than the United Kingdom?
Canada is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 6% lower on average.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Housing costs more in the United Kingdom: a central one-bedroom averages $1,287 versus $1,250 in Canada.
Should I move to Canada or to the United Kingdom?
Canada is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.

Canada vs other spots: cost of living compared

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