Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Canada and the United States

Name: United States
Address: US

For one person, living is cheaper in Canada: $2,288 a month against $2,701 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 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
133

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index

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🇨🇦 Canada

$2,288

/mo nomad

🇺🇸 United States

$2,701

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 States actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,288 per month in Canada vs $2,701 in the United States, rent included.

Canada $2,288
United States $2,701

A couple spends around $3,318 per month in Canada vs $3,980 in the United States, rent included.

Canada $3,318
United States $3,980

A family of three spends $4,348 per month in Canada vs $5,258 in the United States, rent included.

Canada $4,348
United States $5,258

The regional cost range is wider in the United States ($980–$5,162) than in Canada ($878–$3,623), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Canada is roughly 15% lower than in the United States on average.

Both Canada and the United States are pricier than the global median – Canada by 69%, the United States by 100%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.44 CA$24.66

$19.92 $19.92

-12.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.8 CA$97.3

$81.0 $81.0

-15.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.70 CA$15.13

$12.07 $12.07

-11.35%

Cappuccino

$3.83 CA$5.42

$5.55 $5.55

-30.99%

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

$2.03 CA$2.87

$2.67 $2.67

-23.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 CA$2.32

$2.09 $2.09

-21.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.43 CA$7.68

$5.96 $5.96

-8.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 CA$8.12

$7.76 $7.76

-26.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 CA$3.03

$1.05 $1.05

103.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 CA$3.73

$3.55 $3.55

-25.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.46 CA$4.89

$4.64 $4.64

-25.43%

Eggs

$3.53 CA$5.00

$4.18 $4.18

-15.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.70 CA$15.12

$12.76 $12.76

-16.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.86 CA$16.77

$12.63 $12.63

-6.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.84 CA$20.98

$17.22 $17.22

-13.82%

Apples (1kg)

$4.04 CA$5.71

$5.15 $5.15

-21.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 CA$1.94

$1.64 $1.64

-16.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.72 CA$5.26

$4.46 $4.46

-16.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 CA$5.65

$4.98 $4.98

-19.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 CA$3.72

$2.84 $2.84

-7.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 CA$3.36

$3.09 $3.09

-22.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 CA$3.55

$2.19 $2.19

14.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 CA$2.47

$2.27 $2.27

-22.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.07 CA$19.90

$10.61 $10.61

32.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.32 CA$18.83

$14.71 $14.71

-9.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 CA$4.05

$2.10 $2.10

36.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 CA$4.47

$3.82 $3.82

-17.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.50 CA$3.53

$2.35 $2.35

6.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.5 CA$101

$64.1 $64.1

11.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 CA$4.38

$3.57 $3.57

-13.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 CA$2.03

$1.85 $1.85

-22.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.16 CA$36.98

$30.19 $30.19

-13.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 CA$1.67

$1.07 $1.07

10.28%

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

$28.0K CA$39.6K

$35.3K $35.3K

-20.65%

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

$18.8K CA$26.6K

$25.9K $25.9K

-27.25%

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

$148 CA$210

$217 $217

-31.45%

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

$42.44 CA$60.0

$61.4 $61.4

-30.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.5 CA$82.7

$74.4 $74.4

-21.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.65 CA$57.5

$45.08 $45.08

-9.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.99 CA$26.84

$23.07 $23.07

-17.69%

Cinema Ticket

$11.25 CA$15.90

$14.79 $14.79

-23.94%

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

$753 CA$1,064

$1,480 $1,480

-49.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.3K CA$20.2K

$25.5K $25.5K

-43.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 CA$74.2

$53.0 $53.0

-1.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.23 CA$54.0

$42.75 $42.75

-10.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.8 CA$124

$94.3 $94.3

-6.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 CA$146

$115 $115

-10.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 CA$1,747

$1,678 $1,678

-26.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,120 CA$1,583

$1,313 $1,313

-14.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,996 CA$2,822

$2,649 $2,649

-24.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,714 CA$2,423

$2,183 $2,183

-21.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,503 CA$6,365

$3,374 $3,374

33.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,888 CA$5,497

$2,661 $2,661

46.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,921 CA$4,129

$4,404 $4,404

-33.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.87

6.55

-25.65%

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

Last update for Canada: October 13, 2026

Last update for the United States: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Canada

$1.1K 48.9%

United States

$1.3K 48.6% 17.3% $193

Groceries & Markets

Canada

$366 16%

United States

$411 15.2% 12.3% $45

Eating Out

Canada

$271 11.9%

United States

$327 12.1% 20.5% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Canada

$249 10.9%

United States

$352 13% 41.3% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Canada

$127 5.5%

United States

$137 5.1% 8.5% $11

Getting Around

Canada

$92 4%

United States

$86 3.2% 6% $5.5

Sport & Entertainment

Canada

$63 2.8%

United States

$75 2.8% 18.2% $12

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,199 in Canada vs $1,609 in the United States. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,473 in Ottawa and $2,730 in Washington, DC.

Average salary: $2,892 in Canada vs $4,533 in the United States. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 34% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 19% more in the United States.

Public transport is 115% more expensive in Canada.

Salaries are 57% higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Canada

🇺🇸 United States

🕒 Local time

11:24 11:24 AM

Same time as Canada

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,991,981

340,110,988

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Between locations

Canada United States 1,450 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Canada
United States

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 States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Canada is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 18% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the United States: a central one-bedroom averages $1,609 versus $1,199 in Canada.

$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Canada, but in the United States it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Canada 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.