For one person, living is cheaper in Cuba: $1,273 a month against $2,310 in Canada, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cuba and in Canada actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $1,273 per month in Cuba vs $2,310 in Canada, rent included.
Cuba $1,273
Canada $2,310
A couple spends around $1,737 per month in Cuba vs $3,356 in Canada, rent included.
Cuba $1,737
Canada $3,356
A family of three spends $2,201 per month in Cuba vs $4,403 in Canada, rent included.
Cuba $2,201
Canada $4,403
📏
The regional cost range is wider in Canada ($889–$3,737) than in Cuba ($185–$1,570), so city choice matters more there.
🌍
The cost of living in Cuba is roughly 45% lower than in Canada on average.
📊
Cuba sits 6% below the global median, while Canada is 70% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Cuba
Canada
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.18CUP 148
$18.16CA$25.52
-65.97%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.62CUP 591
$71.2CA$100
-65.43%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$6.65CUP 160
$10.81CA$15.19
-38.48%
Cappuccino
$1.71CUP 40.99
$3.78CA$5.31
-54.76%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.82CUP 43.65
$2.11CA$2.97
-13.74%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.10CUP 26.46
$1.66CA$2.33
-33.73%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.04CUP 48.93
$5.62CA$7.89
-63.70%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.43CUP 58.3
$5.72CA$8.04
-57.52%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cuba
Canada
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$2.69CUP 64.6
$2.17CA$3.06
23.96%
White Bread(500g)
$1.20CUP 28.83
$2.60CA$3.66
-53.85%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.98CUP 47.56
$3.65CA$5.13
-45.75%
Eggs
$3.41CUP 81.9
$3.63CA$5.10
-6.06%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$5.86CUP 141
$10.76CA$15.12
-45.54%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$5.11CUP 123
$11.90CA$16.72
-57.06%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$11.44CUP 275
$15.42CA$21.67
-25.81%
Apples(1kg)
$4.19CUP 101
$4.03CA$5.66
3.97%
Banana(1kg)
$1.16CUP 27.86
$1.38CA$1.95
-15.94%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.78CUP 42.63
$3.88CA$5.44
-54.12%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.88CUP 45.08
$4.08CA$5.74
-53.92%
Potato(1kg)
$1.88CUP 45.17
$2.57CA$3.61
-26.85%
Onion(1kg)
$2.55CUP 61.2
$2.48CA$3.48
2.82%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.96CUP 23.14
$2.65CA$3.72
-63.77%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.94CUP 22.52
$1.71CA$2.41
-45.03%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$3.20CUP 76.8
$14.32CA$20.12
-77.65%
Wine(Bottle)
$9.55CUP 229
$13.49CA$18.95
-29.21%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.79CUP 42.86
$2.84CA$3.99
-36.97%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.10CUP 50.4
$3.30CA$4.64
-36.36%
🚌 Getting Around
Cuba
Canada
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.17CUP 4.17
$2.55CA$3.59
-93.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$19.66CUP 472
$71.9CA$101
-72.67%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$2.31CUP 55.4
$3.18CA$4.47
-27.36%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.38CUP 9.16
$1.54CA$2.16
-75.32%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$19.70CUP 473
$26.69CA$37.50
-26.19%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.29CUP 31.08
$1.24CA$1.75
4.03%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$70.7KCUP 1.7M
$27.9KCA$39.2K
153.60%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$73.0KCUP 1.8M
$21.1KCA$29.6K
246.40%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cuba
Canada
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$36.43CUP 874
$147CA$207
-75.28%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$34.75CUP 834
$41.80CA$58.7
-16.87%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$225CUP 5,403
$60.2CA$84.6
273.86%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cuba
Canada
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$39.62CUP 951
$39.01CA$54.8
1.56%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.71CUP 305
$19.06CA$26.78
-33.32%
Cinema Ticket
$1.02CUP 24.57
$11.21CA$15.75
-90.90%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cuba
Canada
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$115CUP 2,767
$721CA$1,013
-84.01%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$13.5KCUP 323.1K
$14.8KCA$20.9K
-9.32%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cuba
Canada
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$42.90CUP 1,030
$55.3CA$77.7
-22.38%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.23CUP 845
$38.95CA$54.7
-9.55%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$71.7CUP 1,720
$87.4CA$123
-17.98%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.0CUP 1,704
$101CA$142
-29.92%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cuba
Canada
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$332CUP 7,972
$1,290CA$1,813
-74.26%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$454CUP 10.9K
$1,130CA$1,588
-59.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$876CUP 21.0K
$2,036CA$2,861
-56.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$589CUP 14.1K
$1,731CA$2,432
-65.97%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$355CUP 8,524
$4,769CA$6,700
-92.55%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$335CUP 8,044
$3,730CA$5,240
-91.01%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cuba
Canada
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$35.80CUP 859
$3,070CA$4,313
-98.83%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
9.38
4.87
92.61%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Cuba: October 27, 2026
Last update for Canada: October 26, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Cuba
$454 35.7%
Canada
$1.1K 48.9% ↑ 149%$676
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cuba
$296 23.3%
Canada
$249 10.8% ↓ 15.8%$47
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cuba
$240 18.9%
Canada
$371 16.1% ↑ 54.2%$130
🍽Eating Out
Cuba
$117 9.2%
Canada
$278 12% ↑ 138%$161
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cuba
$99 7.8%
Canada
$127 5.5% ↑ 28.1%$28
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cuba
$42 3.3%
Canada
$61 2.7% ↑ 47.4%$20
🚌Getting Around
Cuba
$25 1.9%
Canada
$93 4% ↑ 279%$68
🏠Accommodation & Living
Cuba
$589 26.8%
Canada
$1.7K 39.3% ↑ 194%$1.1K
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cuba
$331 15%
Canada
$291 6.6% ↓ 12%$40
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cuba
$562 25.5%
Canada
$847 19.2% ↑ 50.7%$285
🍽Eating Out
Cuba
$352 16%
Canada
$918 20.9% ↑ 161%$566
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cuba
$221 10%
Canada
$283 6.4% ↑ 28.1%$62
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cuba
$96 4.4%
Canada
$142 3.2% ↑ 47.8%$46
🚌Getting Around
Cuba
$49 2.3%
Canada
$191 4.3% ↑ 286%$142
Cost Breakdown
🏠Average rent: $380 in Cuba vs $1,250 in Canada. For reference, capital cities sit at $243 in Havana and $1,434 in Ottawa.
💰Average salary: $37 in Cuba vs $2,968 in Canada. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 229% higher in Canada.
⭐Dining out costs 129% more in Canada.
⭐Public transport is 187% more expensive in Canada.
⭐Salaries are about 80 times higher in Canada, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Canada.
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
Cuba vs Canada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Canada more expensive than Cuba?
Cuba is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 45% lower on average.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Housing costs more in Canada: a central one-bedroom averages $1,250 versus $380 in Cuba.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Cuba, adding to the overall 81% price gap.
Should I move to Canada or to Cuba?
Cuba is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.