Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edmonton and Ottawa

For one person, living is cheaper in Edmonton: $2,181 a month against $2,416 in Ottawa, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Edmonton
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Edmonton Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Ottawa
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Ottawa Living Index

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Edmonton

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,181

/mo nomad

Ottawa

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,416

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Edmonton and in Ottawa

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Edmonton and in Ottawa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,181 per month in Edmonton vs $2,416 in Ottawa, rent included.

Edmonton $2,181
Ottawa $2,416

A couple spends around $3,217 per month in Edmonton vs $3,537 in Ottawa, rent included.

Edmonton $3,217
Ottawa $3,537

A family of three spends $4,252 per month in Edmonton vs $4,658 in Ottawa, rent included.

Edmonton $4,252
Ottawa $4,658

Edmonton is about 10% cheaper than Ottawa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Edmonton and Ottawa sit above the global median – Edmonton by 61%, Ottawa by 78%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 CA$28.58

$17.62 CA$24.91

14.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.4 CA$108

$78.6 CA$111

-2.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.87 CA$13.96

$10.61 CA$15.00

-6.97%

Cappuccino

$3.96 CA$5.60

$4.04 CA$5.71

-1.98%

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

$2.27 CA$3.22

$2.08 CA$2.94

9.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 CA$2.91

$1.75 CA$2.48

17.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 CA$8.28

$5.71 CA$8.08

2.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.48 CA$9.16

$6.47 CA$9.14

0.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 CA$2.29

$2.40 CA$3.39

-32.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.12 CA$3.00

$2.96 CA$4.19

-28.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.06 CA$4.32

$2.88 CA$4.07

6.25%

Eggs

$3.43 CA$4.85

$3.23 CA$4.57

6.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.74 CA$15.18

$11.51 CA$16.27

-6.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.21 CA$15.85

$11.61 CA$16.41

-3.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.92 CA$26.75

$19.02 CA$26.90

-0.53%

Apples (1kg)

$4.15 CA$5.86

$3.74 CA$5.29

10.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 CA$1.90

$1.27 CA$1.79

6.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.37 CA$6.18

$3.90 CA$5.52

12.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 CA$5.54

$3.61 CA$5.10

8.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 CA$3.09

$2.57 CA$3.64

-15.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 CA$2.60

$2.39 CA$3.38

-23.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 CA$3.43

$2.61 CA$3.69

-7.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 CA$2.57

$1.47 CA$2.08

23.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.23 CA$20.12

$14.45 CA$20.43

-1.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.33 CA$16.01

$12.47 CA$17.63

-9.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.54 CA$5.00

$2.61 CA$3.68

35.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 CA$4.05

$3.18 CA$4.50

-10.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.69 CA$3.80

$2.93 CA$4.14

-8.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.4 CA$101

$94.6 CA$134

-24.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 CA$4.04

$2.68 CA$3.79

6.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 CA$1.98

$1.53 CA$2.16

-8.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.46 CA$30.34

$19.08 CA$26.98

12.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 CA$1.63

$1.23 CA$1.74

-6.50%

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

$27.9K CA$39.4K

$27.6K CA$39.0K

1.13%

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

$20.5K CA$29.0K

$22.3K CA$31.5K

-7.96%

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

$233 CA$330

$139 CA$196

67.91%

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

$43.26 CA$61.2

$37.37 CA$52.8

15.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.0 CA$77.7

$51.1 CA$72.3

7.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.05 CA$65.1

$48.10 CA$68.0

-4.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.11 CA$25.60

$27.89 CA$39.43

-35.07%

Cinema Ticket

$12.46 CA$17.62

$12.68 CA$17.93

-1.74%

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

$757 CA$1,070

$928 CA$1,311

-18.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,641 CA$13.6K

$16.1K CA$22.7K

-39.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.56 CA$61.6

$57.3 CA$81.0

-23.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.08 CA$66.6

$37.28 CA$52.7

26.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.3 CA$123

$103 CA$146

-15.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.3 CA$135

$97.5 CA$138

-2.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,094 CA$1,546

$1,437 CA$2,031

-23.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$903 CA$1,276

$1,215 CA$1,717

-25.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,706 CA$2,412

$2,310 CA$3,266

-26.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,437 CA$2,031

$1,871 CA$2,645

-23.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,205 CA$3,117

$4,326 CA$6,115

-49.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,983 CA$2,803

$4,547 CA$6,428

-56.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,499 CA$4,947

$3,730 CA$5,274

-6.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.32

4.16

3.85%

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

Last update for Edmonton: October 18, 2026

Last update for Ottawa: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Edmonton

$903 41.4%

Ottawa

$1.2K 50.3% 34.5% $312

Groceries & Markets

Edmonton

$362 16.6%

Ottawa

$373 15.4% 2.9% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Edmonton

$332 15.2%

Ottawa

$227 9.4% 31.4% $104

Eating Out

Edmonton

$299 13.7%

Ottawa

$278 11.5% 6.8% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Edmonton

$123 5.6%

Ottawa

$133 5.5% 8% $9.9

Getting Around

Edmonton

$92 4.2%

Ottawa

$117 4.8% 26.7% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Edmonton

$71 3.3%

Ottawa

$73 3% 3.5% $2.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,094 in Edmonton versus $1,437 in Ottawa. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 7% higher in Ottawa, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76.0 in Edmonton versus $79.0 in Ottawa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $362 vs $373 – making Edmonton the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Edmonton

🇨🇦 Ottawa

🕒 Local time

13:39 1:39 PM

15:39 3:39 PM

2 h ahead of Edmonton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,010,899

1,000,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Edmonton Ottawa 2,840 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Edmonton
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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Edmonton vs Ottawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,181 in Edmonton, $2,416 in Ottawa – roughly 11% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,271 per month in Edmonton and $3,623 in Ottawa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Edmonton, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,181 in Edmonton and $2,416 in Ottawa. That's a gap of about 11%.

Public transport costs about 32% less in Edmonton. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Edmonton, where all-in costs run around $2,181, than in Ottawa at $2,416. In Edmonton it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ottawa it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Ottawa has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,181 in Edmonton to $2,416 in Ottawa. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Edmonton. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ottawa makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.