Cost of Living Comparison Between Leicester and Cold Lake Cost of Living Comparison Between Leicester and Cold Lake

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,236 per month in Leicester vs $1,932 in Cold Lake, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,128 per month in Leicester vs $2,895 in Cold Lake, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,020 per month in Leicester vs $3,859 in Cold Lake, rent included.

Leicester costs about 16% more than Cold Lake, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Leicester and Cold Lake sit above the global median – Leicester by 63%, Cold Lake by 41%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.41 £16.63

$20.15 CA$27.90

11.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.8 £51.1

$59.8 CA$82.8

15.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.45 £7.01

$10.06 CA$13.93

-6.06%

Cappuccino

$4.94 £3.66

$3.87 CA$5.36

27.65%

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

$2.25 £1.67

$2.22 CA$3.07

1.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 £1.00

$1.41 CA$1.95

-4.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.82 £5.06

$5.72 CA$7.91

19.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.52 £4.09

$6.63 CA$9.18

-16.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 £1.26

$1.16 CA$1.60

45.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 £1.18

$2.26 CA$3.13

-30.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 £1.63

$3.05 CA$4.23

-27.87%

Eggs

$4.12 £3.06

$3.16 CA$4.37

30.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 £7.48

$11.18 CA$15.48

-9.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.79 £6.52

$11.68 CA$16.17

-24.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.58 £10.81

$18.75 CA$25.95

-22.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 £2.20

$3.57 CA$4.94

-16.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 £1.12

$1.13 CA$1.56

34.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.64 £1.96

$2.86 CA$3.96

-7.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.57 £2.65

$2.62 CA$3.63

36.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 £1.15

$2.24 CA$3.10

-30.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 £1.16

$1.05 CA$1.46

48.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 £0.88

$2.49 CA$3.45

-52.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 £1.14

$1.84 CA$2.54

-16.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.29 £15.79

$12.01 CA$16.63

77.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.07 £8.21

$11.71 CA$16.22

-5.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 £1.97

$3.57 CA$4.94

-25.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 £2.51

$3.02 CA$4.18

11.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.15 £3.08

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$100 £74.3

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 £3.89

$3.03 CA$4.20

73.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 CA$1.97

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.96 CA$30.40

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 £1.56

$1.04 CA$1.44

102.88%

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

$39.0K £28.9K

$28.3K CA$39.1K

38.02%

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

$42.0K £31.1K

$20.1K CA$27.8K

108.87%

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

$318 £236

$231 CA$320

37.42%

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

$16.74 £12.41

$41.34 CA$57.2

-59.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.22 £32.80

$55.6 CA$77.0

-20.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.57 £23.42

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.35 £19.55

Cinema Ticket

$12.32 £9.13

$13.37 CA$18.51

-7.85%

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

$1,261 £935

$777 CA$1,076

62.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.3K £20.3K

$9,577 CA$13.3K

185.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.1 £61.6

$29.08 CA$40.27

185.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.71 £31.68

$35.70 CA$49.43

19.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 £79.6

$54.6 CA$75.7

96.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 £79.8

$91.5 CA$127

17.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 £754

$898 CA$1,244

13.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$878 £651

$861 CA$1,192

1.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,820 £1,350

$1,583 CA$2,192

14.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,247 £925

$1,454 CA$2,013

-14.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,184 £3,845

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,505 £2,600

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,848 £2,113

$3,099 CA$4,291

-8.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.32

23.38%

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

Last update for Leicester: August 30, 2026

Last update for Cold Lake: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,016 in Leicester versus $898 in Cold Lake. 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 9% higher in Cold Lake, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Leicester versus $60.0 in Cold Lake. Groceries tell a different story – $302 in Leicester vs $344 in Cold Lake – so Leicester wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Leicester vs Cold Lake: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Leicester is pricier by about 16%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,354 per month in Leicester and $2,897 in Cold Lake. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cold Lake, 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 $2,236 in Leicester and $1,932 in Cold Lake. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $1,261 per month in Leicester and $777 in Cold Lake. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Cold Lake, where all-in costs run around $1,932, than in Leicester at $2,236. In Cold Lake it covers expenses comfortably, while in Leicester it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cold Lake – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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