Cost of Living Comparison Between Sault Ste. Marie and Cambridge Cost of Living Comparison Between Sault Ste. Marie and Cambridge

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,126 in Sault Ste. Marie versus $2,462 in Cambridge.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,104 in Sault Ste. Marie versus $3,491 in Cambridge.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,082 in Sault Ste. Marie versus $4,520 in Cambridge.

Living in Sault Ste. Marie costs roughly 14% less than in Cambridge, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sault Ste. Marie 55% above, Cambridge 79% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.21 CA$23.81

$18.18 CA$25.16

-5.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.4 CA$102

$65.9 CA$91.1

11.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.49 CA$14.51

$10.14 CA$14.04

3.45%

Cappuccino

$3.65 CA$5.05

$3.51 CA$4.85

3.99%

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

$1.66 CA$2.30

$2.08 CA$2.87

-20.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 CA$1.95

$1.34 CA$1.86

5.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.75 CA$6.57

$5.55 CA$7.68

-14.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.14 CA$7.11

$6.45 CA$8.93

-20.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.49 CA$3.45

$2.11 CA$2.92

18.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 CA$2.87

$2.20 CA$3.05

-5.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 CA$4.61

$2.81 CA$3.89

18.51%

Eggs

$2.99 CA$4.14

$3.40 CA$4.71

-12.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.31 CA$11.51

$10.64 CA$14.73

-21.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.99 CA$13.83

$11.84 CA$16.39

-15.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.61 CA$14.69

$14.20 CA$19.64

-25.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 CA$4.37

$3.89 CA$5.39

-18.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 CA$1.39

$1.17 CA$1.63

-13.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 CA$4.32

$4.31 CA$5.97

-27.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.45 CA$4.78

$4.03 CA$5.58

-14.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 CA$2.89

$2.60 CA$3.60

-19.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.48

$1.95 CA$2.70

-8.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.74 CA$3.79

$2.26 CA$3.12

21.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 CA$1.76

$1.45 CA$2.01

-12.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.07 CA$22.23

$13.64 CA$18.87

17.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.71 CA$14.82

$12.41 CA$17.17

-13.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 CA$2.48

$2.46 CA$3.41

-27.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 CA$3.18

$4.17 CA$5.77

-44.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 CA$3.18

$2.52 CA$3.48

-8.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.8 CA$78.6

$65.7 CA$90.9

-13.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 CA$4.91

$2.47 CA$3.41

43.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 CA$3.32

$1.82 CA$2.52

31.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.67 CA$32.75

$23.15 CA$32.04

2.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 CA$1.45

$1.13 CA$1.56

-7.08%

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

$24.6K CA$34.1K

$26.8K CA$37.1K

-8.18%

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

$19.1K CA$26.4K

$19.7K CA$27.3K

-3.23%

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

$183 CA$253

$148 CA$205

23.65%

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

$45.85 CA$63.5

$39.84 CA$55.1

15.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.8 CA$109

$49.93 CA$69.1

57.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.2 CA$70.9

$28.61 CA$39.59

79.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.74 CA$24.54

Cinema Ticket

$11.63 CA$16.09

$10.53 CA$14.57

10.45%

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

$544 CA$752

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,053 CA$6,992

$16.6K CA$23.0K

-69.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.24 CA$64.0

$57.3 CA$79.3

-19.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.29 CA$50.2

$35.22 CA$48.74

3.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.5 CA$106

$74.1 CA$103

3.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 CA$168

$108 CA$149

12.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$906 CA$1,253

$1,377 CA$1,905

-34.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$952 CA$1,318

$1,331 CA$1,842

-28.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,330 CA$1,840

$2,583 CA$3,575

-48.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,512 CA$2,092

$2,076 CA$2,873

-27.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,863 CA$2,578

$4,291 CA$5,938

-56.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,654 CA$7,824

$3,884 CA$5,374

45.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,052 CA$4,223

$3,005 CA$4,159

1.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.53

5.09

8.64%

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

Last update for Sault Ste. Marie: August 29, 2026

Last update for Cambridge: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $906 in Sault Ste. Marie and $1,377 in Cambridge. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sault Ste. Marie pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $73.0 in Sault Ste. Marie vs $66.0 in Cambridge. Groceries flip the comparison at $300 vs $349, with Sault Ste. Marie cheaper for home cooking.

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

Sault Ste. Marie vs Cambridge: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sault Ste. Marie is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 2% higher in Sault Ste. Marie, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $906 in Sault Ste. Marie versus $1,377 in Cambridge. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Cambridge. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,126 per month in Sault Ste. Marie versus $2,462 in Cambridge – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,126 in Sault Ste. Marie versus $2,462 in Cambridge, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Sault Ste. Marie but tight or insufficient in Cambridge. The gap between the two cities makes Sault Ste. Marie the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Sault Ste. Marie gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Cambridge. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.