Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sault Ste. Marie and Cambridge

For one person, living is cheaper in Sault Ste. Marie: $2,059 a month against $2,466 in Cambridge, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

100

Cost of Living Index in Sault Ste. Marie
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Sault Ste. Marie Living Index
119

Cost of Living Index in Cambridge
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Cambridge Living Index

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Sault Ste. Marie

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Cambridge

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,466

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sault Ste. Marie and in Cambridge

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,059 in Sault Ste. Marie versus $2,466 in Cambridge.

Sault Ste. Marie $2,059
Cambridge $2,466

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,008 in Sault Ste. Marie versus $3,468 in Cambridge.

Sault Ste. Marie $3,008
Cambridge $3,468

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,956 in Sault Ste. Marie versus $4,471 in Cambridge.

Sault Ste. Marie $3,956
Cambridge $4,471

Living in Sault Ste. Marie costs roughly 16% less than in Cambridge, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sault Ste. Marie 52% above, Cambridge 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.17 CA$24.28

$17.84 CA$25.22

-3.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 CA$99.8

$57.6 CA$81.5

22.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.23 CA$14.46

$10.21 CA$14.44

0.20%

Cappuccino

$3.47 CA$4.90

$3.58 CA$5.06

-3.07%

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

$1.64 CA$2.32

$2.00 CA$2.83

-18.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 CA$1.91

$1.32 CA$1.86

2.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.68 CA$6.62

$5.08 CA$7.18

-7.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.00 CA$7.07

$6.38 CA$9.03

-21.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.42 CA$3.43

$2.04 CA$2.89

18.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 CA$3.02

$2.43 CA$3.44

-11.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.27 CA$4.63

$3.18 CA$4.49

2.83%

Eggs

$2.98 CA$4.22

$3.34 CA$4.72

-10.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 CA$11.76

$11.09 CA$15.68

-24.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 CA$14.10

$11.38 CA$16.09

-12.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.51 CA$14.86

$14.44 CA$20.42

-27.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$3.99 CA$5.64

-21.30%

Banana (1kg)

$0.99 CA$1.40

$1.21 CA$1.72

-18.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.06 CA$4.33

$3.93 CA$5.55

-22.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.54 CA$5.01

$3.70 CA$5.23

-4.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 CA$2.79

$2.63 CA$3.72

-25.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 CA$2.39

$1.94 CA$2.75

-12.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 CA$3.92

$2.05 CA$2.90

35.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 CA$1.79

$1.29 CA$1.82

-1.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.75 CA$22.26

$12.91 CA$18.25

22.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.67 CA$15.08

$12.49 CA$17.66

-14.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 CA$2.60

$2.66 CA$3.76

-30.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 CA$3.23

$3.99 CA$5.65

-42.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.24 CA$3.16

$2.49 CA$3.52

-10.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.5 CA$81.2

$64.6 CA$91.3

-11.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$2.51 CA$3.54

38.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.31 CA$3.26

$1.74 CA$2.45

32.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.97 CA$32.47

$22.92 CA$32.40

0.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 CA$1.52

$1.17 CA$1.65

-7.69%

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

$26.5K CA$37.5K

$26.6K CA$37.5K

-0.23%

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

$20.3K CA$28.6K

$20.6K CA$29.1K

-1.68%

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

$174 CA$246

$152 CA$215

14.33%

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

$44.36 CA$62.7

$41.25 CA$58.3

7.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.7 CA$108

$49.58 CA$70.1

54.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.3 CA$71.0

$29.12 CA$41.16

72.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.62 CA$24.90

Cinema Ticket

$11.18 CA$15.80

$10.42 CA$14.73

7.29%

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

$488 CA$690

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,984 CA$7,046

$15.9K CA$22.5K

-68.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.63 CA$64.5

$62.3 CA$88.1

-26.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.58 CA$50.3

$32.09 CA$45.37

10.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.8 CA$106

$82.1 CA$116

-8.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 CA$170

$107 CA$151

12.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$893 CA$1,262

$1,365 CA$1,929

-34.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$931 CA$1,316

$1,344 CA$1,900

-30.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,325 CA$1,873

$2,602 CA$3,678

-49.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,455 CA$2,057

$1,999 CA$2,826

-27.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,868 CA$2,640

$4,318 CA$6,104

-56.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,432 CA$7,679

$3,952 CA$5,587

37.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,049 CA$4,310

$3,091 CA$4,370

-1.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.53

5.22

5.94%

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

Last update for Sault Ste. Marie: October 20, 2026

Last update for Cambridge: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sault Ste. Marie

$931 45.2%

Cambridge

$1.3K 54.5% 44.4% $413

Groceries & Markets

Sault Ste. Marie

$299 14.5%

Cambridge

$347 14.1% 16.1% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sault Ste. Marie

$295 14.3%

Cambridge

$243 9.9% 17.6% $52

Eating Out

Sault Ste. Marie

$255 12.4%

Cambridge

$268 10.9% 5% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Sault Ste. Marie

$124 6%

Cambridge

$127 5.2% 2.5% $3.2

Getting Around

Sault Ste. Marie

$81 4%

Cambridge

$86 3.5% 5.4% $4.4

Sport & Entertainment

Sault Ste. Marie

$73 3.5%

Cambridge

$50 2% 31.2% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $893 in Sault Ste. Marie and $1,365 in Cambridge. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cambridge pays 1% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $71.0 in Sault Ste. Marie vs $58.0 in Cambridge. Groceries flip the comparison at $299 vs $347, with Sault Ste. Marie cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Sault Ste. Marie

🇨🇦 Cambridge

🕒 Local time

08:29 8:29 AM

Same time as Sault Ste. Marie

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

73,368

138,479

💱 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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Sault Ste. Marie Cambridge 470 km

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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, eating out, and clothing. The 20% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 1% lower in Cambridge. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $893 in Sault Ste. Marie versus $1,365 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 $2,059 per month in Sault Ste. Marie versus $2,466 in Cambridge – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,059 in Sault Ste. Marie versus $2,466 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 20% less than in Cambridge. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.