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: $2,002 in Sault Ste. Marie versus $2,479 in Cambridge.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,967 in Sault Ste. Marie versus $3,553 in Cambridge.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,931 in Sault Ste. Marie versus $4,628 in Cambridge.

Living in Sault Ste. Marie costs roughly 19% less than in Cambridge, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sault Ste. Marie 49% above, Cambridge 85% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.61 CA$23.10

$14.44 CA$20.08

15.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.2 CA$102

$65.4 CA$91.0

11.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 CA$13.85

$9.54 CA$13.27

4.40%

Cappuccino

$3.51 CA$4.88

$3.53 CA$4.91

-0.57%

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

$1.74 CA$2.42

$2.20 CA$3.06

-20.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 CA$1.86

$1.63 CA$2.27

-17.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.47 CA$6.22

$5.95 CA$8.27

-24.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.43 CA$7.55

$6.69 CA$9.31

-18.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.66 CA$3.70

$2.12 CA$2.95

25.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.32 CA$3.23

$2.23 CA$3.11

4.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.82 CA$5.31

$2.95 CA$4.10

29.49%

Eggs

$2.94 CA$4.09

$3.09 CA$4.29

-4.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.03 CA$12.56

$8.21 CA$11.41

9.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 CA$14.24

$11.67 CA$16.23

-12.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.61 CA$16.14

$13.97 CA$19.43

-16.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 CA$4.24

$3.78 CA$5.26

-19.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 CA$1.61

$1.20 CA$1.67

-3.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.06 CA$4.25

$3.71 CA$5.16

-17.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.59 CA$5.00

$3.72 CA$5.18

-3.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 CA$3.07

$2.70 CA$3.75

-18.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 CA$2.20

$2.49 CA$3.47

-36.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.74 CA$3.80

$2.14 CA$2.98

28.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 CA$2.26

$1.64 CA$2.28

-1.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.66 CA$16.22

$13.68 CA$19.03

-14.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.95 CA$15.23

$12.75 CA$17.73

-14.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 CA$2.63

$2.47 CA$3.44

-23.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 CA$3.44

$3.21 CA$4.47

-22.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 CA$3.37

$2.51 CA$3.49

-3.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.7 CA$81.6

$68.6 CA$95.4

-14.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 CA$5.01

$2.52 CA$3.51

42.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 CA$2.60

$1.74 CA$2.42

7.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.31 CA$33.81

$24.06 CA$33.46

1.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 CA$1.55

$1.14 CA$1.59

-2.63%

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

$24.7K CA$34.3K

$25.0K CA$34.7K

-1.26%

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

$20.0K CA$27.8K

$20.2K CA$28.1K

-0.97%

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

$167 CA$232

$154 CA$214

8.15%

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

$41.14 CA$57.2

$38.79 CA$54.0

6.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.1 CA$96.1

$55.2 CA$76.8

25.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.11 CA$46.05

$30.12 CA$41.89

9.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.38 CA$25.55

Cinema Ticket

$12.58 CA$17.50

$11.62 CA$16.16

8.26%

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

$510 CA$709

$561 CA$780

-9.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,122 CA$7,123

$10.1K CA$14.1K

-49.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.27 CA$65.7

$56.6 CA$78.7

-16.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.55 CA$50.8

$34.66 CA$48.20

5.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.2 CA$86.5

$70.3 CA$97.7

-11.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 CA$174

$111 CA$155

12.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 CA$1,253

$1,411 CA$1,963

-36.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$915 CA$1,272

$1,378 CA$1,916

-33.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,477 CA$2,054

$2,702 CA$3,757

-45.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,528 CA$2,125

$2,106 CA$2,929

-27.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,847 CA$2,569

$4,307 CA$5,990

-57.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,607 CA$7,797

$3,927 CA$5,461

42.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,036 CA$4,222

$2,989 CA$4,157

1.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

6.64

0.45%

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

Last update for Sault Ste. Marie: June 1, 2026

Last update for Cambridge: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $901 in Sault Ste. Marie and $1,411 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 $65.0 in Cambridge. Groceries flip the comparison at $319 vs $338, 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, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around. The 24% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Sault Ste. Marie pays 2% more on average, 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: $901 in Sault Ste. Marie versus $1,411 in Cambridge. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Cambridge. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Sault Ste. Marie – a meal for two runs $73.0 versus $65.0 in Cambridge. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,002 in Sault Ste. Marie versus $2,479 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 24% less than in Cambridge. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.