Cost of Living Comparison Between Sudbury and Fort St John, BC Cost of Living Comparison Between Sudbury and Fort St John, BC

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,260 in Sudbury versus $1,728 in Fort St John, BC.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,360 in Sudbury versus $2,737 in Fort St John, BC.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,461 in Sudbury versus $3,746 in Fort St John, BC.

Living in Sudbury is roughly 31% more expensive than Fort St John, BC, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sudbury 69% above, Fort St John, BC 29% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.54 CA$25.67

$13.80 CA$19.10

34.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.2 CA$80.6

$44.90 CA$62.2

29.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.55 CA$17.38

$9.53 CA$13.20

31.69%

Cappuccino

$3.37 CA$4.66

$4.31 CA$5.97

-21.81%

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

$1.89 CA$2.62

$1.85 CA$2.57

2.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 CA$2.37

$1.25 CA$1.73

36.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.39 CA$7.46

$6.35 CA$8.79

-15.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.86 CA$8.11

$5.60 CA$7.76

4.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 CA$2.77

$2.35 CA$3.25

-14.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 CA$2.73

$3.29 CA$4.55

-40.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.99 CA$5.52

$3.94 CA$5.45

1.27%

Eggs

$3.04 CA$4.20

$3.86 CA$5.35

-21.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.69 CA$17.57

$6.57 CA$9.10

93.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.24 CA$22.49

$12.13 CA$16.79

33.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.73 CA$17.62

$19.41 CA$26.87

-34.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.59 CA$4.97

$5.22 CA$7.23

-31.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 CA$1.85

$0.68 CA$0.94

95.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.06 CA$4.23

$3.85 CA$5.33

-20.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.65 CA$6.44

$3.75 CA$5.19

24.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 CA$2.31

$5.22 CA$7.23

-68.01%

Onion (1kg)

$3.10 CA$4.29

$2.90 CA$4.02

6.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 CA$2.87

$2.51 CA$3.47

-17.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 CA$3.84

$2.25 CA$3.11

23.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.01 CA$16.63

$14.68 CA$20.33

-18.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.73 CA$20.39

$21.27 CA$29.44

-30.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 CA$3.36

$2.95 CA$4.08

-17.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 CA$2.91

$3.02 CA$4.18

-30.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.89 CA$4.01

$1.45 CA$2.00

99.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.4 CA$102

$29.49 CA$40.84

148.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.39 CA$4.70

$7.24 CA$10.03

-53.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 CA$2.99

$1.02 CA$1.41

111.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.85 CA$48.26

$26.28 CA$36.38

32.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 CA$1.59

$1.26 CA$1.75

-8.73%

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

$25.5K CA$35.3K

$25.2K CA$34.9K

1.07%

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

$20.7K CA$28.7K

$20.5K CA$28.4K

1.12%

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

$107 CA$148

$86.3 CA$119

23.59%

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

$48.88 CA$67.7

$104 CA$144

-53.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.0 CA$107

$65.1 CA$90.1

18.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.34 CA$68.3

$55.9 CA$77.3

-11.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.51 CA$20.09

Cinema Ticket

$11.13 CA$15.41

$10.91 CA$15.10

2.02%

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

$739 CA$1,023

$745 CA$1,032

-0.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,919 CA$12.3K

$11.6K CA$16.1K

-23.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.2 CA$87.5

$74.3 CA$103

-14.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.15 CA$55.6

$48.13 CA$66.6

-16.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 CA$144

$84.7 CA$117

22.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 CA$161

$145 CA$201

-19.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,066 CA$1,476

$589 CA$815

81.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 CA$1,434

$552 CA$765

87.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 CA$2,371

$1,302 CA$1,803

31.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,722 CA$2,384

$1,125 CA$1,557

53.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,705 CA$3,745

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,912 CA$2,648

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,005 CA$4,161

$3,124 CA$4,325

-3.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

7.45

-11.54%

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

Last update for Sudbury: May 30, 2026

Last update for Fort St John, BC: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,066 in Sudbury and $589 in Fort St John, BC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort St John, BC pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $58.0 in Sudbury vs $45.00 in Fort St John, BC. Groceries flip the comparison at $385 vs $412, with Sudbury 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

Sudbury vs Fort St John, BC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fort St John, BC is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Getting Around. The 31% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Fort St John, BC earns 4% less. 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: $1,066 in Sudbury versus $589 in Fort St John, BC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Fort St John, BC – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $58.0 in Sudbury. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,260 per month in Sudbury versus $1,728 in Fort St John, BC – a 31% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,728 in Fort St John, BC versus $2,260 in Sudbury, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Fort St John, BC but tight or insufficient in Sudbury. The gap between the two cities makes Fort St John, BC 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 Fort St John, BC gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Sudbury. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.