Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Fort St John, BC: $1,949 a month against $2,450 in Sudbury, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Sudbury outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

119

Cost of Living Index in Sudbury
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Sudbury Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in Fort St John, BC
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Fort St John, BC Living Index

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Sudbury

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,450

/mo nomad

Fort St John, BC

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,949

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sudbury and in Fort St John, BC

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Sudbury and in Fort St John, BC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,450 in Sudbury versus $1,949 in Fort St John, BC.

Sudbury $2,450
Fort St John, BC $1,949

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,584 in Sudbury versus $3,002 in Fort St John, BC.

Sudbury $3,584
Fort St John, BC $3,002

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,719 in Sudbury versus $4,055 in Fort St John, BC.

Sudbury $4,719
Fort St John, BC $4,055

Living in Sudbury is roughly 26% more expensive than in Fort St John, BC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sudbury 81% above, Fort St John, BC 44% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.46 CA$24.68

$17.70 CA$25.02

-1.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.0 CA$102

$42.02 CA$59.4

71.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 CA$14.73

$9.35 CA$13.22

11.44%

Cappuccino

$2.97 CA$4.20

$3.89 CA$5.49

-23.65%

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

$2.03 CA$2.87

$1.82 CA$2.58

11.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 CA$2.41

$1.22 CA$1.73

39.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.62 CA$7.95

$6.19 CA$8.75

-9.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.71 CA$9.48

$4.51 CA$6.38

48.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 CA$3.45

$3.34 CA$4.72

-26.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.06 CA$2.91

$2.79 CA$3.94

-26.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.50 CA$6.36

$3.66 CA$5.17

22.95%

Eggs

$3.86 CA$5.45

$4.18 CA$5.90

-7.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.94 CA$15.47

$12.02 CA$16.99

-8.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.65 CA$19.30

$13.69 CA$19.36

-0.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.65 CA$17.89

$18.57 CA$26.26

-31.88%

Apples (1kg)

$4.40 CA$6.22

$5.73 CA$8.10

-23.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 CA$1.76

$0.73 CA$1.03

71.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.82 CA$5.40

$3.77 CA$5.33

1.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.98 CA$5.63

$3.61 CA$5.11

10.25%

Potato (1kg)

$4.03 CA$5.70

$2.82 CA$3.98

42.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.80

$2.76 CA$3.90

-2.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 CA$2.73

$2.14 CA$3.03

-9.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 CA$3.04

$2.52 CA$3.57

-14.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.06 CA$19.88

$14.36 CA$20.29

-2.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.14 CA$19.99

$21.42 CA$30.29

-33.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 CA$4.43

$4.85 CA$6.85

-35.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$5.60 CA$7.91

-49.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.86 CA$4.04

$1.44 CA$2.03

98.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.7 CA$99.9

$28.86 CA$40.80

144.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 CA$4.55

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.29 CA$3.23

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.16 CA$38.39

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 CA$1.62

$1.25 CA$1.76

-8.00%

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

$27.7K CA$39.1K

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

$21.0K CA$29.7K

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

$176 CA$249

$126 CA$178

40.30%

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

$51.9 CA$73.3

$101 CA$142

-48.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.4 CA$102

$61.0 CA$86.2

18.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.2 CA$82.2

$13.48 CA$19.06

331.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.08 CA$19.91

Cinema Ticket

$11.67 CA$16.49

$10.56 CA$14.94

10.51%

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

$523 CA$739

$697 CA$985

-24.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,628 CA$12.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.0 CA$79.2

$71.2 CA$101

-21.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.24 CA$45.58

$47.43 CA$67.0

-32.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 CA$146

$105 CA$148

-1.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 CA$206

$143 CA$202

1.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,366 CA$1,931

$733 CA$1,036

86.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,174 CA$1,659

$709 CA$1,002

65.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,944 CA$2,748

$1,542 CA$2,180

26.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,891 CA$2,674

$1,394 CA$1,971

35.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,651 CA$3,748

$1,291 CA$1,824

105.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,922 CA$2,717

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,026 CA$4,278

$3,094 CA$4,374

-2.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.01

6.1

-17.87%

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

Last update for Sudbury: October 19, 2026

Last update for Fort St John, BC: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sudbury

$1.2K 47.9%

Fort St John, BC

$709 36.4% 39.6% $465

Groceries & Markets

Sudbury

$383 15.6%

Fort St John, BC

$450 23.1% 17.6% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sudbury

$301 12.3%

Fort St John, BC

$287 14.7% 4.5% $13

Eating Out

Sudbury

$263 10.7%

Fort St John, BC

$268 13.8% 2.1% $5.4

Clothing & Footwear

Sudbury

$152 6.2%

Fort St John, BC

$165 8.5% 8.7% $13

Getting Around

Sudbury

$97 4%

Fort St John, BC

$35 * 1.8% 64.2% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Sudbury

$82 3.3%

Fort St John, BC

$35 1.8% 57.5% $47

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,366 in Sudbury and $733 in Fort St John, BC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort St John, BC 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: $72.0 in Sudbury vs $42.00 in Fort St John, BC. Groceries flip the comparison at $383 vs $450, with Sudbury cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Sudbury

🇨🇦 Fort St John, BC

🕒 Local time

07:39 7:39 AM

04:39 4:39 AM

3 h behind Sudbury

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

161,531

18,609

💱 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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Sudbury Fort St John, BC 2,920 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Sudbury
Fort St John, BC

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 transport and leisure. The 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 2% lower in Fort St John, BC. 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: $1,366 in Sudbury versus $733 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 $42.00 versus $72.0 in Sudbury. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,450 per month in Sudbury versus $1,949 in Fort St John, BC – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,949 in Fort St John, BC versus $2,450 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 26% less than in Sudbury. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.