Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and Canada

Name: Canada
Address: CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Canada: $2,288 a month against $2,701 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

133

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index
111

Cost of Living Index in Canada
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Canada Living Index

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🇺🇸 United States

$2,701

/mo nomad

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,288

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United States and in Canada

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

A single person spends $2,701 per month in the United States vs $2,288 in Canada, rent included.

United States $2,701
Canada $2,288

A couple spends around $3,980 per month in the United States vs $3,318 in Canada, rent included.

United States $3,980
Canada $3,318

A family of three spends $5,258 per month in the United States vs $4,348 in Canada, rent included.

United States $5,258
Canada $4,348

The regional cost range is wider in the United States ($980–$5,162) than in Canada ($878–$3,623), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in the United States is about 18% higher than in Canada on average.

Both the United States and Canada are pricier than the global median – the United States by 100%, Canada by 69%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.92 $19.92

$17.44 CA$24.66

14.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.0 $81.0

$68.8 CA$97.3

17.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$10.70 CA$15.13

12.80%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$3.83 CA$5.42

44.91%

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

$2.67 $2.67

$2.03 CA$2.87

31.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.64 CA$2.32

27.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.96 $5.96

$5.43 CA$7.68

9.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.76 $7.76

$5.74 CA$8.12

35.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$2.14 CA$3.03

-50.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$2.64 CA$3.73

34.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$3.46 CA$4.89

34.10%

Eggs

$4.18 $4.18

$3.53 CA$5.00

18.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 $12.76

$10.70 CA$15.12

19.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.63 $12.63

$11.86 CA$16.77

6.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.22 $17.22

$14.84 CA$20.98

16.04%

Apples (1kg)

$5.15 $5.15

$4.04 CA$5.71

27.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.37 CA$1.94

19.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$3.72 CA$5.26

19.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$3.99 CA$5.65

24.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.84 $2.84

$2.63 CA$3.72

7.98%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.38 CA$3.36

29.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 $2.19

$2.51 CA$3.55

-12.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.75 CA$2.47

29.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.61 $10.61

$14.07 CA$19.90

-24.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.71 $14.71

$13.32 CA$18.83

10.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$2.86 CA$4.05

-26.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 $3.82

$3.16 CA$4.47

20.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.50 CA$3.53

-6.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.1 $64.1

$71.5 CA$101

-10.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 $3.57

$3.09 CA$4.38

15.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.43 CA$2.03

29.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.19 $30.19

$26.16 CA$36.98

15.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.18 CA$1.67

-9.32%

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

$35.3K $35.3K

$28.0K CA$39.6K

26.02%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$18.8K CA$26.6K

37.46%

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

$217 $217

$148 CA$210

45.87%

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

$61.4 $61.4

$42.44 CA$60.0

44.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.4 $74.4

$58.5 CA$82.7

27.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.08 $45.08

$40.65 CA$57.5

10.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.07 $23.07

$18.99 CA$26.84

21.48%

Cinema Ticket

$14.79 $14.79

$11.25 CA$15.90

31.47%

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

$1,480 $1,480

$753 CA$1,064

96.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.5K $25.5K

$14.3K CA$20.2K

78.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.0 $53.0

$52.5 CA$74.2

1.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$38.23 CA$54.0

11.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 $94.3

$87.8 CA$124

7.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$103 CA$146

11.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,236 CA$1,747

35.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,313 $1,313

$1,120 CA$1,583

17.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,649 $2,649

$1,996 CA$2,822

32.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,183 $2,183

$1,714 CA$2,423

27.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,374 $3,374

$4,503 CA$6,365

-25.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,661 $2,661

$3,888 CA$5,497

-31.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,404 $4,404

$2,921 CA$4,129

50.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

4.87

34.50%

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

Last update for the United States: October 10, 2026

Last update for Canada: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

United States

$1.3K 48.6%

Canada

$1.1K 48.9% 14.7% $193

Groceries & Markets

United States

$411 15.2%

Canada

$366 16% 10.9% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$352 13%

Canada

$249 10.9% 29.2% $103

Eating Out

United States

$327 12.1%

Canada

$271 11.9% 17% $56

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5.1%

Canada

$127 5.5% 7.8% $11

Getting Around

United States

$86 3.2%

Canada

$92 4% 6.4% $5.5

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$75 2.8%

Canada

$63 2.8% 15.4% $12

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,609 in the United States vs $1,199 in Canada. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,730 in Washington, DC and $1,473 in Ottawa.

Average salary: $4,533 in the United States vs $2,892 in Canada. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 34% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 19% more in the United States.

Public transport is 115% more expensive in Canada.

Salaries are 57% higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇺🇸 United States

🇨🇦 Canada

🕒 Local time

13:35 1:35 PM

Same time as the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

36,991,981

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

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United States Canada 1,450 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

United States
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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

United States vs Canada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Canada is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 18% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the United States: a central one-bedroom averages $1,609 versus $1,199 in Canada.

$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Canada, but in the United States it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Canada is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.