Cost of Living Comparison Between Windsor and Preston Cost of Living Comparison Between Windsor and Preston

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,353 in Windsor versus $2,190 in Preston.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,159 in Windsor versus $3,180 in Preston.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,964 in Windsor versus $4,170 in Preston.

Living in Windsor is roughly 7% more expensive than in Preston, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Windsor 71% above, Preston 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.34 CA$19.77

$17.05 £12.61

-15.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.2 CA$91.3

$72.5 £53.6

-8.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 CA$14.68

$8.79 £6.50

21.05%

Cappuccino

$3.69 CA$5.09

$4.26 £3.15

-13.38%

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

$2.62 CA$3.61

$2.30 £1.70

13.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 CA$2.55

$1.41 £1.04

31.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.98 CA$6.87

$5.39 £3.98

-7.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.96 CA$8.22

$5.32 £3.93

12.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 CA$2.54

$1.53 £1.13

20.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 CA$2.95

$1.52 £1.12

40.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.11 CA$4.29

$1.72 £1.27

80.81%

Eggs

$3.02 CA$4.16

$3.64 £2.69

-17.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.21 CA$14.09

$5.47 £4.05

86.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 CA$14.41

$9.23 £6.82

13.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.28 CA$19.70

$13.21 £9.76

8.10%

Apples (1kg)

$4.03 CA$5.56

$2.66 £1.96

51.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.00 CA$1.38

$1.72 £1.27

-41.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.11 CA$4.29

$2.53 £1.87

22.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.67 CA$5.06

$3.94 £2.91

-6.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 CA$2.70

$2.00 £1.48

-2.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 CA$2.97

$2.40 £1.78

-10.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 CA$3.11

$1.20 £0.88

87.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 CA$1.84

$1.66 £1.22

-19.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.23 CA$18.25

$21.29 £15.74

-37.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.88 CA$16.39

$9.59 £7.09

23.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 CA$2.60

$3.21 £2.37

-41.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 CA$4.60

$3.47 £2.56

-3.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.70 CA$3.72

$3.98 £2.94

-32.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.2 CA$123

$101 £74.6

-11.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.41 CA$3.32

$2.67 £1.97

-9.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 CA$1.41

$2.09 £1.54

-50.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.64 CA$20.18

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 CA$1.70

$1.96 £1.45

-37.24%

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

$28.3K CA$39.0K

$39.1K £28.9K

-27.58%

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

$19.2K CA$26.5K

$42.1K £31.2K

-54.34%

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

$186 CA$256

$430 £318

-56.83%

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

$39.67 CA$54.7

$15.76 £11.65

151.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.2 CA$78.9

$45.69 £33.78

25.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.19 CA$62.3

$41.11 £30.39

9.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.71 CA$39.59

$16.75 £12.38

71.40%

Cinema Ticket

$10.89 CA$15.01

$17.48 £12.92

-37.70%

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

$511 CA$705

$1,590 £1,175

-67.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,298 CA$5,926

$8,820 £6,520

-51.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.44 CA$61.3

$76.4 £56.4

-41.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.29 CA$47.29

$27.43 £20.28

25.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 CA$112

$66.5 £49.14

21.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.9 CA$116

$67.6 £49.93

24.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,182 CA$1,630

$1,003 £742

17.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 CA$1,664

$819 £605

47.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,791 CA$2,470

$1,906 £1,409

-6.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,544 CA$2,129

$1,475 £1,091

4.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,021 CA$4,166

$3,363 £2,486

-10.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,018 CA$4,162

$2,373 £1,754

27.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,078 CA$4,244

$3,075 £2,273

0.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.71

4.93

-4.46%

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

Last update for Windsor: August 31, 2026

Last update for Preston: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,182 in Windsor and $1,003 in Preston. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Windsor pays 0% 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: $66.0 in Windsor vs $72.0 in Preston. Groceries flip the comparison at $322 vs $285, with Preston 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

Windsor vs Preston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Preston is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 0% higher in Windsor, 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: $1,182 in Windsor versus $1,003 in Preston. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,353 per month in Windsor versus $2,190 in Preston – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Preston runs roughly 13% less than in Windsor. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,190 in Preston versus $2,353 in Windsor, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Preston but tight or insufficient in Windsor. The gap between the two cities makes Preston 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 Preston gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Windsor. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.