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: $2,389 in Windsor versus $2,101 in Preston.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,392 in Windsor versus $3,213 in Preston.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,395 in Windsor versus $4,324 in Preston.

Living in Windsor is roughly 14% more expensive than Preston, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Windsor 78% above, Preston 57% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.23 CA$15.55

$16.62 £12.36

-32.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.2 CA$103

$74.7 £55.5

-0.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.18 CA$15.48

$8.54 £6.35

30.91%

Cappuccino

$4.17 CA$5.77

$4.32 £3.21

-3.47%

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

$2.09 CA$2.89

$2.08 £1.54

0.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.60

$1.55 £1.15

21.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.11 CA$7.08

$5.37 £3.99

-4.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.28 CA$8.69

$5.47 £4.07

14.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 CA$2.56

$1.61 £1.20

14.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.17 CA$3.00

$1.46 £1.09

48.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.95 CA$5.47

$1.73 £1.29

128.32%

Eggs

$3.18 CA$4.40

$3.82 £2.84

-16.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.73 CA$14.85

$10.35 £7.69

3.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.86 CA$15.04

$8.25 £6.13

31.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.88 CA$19.22

$17.47 £12.99

-20.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.93 CA$5.44

$2.79 £2.07

40.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 CA$1.43

$1.97 £1.46

-47.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.34 CA$4.62

$3.04 £2.26

9.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 CA$5.31

$3.80 £2.83

1.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 CA$2.69

$1.65 £1.23

18.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 CA$2.83

$2.07 £1.54

-0.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.24

$1.02 £0.76

129.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 CA$2.09

$1.79 £1.33

-15.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.11 CA$18.15

$18.20 £13.53

-27.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.66 CA$16.14

$9.61 £7.14

21.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 CA$4.02

$2.75 £2.04

5.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 CA$3.92

$1.94 £1.44

45.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.74 CA$3.79

$2.65 £1.97

3.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.8 CA$126

$118 £87.4

-22.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 CA$4.63

$2.65 £1.97

26.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 CA$1.93

$1.57 £1.17

-11.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.27 CA$30.84

$16.34 £12.15

36.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 CA$1.52

$1.88 £1.39

-41.49%

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

$24.9K CA$34.5K

$38.9K £29.0K

-36.06%

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

$24.7K CA$34.2K

$40.9K £30.4K

-39.48%

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

$202 CA$279

$291 £217

-30.75%

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

$54.2 CA$75.1

$16.08 £11.95

237.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.8 CA$84.1

$42.76 £31.78

42.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.96 CA$63.6

$42.70 £31.74

7.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.00 CA$36.00

$16.87 £12.54

54.12%

Cinema Ticket

$10.06 CA$13.93

$13.14 £9.77

-23.44%

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

$512 CA$709

$1,292 £961

-60.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,450 CA$6,161

$8,783 £6,528

-49.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.34 CA$51.7

$80.3 £59.7

-53.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.19 CA$48.72

$43.79 £32.55

-19.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.5 CA$114

$75.9 £56.4

8.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.5 CA$110

$68.7 £51.1

15.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 CA$1,700

$1,031 £766

19.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,270 CA$1,759

$867 £644

46.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,742 CA$2,413

$2,006 £1,491

-13.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,858 CA$2,572

$1,686 £1,253

10.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,012 CA$4,170

$3,371 £2,506

-10.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,085 CA$4,271

$2,433 £1,809

26.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,047 CA$4,219

$3,419 £2,541

-10.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.66

5.57

19.57%

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

Last update for Windsor: May 31, 2026

Last update for Preston: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,228 in Windsor and $1,031 in Preston. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Preston pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $74.0 in Windsor vs $75.0 in Preston. Groceries flip the comparison at $336 vs $306, 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Preston earns 12% 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: $1,228 in Windsor versus $1,031 in Preston. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,389 per month in Windsor versus $2,101 in Preston – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Preston runs roughly 30% less than in Windsor. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,101 in Preston versus $2,389 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 14% less than in Windsor. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.