Cost of Living Comparison Between Winnipeg and Burnaby Cost of Living Comparison Between Winnipeg and Burnaby

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,196 in Winnipeg versus $2,777 in Burnaby.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,175 in Winnipeg versus $4,049 in Burnaby.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,154 in Winnipeg versus $5,321 in Burnaby.

Living in Winnipeg costs roughly 21% less than in Burnaby, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Winnipeg 64% above, Burnaby 108% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.51 CA$23.23

$14.84 CA$20.88

11.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.9 CA$92.7

$74.8 CA$105

-11.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.00 CA$15.48

$9.25 CA$13.02

18.92%

Cappuccino

$3.88 CA$5.45

$4.24 CA$5.97

-8.49%

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

$2.32 CA$3.26

$1.80 CA$2.53

28.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 CA$2.50

$1.34 CA$1.89

32.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.22 CA$7.34

$5.95 CA$8.37

-12.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.69 CA$9.42

$5.67 CA$7.98

17.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$2.50 CA$3.52

-38.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 CA$3.24

$2.75 CA$3.87

-16.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 CA$4.69

$4.66 CA$6.55

-28.54%

Eggs

$3.18 CA$4.48

$3.27 CA$4.60

-2.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.05 CA$15.55

$12.46 CA$17.54

-11.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.55 CA$16.25

$11.71 CA$16.47

-1.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.41 CA$25.90

$21.40 CA$30.12

-13.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.89 CA$5.48

$3.36 CA$4.72

15.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 CA$1.85

$1.33 CA$1.88

-1.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.60 CA$5.06

$3.03 CA$4.27

18.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.44 CA$4.84

$3.85 CA$5.42

-10.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 CA$3.90

$2.91 CA$4.10

-4.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 CA$3.48

$3.07 CA$4.32

-19.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 CA$3.54

$2.47 CA$3.48

1.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 CA$2.19

$1.91 CA$2.68

-18.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.38 CA$23.05

$14.81 CA$20.84

10.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.82 CA$16.63

$12.95 CA$18.22

-8.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.20 CA$4.50

$2.49 CA$3.50

28.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 CA$5.08

$2.55 CA$3.58

41.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 CA$3.27

$2.27 CA$3.19

2.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.2 CA$117

$77.6 CA$109

7.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 CA$4.40

$2.73 CA$3.85

14.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 CA$1.77

$1.35 CA$1.90

-6.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.96 CA$37.93

$26.16 CA$36.82

3.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 CA$1.45

$1.37 CA$1.93

-24.82%

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

$24.9K CA$35.0K

$25.4K CA$35.7K

-1.80%

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

$21.6K CA$30.4K

$20.1K CA$28.3K

7.39%

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

$157 CA$220

$136 CA$192

15.04%

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

$42.15 CA$59.3

$41.79 CA$58.8

0.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.8 CA$88.3

$54.8 CA$77.1

14.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.84 CA$58.9

$31.21 CA$43.91

34.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.28 CA$48.23

$5.36 CA$7.54

539.55%

Cinema Ticket

$12.63 CA$17.78

$16.13 CA$22.70

-21.70%

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

$966 CA$1,359

$534 CA$752

80.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K CA$17.3K

$8,169 CA$11.5K

50.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.22 CA$66.4

$54.8 CA$77.1

-13.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.99 CA$57.7

$53.8 CA$75.7

-23.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 CA$110

$94.3 CA$133

-16.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 CA$156

$94.6 CA$133

17.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 CA$1,332

$1,884 CA$2,651

-49.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$997 CA$1,403

$1,650 CA$2,321

-39.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,545 CA$2,174

$4,117 CA$5,793

-62.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,558 CA$2,192

$2,678 CA$3,768

-41.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,347 CA$3,302

$6,680 CA$9,400

-64.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,340 CA$3,292

$5,538 CA$7,792

-57.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,520 CA$3,546

$3,116 CA$4,385

-19.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.02

6.54

-7.95%

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

Last update for Winnipeg: July 12, 2026

Last update for Burnaby: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Winnipeg and $1,884 in Burnaby. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burnaby pays 24% 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 Winnipeg vs $75.0 in Burnaby for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $359 vs $392 per month, with Winnipeg cheaper across the board.

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

Winnipeg vs Burnaby: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Winnipeg and Burnaby differ by about 26% in total monthly costs ($2,196 vs $2,777 including rent). Winnipeg is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 24% lower in Burnaby. 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: $947 in Winnipeg versus $1,884 in Burnaby. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $966 in Winnipeg versus $534 in Burnaby. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Burnaby. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,196 in Winnipeg versus $2,777 in Burnaby, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Winnipeg but tight or insufficient in Burnaby. The gap between the two cities makes Winnipeg 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 Winnipeg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Burnaby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.