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: $2,188 in Winnipeg versus $2,776 in Burnaby.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,222 in Winnipeg versus $4,068 in Burnaby.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,257 in Winnipeg versus $5,359 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 63% above, Burnaby 107% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.34 CA$22.70

$14.75 CA$20.49

10.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.7 CA$91.3

$73.9 CA$103

-11.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.17 CA$15.52

$8.95 CA$12.43

24.80%

Cappuccino

$3.92 CA$5.45

$4.19 CA$5.82

-6.44%

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

$2.23 CA$3.10

$1.81 CA$2.52

23.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 CA$2.59

$1.33 CA$1.85

39.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.46 CA$7.59

$5.91 CA$8.21

-7.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.44 CA$8.95

$5.56 CA$7.73

15.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 CA$2.12

$2.55 CA$3.55

-40.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 CA$3.07

$2.77 CA$3.85

-20.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 CA$4.63

$4.48 CA$6.23

-25.67%

Eggs

$3.34 CA$4.64

$3.13 CA$4.34

6.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.68 CA$14.84

$12.33 CA$17.13

-13.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.80 CA$16.39

$11.98 CA$16.65

-1.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.49 CA$25.69

$21.64 CA$30.06

-14.56%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 CA$5.56

$3.34 CA$4.64

19.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 CA$1.91

$1.28 CA$1.78

7.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.61 CA$5.02

$3.00 CA$4.17

20.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.43 CA$4.76

$3.84 CA$5.33

-10.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.73

$2.89 CA$4.02

-6.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.53 CA$3.51

$3.00 CA$4.17

-15.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CA$3.37

$2.39 CA$3.32

1.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CA$2.11

$1.89 CA$2.63

-19.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.09 CA$22.36

$14.84 CA$20.61

8.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.09 CA$18.19

$13.26 CA$18.42

-1.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 CA$4.47

$2.41 CA$3.35

33.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 CA$4.92

$2.52 CA$3.51

40.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 CA$3.37

$2.28 CA$3.17

6.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.5 CA$117

$77.2 CA$107

9.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 CA$4.51

$2.80 CA$3.89

16.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 CA$1.74

$1.42 CA$1.97

-11.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.62 CA$36.99

$25.32 CA$35.18

5.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 CA$1.44

$1.31 CA$1.82

-21.37%

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

$24.9K CA$34.5K

$25.3K CA$35.2K

-1.91%

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

$21.8K CA$30.2K

$20.4K CA$28.4K

6.50%

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

$155 CA$215

$136 CA$188

14.27%

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

$42.48 CA$59.0

$42.55 CA$59.1

-0.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.5 CA$85.5

$55.6 CA$77.2

10.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.10 CA$57.1

$31.32 CA$43.52

31.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.74 CA$46.88

$5.61 CA$7.80

501.43%

Cinema Ticket

$12.87 CA$17.88

$16.29 CA$22.63

-20.99%

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

$978 CA$1,359

$547 CA$760

78.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K CA$16.8K

$8,127 CA$11.3K

48.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.12 CA$66.9

$54.7 CA$76.0

-12.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.40 CA$58.9

$53.6 CA$74.5

-20.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.1 CA$113

$93.6 CA$130

-13.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 CA$159

$96.4 CA$134

18.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$945 CA$1,314

$1,909 CA$2,653

-50.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,010 CA$1,404

$1,658 CA$2,304

-39.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,497 CA$2,079

$3,989 CA$5,543

-62.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 CA$2,130

$2,650 CA$3,682

-42.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,372 CA$3,296

$6,878 CA$9,556

-65.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,416 CA$3,357

$5,525 CA$7,676

-56.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,586 CA$3,593

$3,275 CA$4,551

-21.04%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Burnaby: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $945 in Winnipeg and $1,909 in Burnaby. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burnaby pays 27% 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 $74.0 in Burnaby for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $361 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 27% in total monthly costs ($2,188 vs $2,776 including rent). Winnipeg is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Burnaby earns 27% 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: $945 in Winnipeg versus $1,909 in Burnaby. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $978 in Winnipeg versus $547 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 $2,188 in Winnipeg versus $2,776 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 27% less than in Burnaby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.