Canada living costs range from $3,000-$5,500/month depending on city and lifestyle. Here’s the complete breakdown.
Table of Contents
Monthly Budget Overview
Single Person
Expense
Mid-City Canada
Toronto/Vancouver
Rent (1-bed)
$1,600
$2,400
Utilities
$150
$150
Food
$450
$550
Transport
$100
$150
Phone/Internet
$120
$120
Entertainment
$200
$300
Insurance
$50
$50
Other
$200
$250
Total $2,870 $3,970
Couple
Expense
Mid-City
Toronto/Vancouver
Rent (1-bed)
$1,800
$2,600
Utilities
$180
$180
Food
$700
$850
Transport
$200
$300
Phone/Internet
$160
$160
Entertainment
$350
$450
Insurance
$75
$75
Other
$300
$400
Total $3,765 $5,015
Family of Four
Expense
Mid-City
Toronto/Vancouver
Rent (3-bed)
$2,400
$3,800
Utilities
$250
$250
Food
$1,200
$1,400
Transport
$500
$600
Phone/Internet
$200
$200
Entertainment
$400
$500
Insurance
$200
$200
Childcare (if needed)
$2,000
$3,000
Other
$400
$500
Total (no childcare) $5,550 $7,450
Total (with childcare) $7,550 $10,450
Rent by City
Average 1-Bedroom Rent
City
Monthly Rent
Vancouver (downtown)
$2,800
Toronto (downtown)
$2,600
Toronto (suburbs)
$2,200
Vancouver (suburbs)
$2,300
Calgary
$1,700
Ottawa
$1,900
Montreal
$1,600
Edmonton
$1,400
Winnipeg
$1,300
Halifax
$1,800
Quebec City
$1,200
Average 3-Bedroom Rent
City
Monthly Rent
Toronto
$3,800
Vancouver
$4,000
Calgary
$2,400
Ottawa
$2,600
Montreal
$2,200
Edmonton
$1,800
Housing Costs (Ownership)
Average Home Prices (2026)
City
Average Price
Monthly Mortgage*
Vancouver
$1,200,000
$5,800
Toronto
$1,100,000
$5,300
Victoria
$850,000
$4,100
Ottawa
$650,000
$3,150
Calgary
$550,000
$2,660
Montreal
$550,000
$2,660
Edmonton
$400,000
$1,930
Halifax
$500,000
$2,420
Winnipeg
$370,000
$1,790
*20% down, 25-year amortization, 5.5% rate
Food Costs
Weekly Grocery Budget
Level
Weekly
Monthly
Budget (careful)
$80
$350
Average
$110
$475
Comfortable
$150
$650
Premium
$200
$865
Grocery Price Comparison
Item
Approximate Price
Milk (4L)
$5.50-$7.00
Bread (loaf)
$3.00-$4.50
Eggs (dozen)
$4.00-$6.00
Chicken breast (kg)
$14-$18
Ground beef (kg)
$10-$15
Apples (kg)
$4-$6
Rice (2kg)
$6-$10
Supermarket Price Tiers
Store
Price Level
No Frills, FreshCo
Budget
Loblaws, Sobeys
Mid-range
Metro, Safeway
Mid-range
Whole Foods, Pusateri’s
Premium
Transportation
Public Transit Monthly Passes
City
Monthly Pass
Toronto (TTC)
$156
Vancouver (TransLink)
$100-$181
Montreal (STM)
$97
Calgary (Transit)
$114
Ottawa (OC Transpo)
$125
Edmonton (ETS)
$104
Car Ownership Costs
Expense
Monthly
Car payment
$400-$700
Insurance
$150-$300
Gas
$150-$300
Parking (city)
$100-$300
Maintenance
$50-$100
Total $850-$1,700
Gas Prices (per litre)
Region
Price Range
Vancouver
$1.50-$1.80
Toronto
$1.40-$1.70
Calgary
$1.25-$1.55
Montreal
$1.45-$1.75
Utilities
Monthly Utility Costs
Utility
Amount
Electricity
$80-$150
Natural gas/heating
$50-$150
Water
$40-$80
Internet
$60-$100
Cell phone
$50-$90
Childcare Costs
Average Daycare Costs (Infant)
City
Monthly
Toronto
$2,000-$2,500
Vancouver
$1,500-$2,000
Calgary
$1,200-$1,500
Montreal
$200*
Ottawa
$1,400-$1,800
*Quebec has $10/day subsidized program
Canada-Wide Childcare Program
$10/day target across Canada by 2026:
Year
Target Cost
2023
50% reduction
2026
$10/day
Check provincial programs for availability.
Healthcare
Provincial Health Insurance
Coverage
Cost
Doctor visits
Free
Hospital stays
Free
Emergency care
Free
Dental (adults)
Not covered
Vision (adults)
Not covered
Prescriptions
Partially covered
Additional Health Costs
Expense
Annual Cost
Dental care
$200-$1,000
Prescriptions
$0-$1,000
Vision
$200-$500
Extended health insurance
$50-$200/month
Cost of Living Index by City
National average = 100
City
Index
Vancouver
130
Toronto
125
Victoria
115
Calgary
105
Ottawa
105
Halifax
100
Montreal
95
Edmonton
95
Winnipeg
85
Quebec City
85
Salary Needed to Live Comfortably
Single Person
City
Comfortable Salary
Toronto
$65,000-$80,000
Vancouver
$65,000-$85,000
Calgary
$55,000-$65,000
Montreal
$50,000-$60,000
Ottawa
$55,000-$70,000
Average small city
$45,000-$55,000
Family of Four
City
Comfortable Salary
Toronto
$120,000-$150,000
Vancouver
$130,000-$160,000
Calgary
$100,000-$120,000
Montreal
$90,000-$110,000
Average city
$85,000-$100,000
Money-Saving Tips
Housing
Tip
Savings
Live outside downtown
$500-$1,000/month
Get a roommate
$800-$1,200/month
Move to lower-cost city
$500-$1,500/month
Food
Tip
Savings
Shop at No Frills/FreshCo
$100-$200/month
Use Flashfood app
$50-$100/month
Meal prep
$100-$200/month
Reduce eating out
$200-$400/month
Transportation
Tip
Savings
Go car-free (if possible)
$500-$1,000/month
Use public transit
$200-$400/month vs car
Bike commute
$150/month
Bottom Line
City Type
Single Monthly
Family Monthly
Major (TO/Van)
$4,000-$5,000
$8,000-$10,000
Mid-size
$3,000-$3,500
$6,000-$7,500
Small city
$2,500-$3,000
$5,000-$6,000
Key facts:
Toronto/Vancouver 25-30% more expensive than average
Quebec has lowest childcare costs
Healthcare is free (major savings vs USA)
Housing is biggest expense (30-40% of budget)
Cell phone/internet more expensive than USA
$10/day childcare rolling out nationally
Written by
WealthVieu
WealthVieu researches and writes data-driven personal finance guides using primary sources including the IRS, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federal Reserve, and Census Bureau.
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