Cost of living in Canada 2026
Living in Canada costs 90.2 when the United States is 100, 10% below the United States according to the World Bank for 2025. Among 161 countries ranked from cheapest to dearest, that makes rank 144. Canadian households spent an average of C$76,750 on goods and services in 2023, up 14.3% from 2021. Shelter took 32.1% of consumption, transport 15.8% and food 15.7%. Renters paid an average of C$15,272 in rent. One net average salary covers 84% of that household spending, which is why two incomes weigh so much. Official inflation stood at 3.1% over a year (September 2026). The average salary there leaves CA$5,341 net a month. The tool below converts your budget line by line and gives the gross needed to fund it there.
The same lifestyle, a month: Canada
CA$3,826
| Housing and energy | CA$1,572 |
|---|---|
| Food | CA$874 |
| Transport | CA$309 |
| Everything else | CA$1,070 |
| Annual gross to fund it | CA$57,900 |
National price levels by category, International Comparison Program 2021, exchange rate of 2 November 2026. A capital city can cost far more.
Price level by category, Canada and the United States
| Category (world = 100, 2021) | Canada | US |
|---|---|---|
| Food | 145.8 | 116.5 |
| Housing and energy | 201.2 | 214.6 |
| Transport | 128.4 | 116.0 |
| Health | 150.5 | 207.9 |
| Restaurants and hotels | 150.8 | 142.0 |
| Communication | 302.7 | 224.0 |
| Education | 183.3 | 254.7 |
World Bank, International Comparison Program 2021, CC BY 4.0 licence. Recent overall level: 90.2 against 100 in the United States in 2025.
What prices hide in Canada
The first line of a Canadian household's budget is the roof, well ahead of the car and the groceries. The country's overall level stays below that of the United States, 90.2 against 100, but this national marker hides Vancouver and Toronto, where a newcomer's rent often runs far above the survey average. The survey includes older leases, cheaper than today's listings. Public health cover, on the other hand, shrinks a line that weighs heavily in the United States.
The lines that stand out in Canada
By category, the 2021 world survey shows a gap: communication at 135% of the American level, education at 72%.
Going further
Questions
What is the cost of living in Canada?
The price level is 90.2 against 100 in the United States in 2025, according to the World Bank, rank 144 of 161. This national average says nothing about a city-centre rent. Rent is often the heaviest line in a budget: check listings in the city you have in mind before deciding.
Is Canada cheaper than the United States?
Yes on average: 90.2 against 100 in the United States, 10% less in converted dollars. The average salary is lower too, and the gap depends heavily on the Canadian dollar's rate. On health, the 2021 survey gives 150.5 against 207.9 with the world at 100.
How much rent do Canadians pay?
Statistics Canada gives an average of 15,272 Canadian dollars of rent a year in 2023, about 1,273 a month, across all renters and the whole country. That figure mixes small towns and old leases. For a move to Toronto or Vancouver, rely on local listings rather than this average.
Sources
- Statistics Canada, Survey of Household Spending 2023, The Daily, 21 May 2025
- Statistics Canada, Consumer Price Index, The Daily, 19 October 2026
- World Bank, price level: consumption PPP factor (PA.NUS.PRVT.PP) over the official exchange rate (PA.NUS.FCRF), API read 3 November 2026
- World Bank, International Comparison Program 2021: price level index by category, API read 3 November 2026
Figures 2026, checked on