The Cost of Living In Canada

Cost of Living in Canada 2005 - 2006

Most people from the UK and Europe find the cost of living in Canada is significantly lower than their home country.

Canadian housing is particularly cheap - the average house price in most Canadian cities is around three times the average annual income. Prices are higher in Toronto (four times average income) and Vancouver (five times average income).

People moving to Canada with the proceeds of house sales from countries with more expensive housing can often buy a house in Canada with only a small mortgage necessary. This leaves more of their income for other uses and lowers their cost of living in Canada significantly.

Food is cheaper.

Dining out and most forms of recreation are cheaper in Canada.

Petrol / Gasoline and cars are cheaper.

Power is cheaper, although you use more power to heat your house in a typical Canadian winter.

Car insurance is very expensive in Canada.

An extensive cost of living survey for overseas workers was carried out by Mercer in 2005.

The survey revealed that Toronto has the highest cost of living in Canada, followed by Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary and Ottawa.

The survey found that Canadian cities have some of the lowest living costs in the developed world.

For example, the cost of living in Toronto was 37% lower than the cost of living in London. The cost of living in Canada's capital, Ottawa, was 24% lower than in Glasgow and 29% lower than in Amsterdam. The survey is reproduced below.

Look out for the Canadian cities. Their cost of living is so low, you will need to scroll some way down to find them - Toronto is in 82nd place.

Cost of Living in Selected Cities
(Most Expensive = Tokyo)