Cost of Living in Canada

Canada offers high living standards and a wide range of job options. The cost of living for international students is well justified since all the Canadian universities are world recognized, they get to work while studying and free health care and quick access to any medical emergency all these features make the cost of living economically for international students. For a single student, the cost of living per month might range from $800 to $1,500 based on location and city. The cost of expenses varies on students’ choices, however, it becomes important to plan on livening expenses based on the amount of income, so that students can also make additional savings for traveling from Canada to India and vice-versa, outings, theatres, and parties, etc. The following table gives a basic idea of costs for daily groceries and utilities in Canada

City view of downtown Toronto from the islands
S. NoItemsCost in CAD
1Meals in restaurants $12 to $22 per meal
2Eggs$3 to $5 per dozen
3Tomatoes, potatoes $3 to $5 per kg
4Boneless chicken$8 to $10 per 500gm
5Housing rent in normal to expensive areas with furniture( 480 sft)$1,800 to $1,300
6Housing rent in normal to expensive areas with furniture( 900 sft)$2,600 to $2,000 per month
7Utilities like electricity, internet, gas, and mobile bills$200 to $300 per month
8Cold medicine and a box of antibiotics$10 to $24 per 6 days
9Short visit to a private doctor$100 per visit
10Basic dinner outing for two in a pub$50 to $70 per meal
112 movie tickets$20 to $30 per ticket

Students must have an idea about living cost in different cities and they need to check on the living expenses in the city where their university is located. Students can save a lot on their earnings with the basic idea of costs. They can relocate to areas nearby their university based on living costs in that area. The expenses of groceries, rents, and utilities vary based on area, and the number of income students can make from part-time jobs also varies from city to city. The major things students should check before getting accommodation in any city are the cost of housing, transportation, food, and groceries. Most international students earn to pay their tuition fees with the help of the salary they make from part-time jobs, so it becomes important for them to plan a monthly financial plan sheet on their spending that would help them in paying their tuition fees and save some amount for other expenses like traveling, shopping, and feasting. From the below table you can have a basic idea of living costs in the top ten cities of Canada.

S. NoCityHousing per single personTransportation monthly bus pass Food
1Toronto$1,217$143$253
2Ottawa$1,061$125$362
3London$780$95$347
4Quebec$946$90$342
Calgary$919$112$393
6Edmonton$879$73 to $100$393
7Vancouver$1,302$98 to $177$369
8Winnipeg$786$106$346
9Saskatoon$745$90$362
10Halifax$902$82$315