Living in Canada: cost of living, rents and the salary you need

Updated 2 October 2026

How much do you need to earn to live in Canada? Here are rents in the main cities, the minimum wage, healthcare, residence permits and moving costs, with the official source of every figure. For your own case, the calculator starts from your real budget, in your city, and moves it to Canada.

Work out my budget in Canada

Example: the same life, elsewhere

A single person living in London in a one-bedroom home, with the average spending of a similar household, spends about £3,350 a month. To keep the same life in Toronto, they would need about $3,220 (≈ €2,000) net a month locally (−49%), i.e. 1.2 times the Ontario minimum wage.

For a couple with two children in a two-bedroom home (state school), it would take about $5,370 (≈ €3,330) net a month in Toronto, i.e. 2 times the Ontario minimum wage.

Calculated on 2 October 2026 with the official averages of London and the destination’s prices. Yours depends on your city, home and habits: the calculator works it out in a few minutes, no sign-up.

Rents in Canada

City	Studio	1 bedroom	2 bedrooms	3-bedroom house	1 bedroom in euros
Toronto	$1,510	$1,780	$2,070	$2,320	€1,110
Montreal	$1,020	$1,150	$1,360	$1,650	€710
Vancouver	$1,690	$1,830	$2,400	$2,860	€1,140
Calgary	$1,460	$1,600	$1,930	$2,150	€990
Ottawa	$1,350	$1,610	$1,940	$2,120	€1,000
Edmonton	$1,120	$1,320	$1,620	$1,830	€820
Quebec City	$870	$1,120	$1,290	$1,480	€700
Winnipeg	$930	$1,250	$1,590	$1,870	€770
Halifax	$1,380	$1,560	$1,850	$2,280	€970

Monthly rent in CAD, outside the most sought-after areas. Studio 28 m², 1 bedroom 45 m², 2 bedrooms 65 m², house 95 m² where rent is known per m². CMHC (Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation), October 2025 Rental Market Survey: average rent by number of bedrooms in each city, updated with the Statistics Canada rent index (August 2026).

Wages

The Ontario minimum wage is $2,630 (≈ €1,630) net a month ($3,050 gross).

It varies by region: amount in Toronto.

Average wage: $70,100 (≈ €43,500) gross a year.

Healthcare

Each province has its own free public plan: register as soon as you arrive, the wait can be up to 3 months.

In the example above: you are covered by your province’s free public health insurance (up to a 3-month wait in some provinces).

Visa and residence permit

Work permits and permanent residence (Express Entry), on the official IRCC site.

Cost: $240 (≈ €150) per person ($150 per child).

Work permit.

There is no visa to live on income from abroad: you need a local job, unless your nationality is exempt.

Moving in and everyday life

Deposit: 1 month’ rent
Agency fees: No fees for the tenant
School: Free state school
Electricity: $0.10 to $0.24 per kWh depending on the region
Home cleaning: $30 an hour

Frequently asked questions

What salary do you need to live in Toronto?

For a single person keeping the same life as in London: about $3,220 (≈ €2,000) net a month, i.e. 1.2 times the Ontario minimum wage.

How much is rent in Toronto?

About $1,780 (≈ €1,110) a month for a one-bedroom home and $2,070 for a two-bedroom home, according to CMHC (Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation), October 2025 Rental Market Survey.

Do you need a residence permit to live in Canada?

Work permits and permanent residence (Express Entry), on the official IRCC site. Cost: $240 (≈ €150) per person ($150 per child).