Cost of living in Canada in 2026: what everyday things cost

Living costs in Canada, on the everyday prices we track: petrol (gas) is about C$2.07 a litre, household electricity about C$0.176 per kWh, a Big Mac C$8.17, Netflix Standard C$18.99 a month and the iPhone 18 Pro C$1,749 before sales tax. Average income is $56,420 per person, or about C$80,532. The short version: power is cheap by world standards, and imported gadgets cost close to what Americans pay once the exchange rate is applied, before tax on both sides.

A note on scope before the detail. Housing is the dominant cost of living in Canada, and it is not in our data; nor are groceries or transit passes. Everything below comes from sources we pull directly: Apple’s and Netflix’s Canadian storefronts, GlobalPetrolPrices, The Economist’s Big Mac Index and World Bank GNI per capita, last retrieved 2026-10-13.

Canadian price tags leave the tax off

Unlike in Europe or Australia, a Canadian shelf price usually excludes sales tax, which is added at the till and depends on the province. That makes Canadian prices look closer to American ones than they are. Apple’s C$1,749 for the iPhone 18 Pro converts to $1,225, against $1,199 in the US, also before tax. Here is what a Canadian actually pays:

An Albertan pays the least because the province has no sales tax of its own. Ontario and Quebec buyers pay roughly $98 to $122 more than an Albertan for the same phone. The same logic applies to almost everything else on a receipt, which is worth remembering when comparing a Canadian price list with a European one where VAT is already built in. Every storage size is on the iPhone 18 Pro Canada page.

Hydro-powered electricity, market-priced petrol

Electricity is Canada’s clearest bargain. Households pay $0.123 per kWh, the 57th-lowest of 134 countries we track, and businesses $0.110 (ranked 40th from cheapest). None of the four peer countries in this guide has cheaper household power. Big hydroelectric systems in Quebec, British Columbia and Manitoba keep national averages low, though provinces that burn more gas pay noticeably more. Because many Canadian homes heat with electricity, volume matters: at an illustrative 750 kWh in a winter month, the average rate gives a bill of about C$132 before delivery charges.

Petrol is a different story. At C$2.07 a litre it is the 71st-cheapest of 170 countries, mid-table globally but above the US average of $1.23. Canada is a major oil producer, yet pump prices follow North American wholesale markets plus federal and provincial fuel taxes. Since our 2026-07-03 snapshot the national average has moved from C$1.86 to C$2.07 a litre (+11%). Track it on the Canada petrol price page.

What a Canadian income buys, against four peers

Dollar prices only tell half the story. This table shows the same items in work time at each country’s average income, which is how they actually feel to someone living there. The United States, Australia and Germany have higher average incomes than Canada, which shows up in the comparisons.

Germany’s Big Mac figure uses the euro-area price. The burger itself has crept up in Canada: C$7.70 in the 2026-01-01 Big Mac Index survey, C$8.17 in the 2026-07-01 one. Streaming is where Canada undercuts the US: Spotify Premium is C$13.99 ($9.80) against $12.99 in the US, and Netflix Premium is $10.18 a month cheaper than across the border.

The exchange rate shapes all of these comparisons. Our latest rate is 1.427 Canadian dollars to the US dollar, against 1.419 in July, so the loonie has weakened by about 0.6% since then. A weaker Canadian dollar makes cross-border shopping in the US dearer for Canadians and Canadian holidays cheaper for Americans, while prices set in Canadian dollars, such as Apple’s list prices and streaming plans, stay put until the companies decide to reprice. At today’s rate, the average Canadian income of $56,420 is about C$80,532 a year, or C$6,711 a month.

Canada and the US, side by side

The comparison most readers want is with the United States. In US-dollar terms Canada is cheaper on household electricity, Netflix Premium, the Big Mac and Spotify, roughly level on the iPhone before tax, and dearer on petrol, while American average income is about 57% higher. Our dedicated Canada vs USA cost of living guide goes item by item, and Canada vs United States has the live numbers. For other benchmarks, try Australia vs Canada or the full Canada country page.