How to Live Cheap in Canada – Essential Guide + 9 Tips

Canada has a clean and beautiful landscape to live in. And also Canada has the 10th largest economy in the world. So with such a strong healthy economy, you might think that you need to live cheaply. This might be related to your financial background. You might be new to the country, or you may be a student. Anyway, you know that only you need to live cheaply but don’t know how to start. So we at founderactivity are going to provide you with a guide for how to live cheaply in Canada.

Living costs of Canada is comparably lower than the other countries like the UK and Europe. Living in Canada should not be a realistic prospect for low-income earners. There are plenty of cheap ways for you can live happily without debt, get the chance to save more money based on the beauty of getting closer to nature and busy city life.

The Cheapest Places To Live In Canada

Determining a place to live can be a difficult choice, especially if money is an important factor. Before deciding where to live, it often pays to consider the cost of living as well as the various opportunities available at certain locations. Your main considerations must be climate, population, job access, ease of transportation, culture and facilities. Fortunately, there are several low-cost options in Canada to give you great value for your investment. With that in mind, here are some of the cheapest places to live in Canada.

Apart from the cities mention in the above table, there are many other places also. All the places that are mentioned above are cheap and affordable places to live in Canada with climate and other reasonable facts. Not only that there are some most expensive cities in Canada.

• Toronto in Ontario
• Vancouver in British Columbia
• Victoria in British Columbia
• Hamilton-Burlington in Ontario
• Calgary in Alberta

Costs of living in Canada

The cost of living depends on the province, region, city, or even neighborhood where you are living. There is no doubt that Canada is one of the best destinations for students and immigrants. Likewise, the cost of living in Canada depends on how quickly you can adapt and get used to your new residence. And also, there is a need to work and live according to your goals and what you can afford. The main costs are

• Accommodation
• Transportation
• Utility charges
• Food and grocery
• Healthcare fee
• Entertainment

1.Average Rent and Housing Prices in Canada

The cost of buying or renting a home in Canada depends on the size of the home, the location, the age of the home and the condition of the home or apartment. Costs vary from province to province and from city to city.

2.Renting houses in Canada

There is an average rent in Canada for each year according to the annual report of The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). According to this report, there was an increase in average rent in urban areas than the less populated areas. So the average rent price flows into $1800 per month in Canada. Therefore, most of the Canadians spend 50% of their income on housing and utilities.

3.Buying a House in Canada

In terms of homeownership, the average cost of a Canadian home is forecast to be $ 531,000 higher than the previous $ 500,200 price. Rising home prices in Canada include a variety of tax measures, interest rates and mortgage regulations. Ontario and Columbia in particular are showing the highest growth in housing prices.

4.Average Cost of Transportation in Canada

Canada is the second-largest country by area. Therefore, as a result of that, you need to move from one place to another place by using the modes of transportation in Canada. And also there is public transportation only in urban areas and most of the people depend on their own vehicles.

However, the cost of public transportation is slightly more expensive in Canada. So the majority of the people willing to buy a vehicle to cut down the travelling costs.

• Charges for taxi per kilometer: 1.70C$-2.0C$
• Gasoline charges per liter: 1.30C$-1.50C$
• Tickets for public transportation: 2.85C$-3.25C$

5.The average cost of Utility charges in Canada

A person pays around 90-95C$ per month as utility charges while living in Canada. Major utility charges maybe electricity, water, heating, gas, etc.

6.The average cost of Foods and Groceries in Canada

It is considered that the cost of food and groceries in Canada isn’t too expensive. Sometimes it might be cheaper to dine in a hotel in remote or small cities in Canada. Anyway, these prices are slightly higher because of the imported goods. Some of the cities like Toronto, Vancouver or Montreal cost you to some extent if you are having your meals out.

• Inexpensive restaurants cost you around 110C$-120C$
• Mid range restaurants cost you around 65C$-75C$

7.The average cost of healthcare in Canada

There is a free health care system funded by the government through the taxes collected from the taxpayers. This may vary according to the city. If you haven’t a health coverage in Canada, the medical charges would be slightly expensive.

• A short consultation with a doctor: 100C$
• Antibiotics: 18-20C$

8.The average cost of fitness and entertainment in Canada

Canada offers a variety of entertainment sources for its people. This is a great destination for adventure and nature lovers. Sight-seeing, Hiking, Trekking and photography are very popular in Canada because of the beautiful landscape, nature and architectural wonders of Canada. Fees for each activity may vary from province to province.

• Public cinema: 13-25C$
• Fitness club membership: 40-60C$

How to live cheap in Canada

As we mentioned above the cost of living in Canada largely depends on where you choose to live. Living in a rural area is cheaper so you can save a lot of money.

Reducing unwanted expenses is the most actionable way to live cheaply. Here are the steps that you can use to live cheaply.

1. Categorize your expenses
2. Analyze your expenses
3. Create a budget
4. Look for ways to save money

In order to succeed, your cheap life in Canada, use the following tips and measures.

1. Focus on bills that drive the most costs

While you are analyzing your budget make sure to consider the expenses that use your money most. If there is something to be cut down take relevant measures. You will be able to find cheap alternatives to them. As you are living in Canada you will pay more on your accommodation, food, transport, and entertainments. So focus on those items deeply.

2. Curb unnecessary spending

In order to curb your unnecessary spending while you are living in Canada, you can use the following tips.

• Stick to a shopping list
• Allocate as much money as you can each week for various expenses, and spend only on that. When it is lost, wait until next week before spending more
• Avoid online buying sites
• Avoid trips to shopping malls
• Take steps to reduce the credit limit in your credit card
• Use a debit card or cash to pay

3. Consider Cheaper Housing

The place where you are living in is another major expense. If you are renting an apartment in the busiest part of the city, moving to a lower-cost area can save you a considerable amount of time over time. Also, you can save a lot of money by moving to a smaller space than you think you need to.

4. Make Sure Subscriptions Are Up To Date

You might think that there is nothing worse than running out of money. If you have any membership or subscriptions that you do not use enough to justify your monthly expenses, cancel them. You will lose your money if you aren’t still reading all the magazines or do not use the paid online software. Therefore, cancel unused contributions, streaming services and membership.

5. Work Out at Home

Instead of paying for a monthly membership in a gym or fitness centre, consider working from home with free exercise apps. And also you can attend to at-home cardio routines, resistance workouts, yoga classes and more free online fitness programs. To get started you can check out these free workout apps.

• Nike Run Club
• Map My Run
• Yoga for Beginners
• Lotus Yoga
• Adidas Training by Runtastic

6. Do your things by yourself

You can do most of your day to day life things without spending a lot of money on them. For example, you can wash your own clothes without putting them to laundries or you can wash your vehicle instead of using a commercial car wash.

7. Eat at home

You can make a simple recipe with cheap goods. Although food prices vary in different cities. Some of the cities like Toronto, Vancouver or Montreal have somewhat expensive foods. On the other hand, the food costs in those cities are a bit high than the others. So if you are willing to have your meals out consider that it might be better to have your meals at home if you are in those cities.

And also consider that if you buy imported food, it would cost a little more than the local Canadian products. There are Fruits, vegetables and dairy products with affordable prices in Canada.

8. Cut the Cable Cord

Cable cutting is another great way to save a lot of money on monthly expenses. Compare our cable vs current to see if wiring is a good option for you.

9. Look for Free Entertainment

Staying up can save you a lot of money throughout the month. Make friends instead of going out or go on a date in your living room instead of the cinema. If you want to get out of the house, search on community website or Facebook to find free events near you.

Apart from that followings are also the ways that you can use to live cheaply in Canada.

• Use less energy
• Pay bills on time to avoid late fees
• Walk, cycle or use public transit more
• Get a better communications package
• Use the best package of banking services
• Shop smarter
• taking paid online surveys
• Use coupons
• Do not waste food
• Catch free movie screenings
• Play games for free in stores

Things to know before living in Canada

There are some special things you need to know before you are started your life in Canada.

1.Weather

Canada truly has four seasons especially in most of the inhabited regions. The temperature here varies widely from -40C to 40C. And also it surprisingly expensive you to outfit for each season.

2.Diversity

Generations of immigrants have a warm welcome in Canada. Multiculturalism is part of Canadian values ​​and is central to national policy. As in any major city, you will find countless languages, religions and cultures in many rural communities.

3.The job hunt

Researching, and applying for jobs in Canada can be a lengthy process. Perhaps longer than what you are used to doing with your new home. It will take you months to get a professional position, so you should plan accordingly to ensure that your acceptance in Canada is smooth.

4.Tipping

The tip may not be part of your culture, as service and hospitality workers may receive a guaranteed salary with additional benefits in your culture or country. It’s great, but Canada’s different, and being accustomed to tipping is a basic point. This may seem strange and you may not agree, but without a tip, the client will effectively pay out of their own pocket to serve you. So if the service is poor please make sure to tip.

5.Healthcare

The world-famous healthcare system is one of the pillars built to welcome newcomers to Canada. It is widely distributed through an unused public funding system and is provided by many private institutions. Though it is publicly funded, not everything is free. The Provincial Ministry of Health issues health care to every person who registers for the program and is treated equally.

6.Taxation

Taxes are levied at various levels under the decentralized federal system in Canada. Federal and provincial governments collect income taxes. Depending on your status and terms of service, you will receive a tax refund at the end of the financial year.

These are the things that you can adapt to your Canadian life and engage a cheap lifestyle while running your career in Canada.