Cost of Living in Canada vs the UK: Side-by-Side Comparison

Canada vs UK: overview

Living costs in Canada and the UK depend more on the city than on the country. This page compares rents, home prices, groceries, transit, fuel, healthcare charges, taxes and pay, converting UK figures to Canadian dollars at the Bank of Canada rate. It is part of our cost of living in Canada guides; for a comparison with the United States, see Canada vs US cost of living.

Exchange rates

Bank of Canada daily rates. All conversions on this page use them. Figures are in local currency unless stated otherwise.

Housing

Renting

UK: ONS Price Index of Private Rents, average monthly rent, August 2026 (Edinburgh is reported as part of the Lothian area); the index covers new and existing tenancies. Canada: Statistics Canada asking rents for advertised apartments, second quarter of 2026. The two series measure different things, so compare them as levels, not exact equivalents. For more Canadian cities, see average rent in Canada.

Converted to Canadian dollars, London’s average one-bedroom rent is 57% above Toronto’s asking rent and 44% above Vancouver’s. Manchester’s is 21% above Calgary’s and 42% above Winnipeg’s.

Buying

UK: HM Land Registry / ONS UK House Price Index, July 2026. Canada: local real estate boards, each for the month shown (boards release their figures on different days); Vancouver’s board publishes a benchmark price rather than an average. For more Canadian cities, see average house prices in Canada.

In Canadian dollars, London’s average price is 3% above Toronto’s average and 4% below Vancouver’s benchmark. Manchester’s average is 27% below Calgary’s and 20% above Winnipeg’s.

Groceries

UK: Office for National Statistics average prices (the data behind its shopping prices comparison tool), August 2026. Canada: Statistics Canada average retail prices, national, July 2026 (table 18-10-0245-01). Package sizes and product definitions differ between the two sources, as noted in each row, so compare item by item. For Canadian household food spending, see the average grocery bill in Canada.

Transportation

Public transit (monthly)

Current adult fares, from each agency. The TTC discontinued adult monthly passes on August 31, 2026; its figure is the monthly fare cap (47 adult PRESTO fares).

London’s zones 1-2 Travelcard costs 107% more than Toronto’s monthly fare cap, in Canadian dollars. Edinburgh’s 4-week Ridacard costs 4% less than the Toronto cap and 28% more than a one-zone monthly pass in Vancouver.

Fuel

UK: Department for Energy Security and Net Zero weekly road fuel prices. Canada: Statistics Canada monthly average retail prices (table 18-10-0001).

Converted at the current exchange rate, UK petrol costs 86% more than the Canadian national average. UK car owners also pay annual vehicle tax (Vehicle Excise Duty): the standard rate was £200 a year as of October 2, 2026 for cars registered since April 2017, from the second year (the first payment depends on the car’s CO2 emissions), plus a yearly supplement for cars above a list-price threshold (GOV.UK).

Healthcare

Both countries have publicly funded health care. What differs is what each system charges for.

Sources: NHS Business Services Authority (prescriptions), NHS (dental charges, free sight tests), Ontario, “What OHIP covers”. Other provinces’ plans differ in the details.

Moving from the UK to Ontario, the main new costs are prescriptions, dental care and glasses for anyone not covered by an employer plan or a public program. Moving from Canada to England, prescriptions and dental care are charged per item or per course of treatment.

Taxes

UK: GOV.UK income tax, National Insurance, capital gains tax and VAT rates for 2026-27; Scotland sets its own income tax bands. Canada: federal brackets and CPP for 2026; provincial income tax is added on top and differs by province.

The highest combined federal and provincial sales tax rate in Canada is 15%, below the UK’s 20% standard VAT rate. For each province’s rate, see sales tax in Canada.

Salaries

UK: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, April 2025. Canada: Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey, median weekly wages of full-time employees, 2025 (table 14-10-0064-01).

At the current exchange rate, the UK median is 6% above the Canadian median, before tax and with different survey years.

Summary

• Rent and home prices: compare city to city; the tables above show London against Toronto and Vancouver, and other UK cities against mid-sized Canadian cities.
• Transit: London’s Travelcard costs 107% more than Toronto’s monthly cap; outside London the gap depends on the cities compared.
• Fuel: UK petrol costs 86% more than the Canadian national average, and UK car owners also pay vehicle tax.
• Healthcare: England charges per prescription item and per course of dental treatment; in Ontario, dental care, glasses and prescription drugs outside hospital are paid through private insurance, public programs or by the patient.
• Sales tax: every Canadian combined rate is below the UK’s standard VAT rate.
• Pay: the UK median full-time salary is 6% above Canada’s at the current exchange rate.

Related articles

• Canada vs US cost of living
• Cost of living by province
• Average household expenses in Canada
• Best cities to live in Canada
• Moving to Canada: newcomers’ financial guide