Student guide: What is the cost of living in Canada?

PTE Author
PTE Author
Image - woman on hill in Canada - 800px w
Reading time: 6 minutes

Many students dream of studying in Canada. The country has world-renowned teaching facilities and universities, an open immigration system, metropolitan cities, and scenic landscapes. Altogether, it’s a great choice for international students.  

Studying in Canada is not as expensive as studying in other countries, like the U.S. or U.K. However it is still a big investment. International students pay between $1,800-20,000 CAD per year to attend a Canadian university or college.  

But, what’s the cost of living in Canada? Canada is a big country and prices vary by region. Nevertheless, the EduCanada government website estimates the average cost of living for foreign students is about $12,000 CAD a year.  

In this guide, we outline how much students across Canada pay for things like rent, transportation, entertainment, and food – and look into some hidden costs that everyone should keep in mind. 

Here is our student guide on the cost of living in Canada: 

Accommodation costs by city  

When you’re studying in Canada, you can choose between living on-campus or off-campus. Living on-campus is a great opportunity to socialize with other students and make friends. Most institutions also give students on-campus the option to buy a meal plan. But, keep in mind that many universities and colleges prioritize first-year students for on-campus housing.  

You might also decide to rent an apartment or room off-campus instead. There are lots of housing options in neighborhoods close to universities and colleges – and these are often advertised specifically for students.  

To give you an idea about how much accommodation will cost, we take a look at some popular Canadian study destinations. Keep in mind, off-campus housing prices might fluctuate because of the pandemic. 

Toronto  

At the University of Toronto, on-campus housing for eight months ranges from about $6500- $20,500 CAD, depending on the room and meal-plan. A one-bedroom apartment in Toronto costs about $2,100 CAD/month on average.  

Vancouver 

At the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, a room and meal-plan will cost you between $10,700-$13,850 CAD for two terms. A one-bedroom apartment in the city center costs $2,050 CAD/month on average.  

Montreal 

At McGill University in Montreal, a single room for 1st-year undergraduate students costs between about $9,700-$12,700 CAD/academic year, without a meal plan. A one-bedroom apartment costs 1,300 CAD/month on average. 

Halifax 

At Dalhousie University in Halifax, a single room costs between $8,130-$9,450 CAD/academic year with a meal plan. A one-bedroom apartment costs about $1,400 CAD/month on average.  

Waterloo 

At the University of Waterloo, a single room in a traditional-style dorm costs between about $6,700-$7,000 CAD for the fall and winter term, not including a mandatory meal-plan. A one-bedroom apartment costs about $1,500 CAD/month on average.  

Food costs  

If you don’t have a meal plan and live off-campus, you must include grocery shopping in your budget. Of course, food prices are different across the country and depend on where you decide to shop.  

Let’s take a quick look at how much essential items may cost in Canada’s largest city, Toronto:  

  • Milk (about $3 CAD)

  • Rice, 1kg (about $3.50 CAD)

  • Apples, 1kg (about $4 CAD)

  • Red meat, 1kg (about $16 CAD)

  • 12 eggs (about $3.50 CAD)

According to the City of Toronto’s Nutritious Food Basket Calculator, a male aged 19-30 must spend a minimum of $65.50/week to buy healthy food. A female the same age living in Toronto must spend about $51 CAD/week to buy healthy food.  

Transportation costs in Canada 

How much is the average cost of transportation in Canada? Many international students rely on public transportation to get around. And oftentimes, transport costs are included in tuition fees – giving you unlimited access to the city’s whole transportation system.  

But in some cities – like Toronto and Montreal – you can buy your own pass at a reduced fare. In Montreal, a student pass costs $53 CAD/month. In Toronto, which is a much more expensive city, a pass costs $128 CAD/month.  

Outside of larger cities, it can also be useful to have a car, especially if you are used to driving at home. But, keep in mind this can cost a lot extra. To get an idea of how much it costs to drive a car in Canada, check out this driving costs calculator by the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA).  

Entertainment costs 

Canada offers many cultural and outdoor activities for you to enjoy. You can find world-class music festivals, skiing and snowboarding, and giant sporting events like basketball, hockey, and baseball games.  

Of course, you will also still get to enjoy many things you did at home. Here are a few things you might like to do in Canada, along with how much each costs:  

  • Visit a renowned museum (many offer free evenings, and entrance for young people or students) 

  • Meet a friend for coffee ($1.76 CAD at coffee chain Tim Hortons) 

  • Rent skates and go ice-skating outdoors (about $10 CAD)

  • Watch a movie in theaters (about $15 CAD)

  • Eat dinner at a casual restaurant (about $15-25 CAD)

Insurance costs 

Canada has a publicly-funded health system. However, each province and territory administers its own healthcare. Whether or not you can receive publicly-funded medical coverage will depend on where you are in Canada.  

If you don’t qualify for public healthcare, your institution might require you to enroll in a specific insurance plan or find your own private coverage. You should check with your institutions about exactly what coverage you need to study safety in Canada.  

Hidden costs 

Lots of hidden costs arise when studying abroad, and there are a few things students in Canada should keep in mind.  

For one, it is expensive to own a cellphone in Canada. In fact, cell phone bills in Canada are among the highest in the world. Canadians pay $101 CAD/month, on average, for a cellphone plan.  

You will also need to buy warm winter clothing – including a jacket, boots, socks, gloves, hat, and scarf. You can expect to pay about $300-$400 CAD for these items brand new. However, thrift stores might also carry winter clothing for much cheaper.  

Finally, you shouldn’t forget about Canadian sales taxes. Taxes in Canada are higher than many places in the world and range from about 12%-15%.

Infographic- Student guide: What is the cost of living in Canada?

Feeling ready to go to Canada? 

At PTE Academic, we want to help you achieve your Canadian study dreams. Book your PTE Academic test today – wherever you are in the world.  

Check exam fees and find the closest test center to you now.

Related Content

  • Image- Writing journal 1080px
    Writing: Self-improvement
    By PTE Author
    Reading time: 4 minutes

    As part of the PTE Academic, you must demonstrate a certain set of core English skills to maximize your score.

    To help you do your best in Part 1: Writing we’ve put together some tips.

    Summarize Written Text

    In the Summarize Written Text question type, you will be scored based on the content, formal requirements, grammar, and vocabulary.

    When completing this question type you should first quickly scan read the text prompt given to make sure you understand what it is about. If you are unsure what it is about, make a guess based on the context.

    You should try to take notes on the Erasable Noteboard Booklet or on the screen as you read. If you do use the screen, remember to delete your notes before clicking ‘next’ or time runs out.

    Some quick ways to pick up points include:

    • Stick to the topic or purpose of the text. Key points in the text will usually be repeated, developed, and highlighted – try to include these in your writing. If you do not summarize the meaning or purpose you will score zero points.

    • Do not include examples or supporting evidence in your summary.

    • Use words from the text but try to use synonyms where possible.

    • Use noun phrases where possible to show that you can use certain features of academic vocabulary in your writing.

    When completing the question type, make sure you write only one sentence. If you write more, points will be lost.

    A good sentence for this question type is 20-35 words long. If you write a short sentence, it will not capture all the meaning. Remember to check the word count in the box below your answer.

    As you write the sentence, try to think about:

    • Have I summarized the key points?

    • Does my sentence start with a capital letter and end with a full stop? If you spell everything in capital letters or all of the words are in lower case, you will score zero.

    • Did I use run-on sentences? If you have, change them to a compound or complex sentence.

    Make sure to use grammatical structures that you feel you can write correctly. Usually, a complex structure is required for summarizing text.

    Don’t forget, always take time to check your grammar and vocabulary before clicking “next” or the 10 minutes is up.

    When checking your answer, look for articles, especially ‘the’, prepositions, tenses, plurals, and subject-verb agreement as well as your own common errors. Check that you have not written a run-on sentence. If so, turn it into a compound or complex sentence.

    Write Essay

    The second part of the Writing section contains the Write Essay question type.

    This question type will test grammar, spelling, vocabulary, and written discourse skills. It is important to manage time, as you will need enough time to plan, write and proofread the essay, all within 20 minutes.

    You will be scored on the content and formal requirements of the question, as well as your grammar, general linguistic range, vocabulary range, and spelling.

    Overall your essay should:

    • Address the prompt. If not, you will score zero.

    • Be well-planned and organized.

    • Demonstrate critical thinking to show a logical approach to the essay topic.

    • Include 4 paragraphs: an introduction, 2 body paragraphs each developing an idea, and a short conclusion summarizing your ideas.

    • Include examples, explanations, and facts to support the point of view you are expressing.

    • Be between 200-300 words long. Try to write just over 200 words and use the time to check the quality of your writing. If you write less than 200 or more than 380 words, you will score zero.

    Use the same method of taking notes as the Summarize Written Text question type.

    Your introduction can be linked to the body paragraphs with an overview. Then, the first body paragraph can be linked to the second body paragraph with a cohesive device.

    More information on cohesive devices can be found at the below links:

    Then for a conclusion, link it by writing In conclusion, To conclude.. etc.

    In your writing, try to use complex sentences as you will score more points. Make sure to vary language by using synonyms, antonyms, and academic vocabulary.

    The use of appropriate idiomatic expressions or colloquialisms will help you score well, but do not use too many as your writing will not be entirely academic.

    Lastly, when it comes to spelling, make sure to spell each word correctly. Making more than 1 spelling mistake will mean you will score zero for this question.

    Always remember to proofread your writing to make sure there are no errors before clicking next.

    Want more prep ideas?

    Explore Smart Prep, which combines all our practice materials in one place, so it's easier for you to stay on track with your PTE preparation.

    • Smart Prep is a clear path to test day, guiding you through the official paid and free resources available for your test

    • It can be accessed whether you’ve booked a test or not – just create, or sign in to your myPTE account

    • Preparation materials include guided practice tests, introductory videos, video courses and test tips.

    Ready to get started?

  • Image- A guy on headset and using laptop- 1800px
    Strategies to Improve English Listening Skills
    By PTE Author
    Reading time: 3 minutes

    Part 3: Listening in PTE Academic requires many hours of practice to maximize your score. Whilst practicing other parts of the test you would have learned certain core English skills that are needed in Part 3 that you can further improve.

    To do well in the listening questions set a daily goal of listening regularly to authentic English texts. The more you listen, the better you will do in the test.

    When choosing recordings to listen to, do not choose examples that are too difficult. Start at a level you are comfortable with and build up to a higher level example as you improve.

    If you find the recording too difficult, try to just listen for the content words, such as nouns, adjectives, and verbs so that you can pick up the meaning of the recording.

    Always try to listen as many times as you need to fully understand the content. Try to go back and listen to the same recording a few days later to help you remember the content, vocabulary, and pronunciation.

    Use an Online Tone Generator tool to help slow down recordings and keep the original pitch of the speaker. Try not to slow it down so much that you translate the meaning into your own language as this will not help improve your listening skills.

    Don’t forget to be an active listener and focus on what you are hearing.

    What should I listen to?

    As the speakers in PTE Academic have various accents, we recommend listening to a wide range of speakers from different backgrounds to learn the different pronunciations used.

    Try to listen to speakers from Britain, America, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, as well as second language speakers from India, China, and Europe.

    Some of the below podcasts will help:

    You can also listen to radio around the world at Live Online Radio.

    When listening keep a listening diary to write down the titles of recordings along with notes. Listen for stressed words in the recordings as these are usually the most important.

    The easiest way to take notes will be to use abbreviations and/or symbols as you will not have enough time in the test to write full words.

    From your notes, you should be able to answer the following questions:

    • What was the topic and main ideas?

    • What accent did the speaker/s use?

    • Was it interesting?

    • What did you learn from it?

    • What vocabulary did you learn?

    • Do you want to listen to more texts from that site?

    • Did you need to slow the text down? If so, what speed?

    • How many times did you listen to the text? Do you want to listen again?

    • Do you feel your listening skills are improving?

    What's next?

    To learn more about how to apply listening skills and improve test results, view our self-improvement strategies:

  • Image- writing 1080px
    Writing: core English skills part 1
    By PTE Author
    Reading time: 4 minutes

    Part 1 of PTE Academic includes a variety of speaking and writing question types. For writing questions, you may need to improve your skills, such as grammar, spelling, and vocabulary.

    To help practice these skills, we’ve put together some tips on how to improve for this part of the test.

    Grammar

    To help improve grammar, get into the habit of reading something in English every day.

    Create a reading plan and a reading goal to improve your grammar. Start by reading for at least 30 minutes a day.

    It’s recommended that you read a range of texts that you find interesting. Also read news articles on English news sites such as:

    It is hard to use correct grammar in long sentences, so try to keep sentences short: about 18 to 30 words. You should also practice with a variety of short and long sentences.

    Always remember to:

    • End sentences with a full stop (period)

    • Use uppercase and lowercase correctly

    Try to avoid run-on sentences. These are sentences which should be cut to make a shorter sentence, or properly joined to make a grammatically correct sentence.

    You can avoid run-on sentences by using compound and complex sentences, which will also help improve your score. Use commas when writing complex sentences. Some examples of the compound and complex sentences can be found through the British Council’s Learn English website.

    To perform well, learn to proofread your writing so that you can complete the question types as correctly as possible.

    If you can identify areas that you often get wrong, you should work on improving these areas. Ask your English teacher for help, or if you don’t have an English teacher, you can look up your common errors on the internet.

    Spelling

    PTE Academic recognizes and accepts US, UK, Australian and Canadian spelling. However, you should be careful with your spelling. Once you have chosen a spelling convention for one question, keep using it within that question. You can change the spelling format in answers to other questions if you like.

    Vocabulary

    To do well in the writing test, you need to have a broad vocabulary. You should have a good dictionary to help you. A good dictionary will have the meaning, related forms of the word, and example sentences.

    Longman Dictionaries are a great resource to help you improve your vocabulary.

    You should expose yourself to new words at least ten times a day to expand your vocabulary. To learn a new word you should read it, write it and listen to it many times over a couple of days so you can understand the word and use the correct pronunciation.

    Another way to expand your vocabulary is to learn the word forms of words you already know.

    For example, climate (noun), acclimatization (noun), climatic (adjective), acclimatize (verb) etc.

    Each of the above word forms mean something slightly different, so try to learn all the meanings of each word.

    In PTE Academic you will score higher points for vocabulary if by using academic words in your writing. Try to learn some of the most frequent academic words used in writing.

    Also, think about using synonyms in your writing to avoid repetition of words. A thesaurus can help you find synonyms for common academic words.

    The other elements of your vocabulary to consider are correct common prefixes and suffixes, which are added to the base words. Prefixes can change the meaning of a word, for example, expensive and inexpensive.

    Adding a suffix, however, can change the part of speech of the word. A common suffix used is ly, which can change an adjective into an adverb (quick/quickly), ment can change a verb into a noun (entertain/entertainment).

    There are also collocations, which help you use the right word combinations, as some English words just don’t work well together. To identify collocations, read the PTE Academic collocation list.

    PTE Academic is not very strict about accepting only academic vocabulary. You will not lose points for the use of personal pronouns. You will, however, score more points by using higher-level academic vocabulary in the correct way.

    You should try to keep a notebook of new words you learn, their meanings, synonyms, and all the parts of vocabulary that may help you in the test.

    The last core skill required for the writing test is written discourse.

    Want more prep ideas?

    Plus, explore Smart Prep, which combines all our practice materials in one place, so it's easier for you to stay on track with your PTE preparation.

    • Smart Prep is a clear path to test day, guiding you through the official paid and free resources available for your test

    • It can be accessed whether you’ve booked a test or not – just create, or sign in to your myPTE account

    • Preparation materials include guided practice tests, introductory videos, video courses and test tips.

    Ready to get started?