Ontario · 2025
Cost of living in Ottawa
The capital's large public-sector workforce supports steady incomes, with rents meaningfully below Toronto's but transit costs still on the high side.
What it costs each month in Ottawa
Typical figures for a one-person household. Your own number depends on your housing, habits, and income — that’s what the Cost of Living Score assessment works out.
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How Ottawa compares
How this score is calculated
The Cost of Living Score adds up a city’s typical monthly essentials — rent, groceries, transit, and utilities — and compares that total to the average across the Canadian cities we track. A city at the average scores around 50; cheaper cities score higher, pricier ones lower. Higher always means more affordable.
Sources: Rent from CMHC Fall 2024 + Rentals.ca one-bedroom averages; groceries from Canada's Food Price Report 2025; transit is the OC Transpo adult monthly pass; utilities blend Ontario electricity and CRTC internet pricing. Figures are typical city-level estimates for a one-person household, not a personal budget, and shift over time.