Ottawa vs San Diego Cost of Living
Ottawa (Canada) · Overall index 55.3 — San Diego (United States) · Overall index 80.0
Summary
- Overall, San Diego is 45% more expensive than Ottawa.
- Rent in San Diego is 96% more expensive than in Ottawa.
- Transport in San Diego is 43% more expensive than in Ottawa.
| Item | Ottawa | San Diego | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | +96% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $1,311 | $2,906 | +122% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $1,016 | $1,560 | +54% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $2,779 | $5,348 | +92% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $1,605 | $3,541 | +121% |
| Groceries | +32% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $1.02 | $1.29 | +26% |
| White bread (500g) | $2.86 | $3.77 | +32% |
| Rice (1kg) | $3.59 | $4.26 | +19% |
| Eggs (12) | $3.7 | $4.41 | +19% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $9.77 | $14.8 | +51% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $9.69 | $12.7 | +31% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $15.1 | $19.1 | +26% |
| Apples (1kg) | $3.95 | $5.14 | +30% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $1.65 | $1.82 | +10% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $3.5 | $3.98 | +14% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $3.79 | $5.15 | +36% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $2.01 | $3.07 | +53% |
| Onions (1kg) | $2.04 | $2.92 | +43% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $1.83 | $2.36 | +29% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $1.66 | $2.61 | +57% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $10.4 | $15.1 | +45% |
| Transport | +43% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $1.77 | $2.68 | +51% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $72.4 | $122 | +69% |
| Taxi, base fare | $2.42 | $3.68 | +52% |
| Taxi, per km | $1.4 | $1.86 | +33% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.67 | $0.87 | +30% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $19,628 | $26,442 | +35% |
| Dining out | +33% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $15.1 | $22.6 | +50% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $86.6 | $107 | +24% |
| Fast food combo meal | $8.93 | $11.9 | +33% |
| Cappuccino | $3.47 | $5.18 | +49% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.96 | $2.16 | +10% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $5.29 | $5.99 | +13% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $5.06 | $7.37 | +46% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.32 | $1.87 | +42% |
| Telecom | +31% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $43 | $63.4 | +47% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $44.6 | $55.3 | +24% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.24 | $0.31 | +29% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $10.9 | $13.3 | +22% |
| Utilities & household | +29% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $124 | $153 | +23% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.14 | $0.2 | +43% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $3.68 | $4.02 | +9% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $1.18 | $1.46 | +24% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $17.1 | $20.8 | +22% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $61.3 | $79.6 | +30% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $11.2 | $15.3 | +37% |
| Men's haircut | $24.4 | $27.1 | +11% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $17.2 | $26.6 | +55% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $1,402 | $2,070 | +48% |
3,073 total data points · Price data as of 2026-07-01 · Exchange rates as of 2026-07-15
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Estimates for reference only — not official statistics.
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