Ottawa vs Québec Cost of Living Comparison
Executive summary: Québec leads on CPI (46.4 vs 48.4, NYC=100), Ottawa leads on rent index, and Québec leads on purchasing power. Validate neighbourhood rents before relocating — city-wide winners can reverse at district scale.
Overall Cost Winner
Québec
Lower overall CPI; largest measurable gaps: Salary (12% gap, Québec ahead); Purchasing Power (12% gap, Québec ahead).
Monthly Cost Difference
Estimated monthly housing+utilities+internet basket is about $15 lower in Ottawa than in Québec (~2% gap; converted via exchange rates).
Estimated monthly difference: $15 (favoring Ottawa).
Category Winners
| Category | Winner | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Overall CPI | Québec | CPI 46.4 vs 48.4 (lower is better) |
| Housing | Ottawa | Rent index 21.8 vs 22.2 (lower is better) |
| Food | Québec | Groceries index 54.1 vs 56 (lower is better) |
| Transport | Québec | One-way ticket 1.48 vs 1.55 (lower is better) |
| Utilities | Ottawa | Utilities (85m²) 59.73 vs 60.83 (lower is better) |
| Internet | Ottawa | Internet 63.58 vs 63.68 (lower is better) |
| Restaurants | Québec | Restaurant index 36 vs 39 (lower is better) |
| Salary | Québec | Avg net salary 5402.18 vs 4841.58 (higher is better) |
| Purchasing Power | Québec | PP index 63.6 vs 57 (higher is better) |
Biggest Difference
Salary: Québec leads with a 12% gap.
Avg net salary 5402.18 vs 4841.58 (higher is better)
Quick Decision
- Students: Ottawa — Lower housing / rent index (2% gap).
- Families: Ottawa — Housing is typically the largest household line; rent index favors Ottawa; purchasing power favors Québec.
- Remote Workers: Québec — Everyday cost index (CPI) favors Québec (~4% gap).
- Budget Living: Québec — Lowest overall consumer-price index in this pair.
Key Takeaways
- Québec is the overall cost winner on CPI (~4% lower everyday-cost index than Ottawa).
- Housing: Ottawa leads on rent index (2% gap).
- Food / groceries: Québec is lower (3% gap).
- Purchasing power: Québec scores higher (12% gap).
- Largest category gap: Salary (12%), favoring Québec.
- Sample monthly basket (1BR + utilities + internet) is ~$15 cheaper in Ottawa.
Analysis
Detailed breakdown uses only paired indices: CPI 48.4/46.4, rent 21.8/22.2, purchasing power 57/63.6. Category winners can diverge — a city may win rent while losing CPI. No GDP, climate, or industry claims are invented for either city.
Trust & data transparency
Last updated: 2026-08-23
Data Sources
This page uses CityCost index inputs. Platform sources (see also Data sources):
- Nearby
- Regional
On-page labels for this view: Nearby · Regional.
Methodology
Each indexed city is associated with a reference basket of common living costs (for example rent, groceries samples, transport tickets, utilities, restaurant meals, and net salary where available). From those items, the platform derives relative indices such as CPI, rent, groceries, restaurants, and local purchasing power, using New York City = 100 as the familiar baseline convention for relative comparison.