Canada’s standard of living is on par with the most prosperous nations in the world. However, the cost of living in Canada’s cities is considerably less than the largest cities in the United States and Western Europe.

One recent expatriate cost-of-living survey found that Toronto, Canada’s most expensive city, was about 21 percent cheaper than the most expensive city in the United States, New York. Despite the physical distance separating Canada’s largest cities, cost-of-living variations are relatively small. The least expensive city in Canada, Ottawa, is 27.7 percent cheaper than New York.