Compared to other study-abroad destinations like North America, Australia, and New Zealand, living expenses in Canada are pretty affordable. However, if students don't know to manage their living costs and choose to be extravagant about their expenses, they will realize how easy it is to spend money.
Before moving to a new country to study, many avenues need to be analysed, including whether the cost of living is affordable. The main concern of an international student is mainly the tuition fees and all the other expenses while studying, including health insurance, accommodation costs, and other additional expenses.
The cost of living in Canada is based on the city's popularity, lifestyle, and growth; the more significant the city, the higher the cost of living. Many of the reputed universities in Canada are funded by the government, which benefits students as the tuition fee here is comparatively lower than in other countries.
Accommodation
While planning to study abroad, accommodation is a big concern for all international students. The cost of accommodation varies from city to city in big cities such as Vancouver, Ontario, and Montreal; accommodations are pricey.
During the first years, students prefer to live on campus, sharing their rooms with other students while sharing the kitchen, laundry room, and social area, costing them around CAD 500 to 2000. After getting familiar with the place and people, students prefer living off-campus, where they share flats with their friends.
The rental price varies from city to city; Vancouver, Toronto, and Calgary are the most expensive cities in Canada. For off-campus accommodations, students must spend around CAD 700 to 2200 per month.
The food expenses of an individual depend on their eating habits and what they prefer. A substantial meal in Canada costs you around CAD6 to 15. But if a student prefers home-cooked meals, you can stabilize your expenses in food. Students spend around CAD 1500 to 3000 per year on food.
Travel expenses
Students residing near their institutions prefer walking, whereas students living far from significant cities must commute via bus or metro. Monthly bus or metro passes may cost students around CAD 80 to 110 per month, but you can also get a discount using your valid student identification.
Health Insurance
Health insurance is a must in Canada for all international students, which also varies from city to city. All international students with a study visa are eligible to benefit from provincial health insurance, which covers all emergency and essential preventive services, or you can either opt for private health insurance, which will cost you around CAD 600 to 1000 and covers dental care, hospital room services, ambulance services, and prescription drugs.
Miscellaneous
Expenses on books and study materials are also to be considered, as a student can spend around CAD 1000 to 2000 per year. This cost can be reduced further by studying in campus libraries, e-books, online PDFs, and more. Since Canada is a cold city, students spend around CAD 900 to 1100 on essential clothing supplies.
Other expenses include personal entertainment, watching movies, travelling, participating in various activities, etc. Students spend around CAD 1000 to 2000 on miscellaneous expenses.
Studying in Canada can be a beneficial choice for any international student due to its affordable and high-quality education recognized worldwide, its multicultural crowds, and all the available working opportunities. These rough figures will help you estimate your cost of living while studying in Canada.
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