Cost of living comparison
Ottawa is 1.7% more expensive than Cary.
- Restaurants
-
pay 6.2% less in Ottawa
- Groceries
-
pay 7.0% less in Ottawa
- Transportation
-
pay 81.2% more in Ottawa
- Housing
-
pay 10.1% less in Ottawa
- Childcare
-
pay 34.4% less in Ottawa
- Entertainment and Sports
-
pay 22.1% less in Ottawa
- Clothing
-
pay 10.8% more in Ottawa
The cost of transportation and clothing in Ottawa are more expensive than in Cary. Expenses including childcare, entertainment and sports, housing, groceries, and restaurants are lower in Ottawa. Notably, transportation is significantly more expensive in Ottawa.
If you lived in Ottawa instead of Cary, you would:
pay 6.2% less for restaurants
|
Cary
|
Ottawa
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic meal with drink at inexpensive restaurant |
$15.00
|
$17.96
CA$25.95
|
|
|
Fast food combo meal
McDonalds, or similar
|
$9.50
|
$10.78
CA$15.57
|
|
| Bottle of Coca-Cola (11 fl. oz) |
$2.75
|
$2.17
CA$3.14
|
|
| Bottle of water (11 fl. oz) |
$2.42
|
$1.53
CA$2.21
|
|
pay 7.0% less for groceries
|
Cary
|
Ottawa
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Bread
1 loaf
|
$5.18
|
$2.65
CA$3.83
|
|
| Local cheese (8 oz) |
$7.82
|
$6.28
CA$9.07
|
|
| Milk (1 gallon) |
$4.08
|
$9.92
CA$14.34
|
|
|
Eggs
1 dozen
|
$4.50
|
$3.31
CA$4.79
|
|
| Boneless chicken breast (1 lb) |
$6.59
|
$5.89
CA$8.51
|
|
| Apples (1 lb) |
$2.43
|
$1.93
CA$2.79
|
|
| Bananas (1 lb) |
$0.98
|
$0.64
CA$0.92
|
|
| Oranges (1 lb) |
$2.50
|
$1.44
CA$2.08
|
|
| Tomatoes (1 lb) |
$3.18
|
$1.69
CA$2.44
|
|
| Potatoes (1 lb) |
$1.05
|
$1.20
CA$1.74
|
|
| Onions (1 lb) |
$1.15
|
$1.31
CA$1.89
|
|
pay 81.2% more for transportation
|
Cary
|
Ottawa
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline (1 gallon) |
$3.17
|
$4.15
CA$6.00
|
|
| Monthly public transit pass |
$40.00
|
$92.50
CA$133.65
|
|
| New Volkswagen Golf 1.4 (standard edition) | ?? |
$24,412.64
CA$35,270.16
|
|
| Taxi trip in downtown area (5 miles) | ?? |
$18.80
CA$27.15
|
|
pay 10.1% less for housing
|
Cary
|
Ottawa
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Internet connection
50 mbps or faster, cable/dsl
|
$54.83
|
$50.21
CA$72.55
|
|
| 1-Bedroom apartment in downtown area |
$1,494.67
|
$1,425.51
CA$2,059.51
|
|
| 1-Bedroom apartment outside city center |
$1,450.00
|
$1,269.57
CA$1,834.21
|
|
|
Utilities for two
(700 sq ft apartment)
including electric, gas, water, heating
|
$154.52
|
$131.33
CA$189.74
|
|
pay 34.4% less for childcare
|
Cary
|
Ottawa
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Private preschool for 1 child, monthly |
$1,525.00
|
$999.72
CA$1,444.35
|
|
| Middle school for 1 child, two semesters | ?? |
$19,936.07
CA$28,802.64
|
|
pay 22.1% less for entertainment and sports
|
Cary
|
Ottawa
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic/local beer (1 pint) |
$5.00
|
$5.75
CA$8.30
|
|
| Cappuccino in mid-range area |
$5.75
|
$3.71
CA$5.36
|
|
|
Pack of cigarettes
Marlboro or similar
|
?? |
$12.93
CA$18.68
|
|
| Monthly membership at local gym |
$76.50
|
$46.27
CA$66.85
|
|
| Movie ticket to theater/cinema |
$15.00
|
$10.78
CA$15.57
|
|
pay 10.8% more for clothing
|
Cary
|
Ottawa
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Regular jeans
Levi's brand
|
$37.00
|
$57.20
CA$82.63
|
|
|
Regular dress
from H&M or similar store
|
$32.50
|
$44.39
CA$64.13
|
|
|
Running shoes
Nike or Adidas
|
$138.33
|
$97.78
CA$141.26
|
|
| Men's business shoes (leather) |
$136.67
|
$110.86
CA$160.16
|
|
Change currency:
Compare countries by overall cost of living
Help us improve these prices
ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY
Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Ottawa or Cary. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.