When I first moved to Canada, one of the biggest adjustments was getting used to the cost of living. For my first few months here, my brain constantly compared prices, and I obsessively converted every single purchase back into Ukrainian hryvnias — usually panicking a little at the checkout.
Getting my first Canadian paycheque finally broke that habit, but it also made me realize just how differently everyday expenses are priced in Canada compared to Ukraine.
Some things, like rent, car insurance, phone plans and eating out, cost significantly more than I was used to. Others surprised me in the opposite way, including gas and certain imported groceries. Even small things like tipping, tenant insurance and toll roads added expenses I hadn't really had to think about before.
After living in Canada for several years, these are the biggest price differences I've noticed between life here and back home in Ukraine.
Driving is more expensive than I expected
Driving came with some major surprises...
Owning a car in Canada came with a whole new set of financial surprises. The biggest shock by far was auto insurance — as a newcomer with no local driving history, the quote I got almost made me drop my phone.
In Ontario, I pay $220 a month for auto insurance, which feels wild compared to Ukraine, where I paid roughly $150 for an entire year of coverage.
And toll highways were completely new to me, since toll roads don't exist back home. Every time I accidentally find myself on Ontario's 407 ETR, I immediately start second-guessing the decision — especially when the bill lands in my mailbox a month later with extra camera charges because I don't have a transponder.
Gas, however, was a different story. Fuel prices in Ukraine have risen significantly because of the war, making gas there roughly 1.5 times more expensive than what I pay in Canada.
A night out costs so much more
Drinks cost way more than I was used to.
My first night out for drinks in Toronto was a huge eye-opener. In Ukraine, you could sip a cocktail or a glass of wine at a trendy bar for just $5-8. In Toronto, a single cocktail can easily cost between $16-22 — and that's before tax and tip!
Because alcohol is heavily regulated and taxed in Canada, a night out with friends is significantly more expensive than what I was used to.
Eating out comes with extra costs
Eating out in Canada adds up fast!
I never realized how massive Canadian food portions were until I moved here. In Ukraine, I was used to standard restaurant portions, but in Canada, I almost always end up walking out with a takeout container packed with leftovers. It definitely changes how I look at menu prices — I realize I'm basically paying for two meals in one sitting.
Because of this — and how busy life gets here — takeout culture in Canada feels huge compared to back home. In Ukraine, getting takeout was a rare convenience, but since moving to Canada, my family and I find ourselves ordering it more often than we ever used to. It's just such a deeply ingrained part of everyday life here.
In my experience, it's also much harder to find affordable, healthy options on the go. Back home, for example, you can go to a popular Ukrainian bistro and get cabbage rolls, pierogies, fresh salads or roasted potatoes with meat — a full, nutritious lunch including a drink — for around $10. In Canada, $10 will usually only get you a basic fast-food combo.
Even quick street food costs significantly more here. When I'm running errands in Toronto, my favourite meal to grab on the go is shawarma, which is a super popular option in Canada. If I get a regular wrap at a popular chain like Shelby's in Toronto, I pay around $15. Back in Kyiv, I can get a great shawarma wrap for around $7.
When I compare sit-down dining, a burger at a nice restaurant in Kyiv used to cost me around $15, whereas in Toronto I pay around $25. But the real difference hits me at the checkout. In Ukraine, the price I saw on the menu was what I paid, and tipping was optional if I loved the service. In Canada, sales tax isn't included in the menu price, meaning I pay an extra 13% HST here in Ontario — on top of an expected 15% to 25% tip. By the time I get my final bill, eating out is a much bigger investment than it used to be back home.
Rent was a huge reality check
Rent was one of the biggest shocks!
Rent takes up the biggest chunk of my monthly budget, and Canadian housing prices were a massive eye-opener. In a big city like Toronto, finding a decent one-bedroom apartment in a good neighbourhood can easily cost around $2,800 a month. According to data from Numbeo, rent in Kyiv is, on average, over 60% lower than in Toronto.
On top of that, there's the added cost of tenant insurance. In Ukraine, tenant insurance exists, but it isn't typically required by landlords, so very few people get it. In Canada, having tenant insurance is pretty much standard practice and is often expected before you can even move in, adding another recurring bill to the stack.
Groceries surprised me in both directions
Grocery shopping works pretty differently!
Groceries in Canada were another huge adjustment, but with some very pleasant surprises. Canada definitely has a much bigger selection of international products year-round. I love that even in the middle of winter, I can buy fresh berries or avocados imported from Mexico at reasonable prices. In Ukraine, avocados are extremely expensive, and winter berries look more like display decorations in the produce section than actual food!
On the other hand, basic staples brought some real price surprises. Cheese is noticeably more expensive in Canada than back home, but the price of apples completely shocked me. In Ukraine, I normally got apples for free straight from a tree or paid practically nothing for them at the local market. In Canada, buying apples can somehow end up being more expensive than buying strawberries in the middle of winter!
Simple treats are bought differently, too — it's surprisingly hard to just buy a single ice cream bar at the grocery store in Canada, as you usually have to buy a pack of six.
Buying from local producers works totally differently here, too. In Canada, going to a local farmers market often feels more like a social experience, and you can end up paying more for the atmosphere. In Ukraine, open-air markets are much more practical — you go there to save money and buy fresh produce directly from local farmers.
The monthly bills really add up
My monthly bills got a lot bigger when I moved to Canada.
Basic utilities were another area where the price gap really caught me off guard. Phone plans in Canada are much more expensive than back home. In Ukraine, I paid around $10 a month for a plan with unlimited data, but in Canada, I pay about $60 a month for my mobile plan — a massive jump for essentially the same service.
Then there's electricity — or hydro, as everyone calls it here. Coming from Ukraine, I was so confused about why people call electricity "hydro," but I soon learned the term comes from Canada's long history of hydroelectric power. In Kyiv, our electricity bill averaged around $90 a month, but in Canada, my monthly hydro bill sits around $220.
Adding those costs up every single month makes staying connected and keeping the lights on a much bigger expense than I ever expected.
Living in Canada definitely comes with way more recurring expenses than I was used to in Ukraine. Between tenant insurance, higher phone bills and tipping, it can feel like there's always another extra charge or monthly expense waiting for you.
Figuring out all these added costs took some time, but learning how to budget for them has made settling into Canada a lot easier!
The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.