Categories > Guides and Tips
Scotland vs. Canada: Which is cheaper?
- Is it cheaper to live in Scotland or Canada?
- Dining Out
- Rent & Utilities
- Transportation
- Groceries
- Sports and Leisure
- Childcare
- Education
- Primary to Secondary Education
- Post-secondary Education
- Post-secondary Education in Scotland
- Post-secondary Education in Canada
- Clothing and Other Expenses
- FAQs on living in Scotland
- FAQs on living in Canada
Torn between Scotland and Canada? While both cities are attractive in their own rights, there are unique cost considerations for each one.
In this article, we discuss how much it costs to settle down in each of these places.
Read on, so you can better decide which suits you best!
Is it cheaper to live in Scotland or Canada?
On average, it’s 22.16% cheaper to live in Scotland than Canada. Overall, Scotland’s cost of living is £1,192, while Canada’s is £1,489.
Below are some of the key factors that affect cost of living in each location:
| Expense Type | Canada | Scotland |
| Dining Out | £1.49 – £50.5 | £1.46 – £48.1 |
| Rent & Utilities | £47.1 – £4,738 | £27.7 – £3,650 |
| Transportation | £0.91 – £4,803.36 | £0.92 – £3,699.41 |
| Groceries | £0.9 – £11.1 | £0.64 – £11.2 |
| Sports and Leisure | £8.94 – £32.38 | £9.25 – £29.15 |
| Childcare | £109.5 – £1,203.12 | FREE – £794 |
| Education | £4,862.24 – £50,260.12 | FREE – £36,609.67 |
| Clothing and Other Expenses | £13 – £68.8 | £11.7 – £77.8 |
Read on as we delve into each of these cost of living’s considerations below!
1. Dining Out
Eating out in Canada is pricier than dining in Scotland, although the difference isn’t really that big.
Check out the average expenses when dining out in Scotland and Canada:
| Expense Type | Canada | Scotland |
| Lunch Menu | £11.4 | £12.5 |
| Dinner in a Restaurant (For 2) | £50.5 | £47.8 |
| Fast Food Meal | £7.36 | £5.71 |
| Beer in a Pub (0.5 L or 16 fl oz) | £4.15 | £3.92 |
| Cappuccino | £2.89 | £2.76 |
| Pepsi / Coke (0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz) | £1.49 | £1.45 |
2. Rent & Utilities
In terms of rent and utilities, Canada is still more high-priced than Scotland.
Here are the detailed price ranges between the two:
| Canada | Scotland | |
| 1-Bedroom Apartment in Downtown (40 m² or 430 ft²) | £856 | £684 |
| Cheap 1-Bedroom Apartment (40 m² or 430 ft²) | £719 | £507 |
| 3-Bedroom Apartment in Downtown (80 m² or 860 ft²) | £1,538 | £1,347 |
| Cheap 3-Bedroom Apartment (80 m² or 860 ft²) | £1,272 | £889 |
| Utility Bill for One Person | £71.7 | £93.6 |
| Utility Bill for Family | £110 | £144 |
| Internet Plan | £47.1 | £27.5 |
Meanwhile, here are the cost comparisons for buying an apartment or house in either location:
| Canada | Scotland | |
| Apartment Price to Buy in City Centre (1 m² or 10 ft²) | £4,738 | £3,625 |
| House Price to Buy in Suburbs (1 m² or 10 ft²) | £3,616 | £2,552 |
| Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 years | 5.09% | 2.92% |
3. Transportation
In terms of transportation, Canada is still more expensive than Scotland. However, both countries have buses, trains, ferry ports, taxis and aeroplanes.
Here is the detailed difference between the two in terms of transportation fees:
| Transportation Type | Canada | Scotland |
| Bus | £1.51 – £51.60 | £1.49 – £49.10 |
| Trains | £9.14 – £33.02 | £9.42 – £29.70 |
| Ferry Ports | £1.24 – £68.75 | £1.55 – £65.07 |
| Taxi | £0.91 – £11.31 | £0.93 – £11.42 |
| Aeroplane | £48.07 – £4,834.65 | £96.28 – £3,727.18 |
4. Groceries
Scotland is still generally cheaper than Canada in terms of grocery items.
Here are some of the basic food necessities with their significant price ranges per location:
| Expense Type | Canada | Scotland |
| Milk (1 L or 1 qt) | £1.64 | £0.9 |
| Bread (0.5 kg or 1.1 lb) | £1.8 | £0.99 |
| Rice (1 kg or 2.2 lb) | £2.22 | £1.18 |
| Eggs (1 Dozen) | £2.47 | £2.14 |
| Cheese (1 kg or 2.2 lb) | £10.2 | £6.32 |
| Chicken Breast (1 kg or 2.2 lb) | £8.93 | £5.69 |
| Round Steak (1 kg or 2.2 lb) | £11.1 | £8.11 |
| Apples (1 kg or 2.2 lb) | £2.78 | £1.78 |
| Banana (1 kg or 2.2 lb) | £1.17 | £1.06 |
| Oranges (1 kg or 2.2 lb) | £2.69 | £1.76 |
| Tomato (1 kg or 2.2 lb) | £2.89 | £1.83 |
| Potato (1 kg or 2.2 lb) | £1.8 | £0.99 |
| Onion (1 kg or 2.2 lb) | £1.76 | £0.93 |
| Water (1 L or 1 qt) | £0.9 | £0.64 |
| Coca-Cola/Pepsi (2 L or 67.6 fl oz) | £1.74 | £1.91 |
| Wine (mid-priced – 750 mL bottle) | £10.3 | £7.22 |
| Beer (0.5 L or 16 fl oz) | £2.19 | £1.72 |
| Cigarette Pack | £9.77 | £11.2 |
| Cold Medicine (1 week) | £7.4 | £4.09 |
| Hair Shampoo | £3.54 | £3.49 |
| Toilet Paper (4 rolls) | £1.98 | £1.89 |
| Toothpaste (1 tube) | £1.75 | £1.62 |
5. Sports and Leisure
Moving to sports and leisure, both places have lots to offer but Canada is still pricier than Scotland in greater degree.
We have listed down the most common sports and leisure activities with their corresponding price ranges per location.
| Expense Type | Canada | Scotland |
| Gym Membership | £32.4 | £29.1 |
| Cinema Ticket | £8.96 | £9.23 |
| Nightclubs | £3.05-£9.14 | £4.03-£5.04 |
| Ice Hockey | £30.46-£121.83 | £10.29-£13.11 |
| Baseball | £30.46 | £5.04 |
| Soccer/Football | £12.18-£18.27 | £255.12 |
| Skiing and Snowboarding (cheapest) | £6.70-£121.81 | £5.90-£42.02 |
| Singing Lessons | £16.44-£213.15 | £15.11-£50.37 |
| Dance Lessons | £14.01-£168.08 | £15.11-£40.29 |
| Swimming | £9.91-£63.57 | £4.70-£4.73 |
| Ballet Performances | £26.79-£505.54 | £24.37-£91.35 |
From the table above, you can see the large difference between Canada and Scotland, particularly in ice hockey, soccer/football and ballet performances.
Each city has corresponding sectors where they are more expensive than the other. Nevertheless, Canada is still at a higher-priced on average than Scotland.
6. Childcare
Both Scotland and Canada provide free childcare, much to the relief of working parents.
However, almost all childcare centres in Canada are paid for by parents except in Quebec; unlike in Scotland, where all children aged 2-4 years old are eligible for 1,140 hours of free early learning.
To provide a bigger perspective, childcare is different from daycare since they are often interchanged with one another.
Childcare provides a higher level of care compared to daycare centres. In daycare, the staff only take care of children during the day when parents are unavailable to look after their child due to work and other personal reasons.
It includes the development of children’s abilities before they start going to school and experiencing the world outside. It includes learning mathematics and taking pre-literacy subjects, too.
Hence, these centres are categorised into different types. There’s family home-based care, centre-based care, preschool, or even before- and after-school care.
However, this sector still requires some fees, especially if you plan to enrol your kids in a private programme.
Comparing the two, the average monthly cost of private childcare in Canada starts at £109.54 up to £1,203.12 depending on location. This is higher by 40.49% compared to Scotland’s average price of £794 per month.
7. Education
In terms of formal education, Canada is less expensive by 55.49% compared to Scotland if considering fees from primary to secondary students, while costlier by 102.41% if pertaining to postsecondary education.
Primary to Secondary Education
The average tuition fee per year for primary to secondary students in Canada falls at £4,862.24, while Scotland’s at £8,595.91.
Below are the average expenses for primary to secondary education:
| Expense Type | Canada | Scotland |
| International Primary School | £10,972 | £11,950 |
| Public schools | £5,751.51 – £10,293.72 | FREE |
| Private or independent day schools | £9,082.69 – £18,166.89 | £30,026.68 |
| Private or independent boarding schools | £38,150.47 – £50,260.12 | £36,609.67 |
Both primary and secondary students can also be charged with fees by other extracurricular activities such as field trips, sports teams and clubs.
Post-secondary Education
In terms of post-secondary education, here are the differences in educational expenses between Canada and Scotland:
| Canada | Scotland | |
| Average yearly tuition fee | £5,639.77 | £1,820 |
| Post-secondary institutions | Tuition to be shouldered by student, if scholarship isn’t applicable (£5,656.12 – £17,551.24) | Free of charge for Scottish citizens and other specific nationals (if approved by SAAS) |
Post-secondary Education in Scotland
Scotland has colleges which are mostly vocational courses and universities which offer undergraduate and graduate studies.
In fact, biotechnology, environmental sciences, life sciences and medical research are fields in which Scottish universities show expertise of.
Scottish universities’ fees range from £1,820 – £30,000 per year.
However, there are way study for free. Fee status is determined by your category, which will be assessed when you submit an application to SAAS (Student Awards Agency for Scotland).
Categories vary if you’re a UK national, another European country citizen, have three years’ residency in the country, and more.
Scholarship programmes are also available in Scotland such as the US South Pacific Scholarship Program, Saltire Scholarships, Microsoft Disability Scholarship and more.
Post-secondary Education in Canada
Language school, colleges, vocational school, universities — everything is also available in Canada.
Here’s a quick overview of the fees per school type:
| School Type | Tuition Fee Per Year |
| Language schools | £207 to £259 (per week) |
| College and vocational schools | £4,260.22 to £13,389.25 |
| Universities | £4,138.21 to £12,840.61 |
In addition, college programmes usually place students in internships, so they can earn as well while studying.
There are also various international scholarship programmes for students such as CIFAR Global Scholars, Research Associate Programme, Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships and the like — which depends on the level you’re taking.
8. Clothing and Other Expenses
When it comes to buying clothes and attending to other personal needs, Canada proves to be more expensive again than Scotland.
As this category is broad, here are some top necessities to consider in this sector and their average computed expenses:
| Canada | Scotland | |
| Branded Jeans | £43.2 | £61 |
| Branded Sneakers | £68.8 | £63.8 |
| Haircut | £13 | £11.7 |
| Doctor’s Visit | £61.8 | £77.8 |
Of course, actual cost is determined by your lifestyle needs and preferences.
FAQs on living in Scotland
FAQs on living in Canada
Have you decided which city suits you best? We hope we have guided you well in selecting the best one for you!
