Quebec City at a glance
- Quebec City is the cheapest of Canada's 10 priced cities: $1,518 a month in essentials, 38% below Vancouver at $2,446.
- The average net salary of $2,869 covers that 1.9×.
- 103.1 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at census subdivision level.
- PM2.5 averages 9.2 µg/m³ a year, 2× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 10 Canada cities we track, so every row says whether Quebec City is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $1,518 | $2,054 | 1.35× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $732 | $1,164 | 1.59× as much |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $989 | $1,412 | 1.43× as much |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $204 | $204 | $0 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $366 | $374 | $8 |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $145 | $185 | 1.28× as much |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $71 | $78 | $7 |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $2,869 | $3,036 | $168 |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $1,226 | $1,816 | 1.48× as much |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $1,493 | $2,242 | 1.50× as much |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Quebec City, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $17.74 | $17.74 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $66.42 | $71.97 | $5.55 |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $11.00 | $10.64 | $0.36 |
| Cappuccino, regular | $3.67 | $3.96 | $0.29 |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $5.32 | $5.68 | $0.36 |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $5.68 | $6.39 | $0.71 |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $2.07 | $2.12 | $0.05 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $1.46 | $1.71 | $0.25 |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $2.02 | $2.20 | $0.18 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $2.93 | $2.87 | $0.06 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $3.99 | $3.67 | $0.32 |
| Eggs, 12 | $3.06 | $3.54 | $0.48 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $8.98 | $10.65 | $1.67 |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $11.11 | $11.43 | $0.32 |
| Apples, 1 kg | $4.22 | $4.05 | $0.17 |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $1.55 | $1.40 | $0.16 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $3.88 | $3.96 | $0.08 |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $2.91 | $2.49 | $0.42 |
| Onions, 1 kg | $2.86 | $2.75 | $0.10 |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $1.41 | $1.59 | $0.18 |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $2.84 | $2.57 | $0.27 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $70.61 | $77.88 | $7.27 |
| Taxi start | $2.91 | $2.91 | same |
| Taxi, 1 km | $1.45 | $1.41 | $0.04 |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.24 | $1.23 | $0.01 |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $99.68 | $134.80 | 1.35× as much |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $45.26 | $53.62 | $8.36 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $31.93 | $38.20 | $6.27 |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $36.93 | $42.95 | $6.02 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $11.00 | $11.61 | $0.61 |
Dating-age sex ratio
Quebec City has 103.1 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (census subdivision level). That is the 2nd-highest of 10 Canada cities we track. Canada's national figure is 104.8, so Quebec City runs 2 below the country as a whole.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Quebec City ranks against every city we track
Quebec City sits ahead of 86% of the 562 cities we track on safety. On salary against local costs it is ahead of 85% of 534. Its weakest measure is city-centre rent, ahead of only 31% of 553.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Quebec City sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
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Photo: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0.
