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Boston vs Ottawa cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐บ๐ธ Boston
๐จ๐ฆ Ottawa
At a glance
- Where Ottawa is clearly cheaper: Studio rent (month) (50%โ), Hotel night (49%โ), Entry ticket (44%โ)
- Where Boston is clearly cheaper: Transit (20%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Boston | Ottawa | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | $ 23$23 | C$ 20$14.7 | Ottawa โ36% |
| Street food1 item | $ 14$14 | C$ 13$9.56 | Ottawa โ32% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | $ 50$50 | C$ 45$33.1 | Ottawa โ34% |
| Coffeeone cup | $ 5.8$5.8 | C$ 5.5$4.04 | Ottawa โ30% |
| Beerone bottle | $ 8$8 | C$ 8.5$6.25 | Ottawa โ22% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | $ 18$18 | C$ 17$12.5 | Ottawa โ31% |
| Bottled water | $ 2.3$2.3 | C$ 2.5$1.84 | Ottawa โ20% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | $ 2.8$2.8 | C$ 3$2.21 | Ottawa โ21% |
| Taxi5 km in town | $ 17$17 | C$ 16$11.8 | Ottawa โ31% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | $ 11$11 | C$ 10$7.35 | Ottawa โ33% |
| Transitone ride | $ 2.4$2.4 | C$ 4.1$3.01 | Boston โ20% |
| Scooter rentalper day | $ 35$35 | C$ 50$36.8 | Boston โ5% |
| Hotel night3-star | $ 300$300 | C$ 210$154 | Ottawa โ49% |
| Studio rent (month) | $ 2,900$2,900 | C$ 1,960$1,441 | Ottawa โ50% |
| Laundry | $ 4$4 | C$ 5$3.68 | Ottawa โ8% |
| SIM card1 week data | $ 30$30 | C$ 35$25.7 | Ottawa โ14% |
| Haircutcut | $ 32$32 | C$ 30$22.1 | Ottawa โ31% |
| Massage1 hour | $ 110$110 | C$ 105$77.2 | Ottawa โ30% |
| Half-day tourper person | $ 45$45 | C$ 60$44.1 | similar |
| Entry ticketTourist town | $ 30$30 | C$ 23$16.9 | Ottawa โ44% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Boston or Ottawa?
Ottawa is 44% cheaper than Boston. Daily budget $484 vs $275; a month $9,338 vs $5,131.
Which is easier to travel, Boston or Ottawa?
About the same: Boston 1.4/5, Ottawa 1.4/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Boston and Ottawa?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Boston is about $9,338 and Ottawa about $5,131 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.