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Ottawa vs Philadelphia cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐จ๐ฆ Ottawa
๐บ๐ธ Philadelphia
At a glance
- Where Ottawa is clearly cheaper: Entry ticket (44%โ), Local meal (33%โ), Haircut (33%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 | Ottawa | Philadelphia | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | C$ 20$14.7 | $ 22$22 | Ottawa โ33% |
| Street food1 item | C$ 13$9.56 | $ 12$12 | Ottawa โ20% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | C$ 45$33.1 | $ 42$42 | Ottawa โ21% |
| Coffeeone cup | C$ 5.5$4.04 | $ 5.1$5.1 | Ottawa โ21% |
| Beerone bottle | C$ 8.5$6.25 | $ 6.5$6.5 | similar |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | C$ 17$12.5 | $ 14$14 | Ottawa โ11% |
| Bottled water | C$ 2.5$1.84 | $ 2$2 | Ottawa โ8% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | C$ 3$2.21 | $ 2.8$2.8 | Ottawa โ21% |
| Taxi5 km in town | C$ 16$11.8 | $ 15$15 | Ottawa โ22% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | C$ 10$7.35 | $ 9$9 | Ottawa โ18% |
| Transitone ride | C$ 4.1$3.01 | $ 2.9$2.9 | similar |
| Scooter rentalper day | C$ 50$36.8 | $ 35$35 | similar |
| Hotel night3-star | C$ 210$154 | $ 175$175 | Ottawa โ12% |
| Studio rent (month) | C$ 1,960$1,441 | $ 1,550$1,550 | Ottawa โ7% |
| Laundry | C$ 5$3.68 | $ 4$4 | Ottawa โ8% |
| SIM card1 week data | C$ 35$25.7 | $ 25$25 | similar |
| Haircutcut | C$ 30$22.1 | $ 33$33 | Ottawa โ33% |
| Massage1 hour | C$ 105$77.2 | $ 90$90 | Ottawa โ14% |
| Half-day tourper person | C$ 60$44.1 | $ 55$55 | Ottawa โ20% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | C$ 23$16.9 | $ 30$30 | 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, Ottawa or Philadelphia?
Ottawa is 16% cheaper than Philadelphia. Daily budget $275 vs $336; a month $5,131 vs $6,015.
Which is easier to travel, Ottawa or Philadelphia?
About the same: Ottawa 1.4/5, Philadelphia 1.4/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Ottawa and Philadelphia?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Ottawa is about $5,131 and Philadelphia about $6,015 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.