What is the estimated monthly cost of living in Ottawa?

The latest single-person Market Basket Measure is about CAD 2,450.17 per month. Advertised rent is shown separately when published.

What salary is typically needed in Ottawa?

A balanced planning estimate is around CAD 49,800 gross per year.

Are these exact prices?

No. These are planning baselines and should be adjusted to your neighborhood and lifestyle.

City snapshot

Cost of living in Ottawa

Ottawa offers high quality of life, stable government jobs, and family-friendly neighborhoods.

Planning baseline refreshed: May 2026Ottawa-Gatineau CMA

3-category planning baseline

$2,128

Total annual: $25,536

Balanced salary needed

$49,800

Balanced

Population

1,488,307

2021 · Ottawa-Gatineau CMA

Crime Severity Index

55.4

Ottawa-Gatineau CMA

Official Basic-Needs Budgets

1 person$2,450

2 people$3,465

Family of 4$4,900

Market Basket Measure totals and advertised rent answer different questions. Rent is not added to the budget total because the MBM already includes a shelter component.

Data coverage: 95% (A) · 2025

Advertised Rent

Bachelor apartment$1,540

2026-01 · Ottawa - Gatineau (Ontario part), Census metropolitan area (CMA)

1-bedroom apartment$1,890

2026-01 · Ottawa - Gatineau (Ontario part), Census metropolitan area (CMA)

2-bedroom apartment$2,350

2026-01 · Ottawa - Gatineau (Ontario part), Census metropolitan area (CMA)

3+ bedroom apartment$2,850

2026-01 · Ottawa - Gatineau (Ontario part), Census metropolitan area (CMA)

Full-time centre-based childcare$545

2025 · Ontario

Local Indicators

Median after-tax income$79,500

Crime Severity Index60.7

Ottawa - Gatineau (Ontario part), Census metropolitan area (CMA)

3-category planning baseline

Planning rent estimate (1bd)$1,593

Groceries$405

Transport$130

Total monthly$2,128

Compact estimated baseline for cross-city planning. The observed advertised rent above is the canonical market-rent value.

Move-in costs

First month of rent$1,890

Generic deposit assumption (1x rent)$1,890

Furniture for a 1-bedroom$2,500

Basic household setup$600

Estimated setup total$6,880

Generic planning assumption only. Provincial rules and your lease may permit a different deposit.

Plan the next step

Run income calculator See salary needed Rent affordability Mortgage affordability Compare cities Car costs Province tax calculator After-tax income guide

City profile

GeographyOttawa-Gatineau CMA

Common languagesEnglish, French, Arabic

Community contextSouth Asian, Black, Arab

Housing and rent

Stable public-sector employment supports demand across urban and suburban areas.

Planning rent estimate (1bd): $1,593 · Total monthly: $2,128

Commute and daily life

O-Train, bus network, federal work patterns and interprovincial commuting

Safety context

Ottawa's safety snapshot uses the Crime Severity Index for Ottawa-Gatineau CMA. CSI compares police-reported crime volume and seriousness; it is not a neighbourhood-level risk score.

Crime Severity Index: 55.4
Violent CSI: 71.7
Non-violent CSI: 49.4

How this city compares

Ottawa ranks #26 of 47 tracked cities by the 3-category planning baseline and is -$36 versus the cross-city average.

Average city baseline$2,164

Largest cost driverPlanning rent estimate (1bd)

Salary guide for this city

Use these gross salary ranges as planning targets before running a detailed after-tax scenario for Ottawa.

Essentials$39,100

Balanced$49,800

Comfortable$61,300

Best for

Ottawa is strongest for canada's capital city and a lower baseline than the tracked-city average.

Watch out for

Planning rent estimate (1bd) is the largest cost driver in the baseline. Plan around $2,128 per month before discretionary spending, plus about $6,880 for a basic move-in setup.

Local reality check

Rent represents about 75% of the baseline essentials shown here. Compared with the tracked-city average, this city is -$36.

Living in Ottawa: what to budget for

Use this page as a starting point for Ottawa: monthly essentials, move-in cash, salary targets, local population context, housing notes and safety data are shown together so you can move from research to a concrete budget.

Ottawa, Canada's capital, combines political importance with excellent quality of life metrics.

The city offers stable employment through federal government jobs and a growing tech sector.

Housing costs are moderate compared to Toronto and Vancouver, with many family-friendly suburbs.

The city features world-class museums, the Rideau Canal, and bilingual services throughout.

Highlights

Canada's capital city
Stable government employment
Rideau Canal UNESCO site
Bilingual services
Excellent healthcare facilities

Common questions

What is included in Ottawa's monthly baseline?: The baseline includes a 1-bedroom rent estimate, groceries and transport for one adult. It is a planning baseline, not a quote.
Why do some metrics use a CMA or province?: National public datasets often publish city data by census metropolitan area, census agglomeration, province or territory. The geography is shown beside each metric.
How should I use the Ottawa salary estimate?: Use it as a gross-income target, then run the income calculator with your province, city and real costs.

Sources and methodology

Population: Statistics Canada table 17-10-0148-01, latest annual estimate; Census Profile fallback when noted.
Crime Severity Index: Statistics Canada table 35-10-0026-01, latest published year.
Basic-needs budgets: MBM tables 11-10-0066-01 and 11-10-0104-01. Advertised rent: Quarterly Rent Statistics table 46-10-0092-01.

Sources and methodology

Cost transparency

Data used on this page

Advertised rent, basic-needs budgets, and local indicators each retain their own period, geography, and method.

Advertised rent

January 2026 · Ottawa - Gatineau (Ontario part), Census metropolitan area (CMA)

Planning baseline

Estimated rent + groceries + local transport

Not used

Tax rules and mortgage rates do not determine these costs

Advertised rent and the MBM answer different questions and are not added together.

Sources and methodology