Ottawa offers stable government-town salaries with rents meaningfully below Toronto. A single person gets by on roughly $3,150 a month before savings, with short commutes as a bonus.
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Single person
$3,069/mo
Essentials plus modest fun money, before savings.
Couple
$4,278/mo combined
Sharing a home cuts the per-person cost sharply.
Biggest expense
$1,950/mo rent
Average asking rent for a 1-bedroom apartment.
Rounded 2026 averages. Your numbers will differ by neighbourhood and lifestyle, which is exactly why a budget you actually track beats any table.
| Category | Single | Couple |
|---|---|---|
Rent (1-bedroom average) | $1,950 | $2,400 |
Groceries | $430 | $780 |
Transit (OC Transpo adult monthly pass) | $139 | $278 |
Utilities (heat, hydro, water) | $150 | $180 |
Phone + internet | $140 | $200 |
Entertainment + dining out | $260 | $440 |
| Monthly total | $3,069 | $4,278 |
Totals exclude savings, debt payments, insurance, and car costs. Couple transit assumes two OC Transpo passes.
Living across the river in Gatineau, Quebec can cut rent by 20 to 30%, but you trade into Quebec income tax and a bridge commute. Many federal workers run the numbers both ways.
OC Transpo's O-Train LRT keeps improving, but many neighbourhoods still rely on buses. Check your actual commute before assuming you can skip a car.
Winters are long and cold. If your unit has electric baseboard heat, expect January and February hydro bills to run noticeably above the monthly average.
Averages get you in the ballpark. Waypoint connects to major Canadian banks, auto-categorizes your real spending, and shows how your real costs compare to the plan you set. Pricing is in CAD.
See how Ottawa stacks up before you sign a lease.
Free forever. No credit card. Connect your bank, set targets for rent, groceries, and OC Transpo passes, and see where every dollar goes.
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