location_city NL vs location_city ON

St. John's vs Waterloo Cost of Living (2026)

Waterloo is about 29% more expensive than St. John's, mostly because of rent. A 1-bedroom rents for $1,900 a month in Waterloo vs $1,400 in St. John's.

The Verdict

Living in Waterloo is 29% more expensive than living in St. John's overall.

St. John's / month

$1,930

Waterloo / month

$2,430

Rent, groceries and transit for one person.

Salary match: what you'd need to earn

Your salary in St. John's $

Salary in St. John's

$100,000

Take-home $70,603 · $5,884/mo

Needed in Waterloo

$129,142

Take-home $92,516 · $7,710/mo

To keep the same lifestyle in Waterloo you'd need $29,142 more a year (+29%).

Take-home is after 2026 federal and provincial income tax, CPP/QPP and EI for an employee. Cost of living weighs rent, groceries and transit.

Expense Breakdown

real_estate_agent

Average Rent

1-Bed City Center

St. John's

$1,400

36% more expensive

Waterloo

$1,900

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Groceries

Monthly Basket (1 Person)

St. John's

$450

4% cheaper

Waterloo

$430

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Transportation

Monthly Transit Pass

St. John's

$80

25% more expensive

Waterloo

$100

Keep going

Plan your move

St. John's Income Tax CalculatorExact take-home pay for St. John's workers Waterloo Income Tax CalculatorExact take-home pay for Waterloo workers Rent vs BuyRent or buy after moving to Waterloo?

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