Cost of Living in Canada for International Students, in PKR

Going by the universities' own estimates, a single student in Canada spends roughly C$1,800 a month in a smaller city such as St. John's (about Rs 3.6 lakh), about C$3,050 a month in Vancouver (about Rs 6 lakh), and anywhere from C$2,100 to C$3,900 a month in Toronto (about Rs 4.2 to 7.7 lakh), depending mostly on rent. That is before tuition. For the study permit, the Canadian government asks a single student outside Quebec to show C$23,448 a year for living costs (about Rs 46.4 lakh), plus the first year's tuition and travel.

This guide turns those budgets into rupees, line by line, so a Pakistani family can see what a month really costs. Then it sets each scholarship's payment against them, to show what is left or what is short. We read every figure on 28 October 2026 on the Government of Canada's and the universities' own pages. Costs and stipends change every year, so the official pages are always the final word.

The exchange rate we used

Every rupee figure here uses C$1 = Rs 198, the mid-market rate shown by Wise on 28 October 2026 (Rs 197.7, rounded). Banks and exchange companies in Pakistan sell Canadian dollars at a higher rate than mid-market, and the rate moves every day. If the rupee weakens, every rupee figure below goes up. Work out your own numbers with today's rate before you transfer money, or use our cost calculator.

What a month costs, item by item

Canada has no single official student budget, and rent varies more than anything else. So we used three universities that publish their own figures: one in Canada's biggest city, one in its most expensive, and one in a smaller city on the Atlantic coast. All are for one student with no family.

Where these come from:

• Toronto: U of T Student Life's living costs in Toronto page (2026 estimates for the Greater Toronto Area, updated 7 April 2026) gives monthly ranges of C$1,220 to C$2,700 for rent, C$65 or more for electricity ("hydro"), C$60 to C$115 for home internet, C$50 to C$100 for a phone, C$30 to C$50 for tenant's insurance, C$350 or more for food, C$0 to C$150 for transport, C$50 to C$100 for clothes and C$200 for entertainment and other costs, plus C$550 a semester for books. Health insurance is from UHIP, the plan Ontario universities use for international students: C$948 for a single student starting in September 2026, for the year to 31 August 2027 (C$79 a month). We added the lowest and the highest figures of each range to get the total.
• Vancouver: UBC's cost of attendance for the full year from September to August, valid to August 2027, gives C$27,438 for off-campus housing and food, C$3,150 for transport and C$5,112 for personal costs. UBC publishes it for students funding their studies with US loans, but the living costs are UBC's own estimate for anyone living in Vancouver. Health is the British Columbia government's health fee for international students, C$75 a month. We divided UBC's figures by 12.
• St. John's: Memorial University's graduate cost of living page, for a single full-time master's student in 2025-26 (the newest year it shows), gives C$12,600 for rent, C$3,600 for food, C$4,150 for "personal needs" (transport, phone, clothes, entertainment and laundry), C$565 for health insurance, C$369 for dental insurance and C$400 for books. Memorial's international office gives similar current prices: C$600 to C$800 a month for a shared room, C$350 to C$450 for food and C$275 a semester for a bus pass.

Rent: what you get for the money

Rent is the line that decides the budget. At U of T's Graduate House, a residence for graduate students in central Toronto, a 12-month contract for 2026-27 costs about C$1,208 a month for a double room (Rs 2.4 lakh) and about C$1,464 for an economy single (Rs 2.9 lakh). In St. John's, Memorial says a shared room in a house or flat is C$600 to C$800 a month (Rs 1.2 to 1.6 lakh). Most students in big cities share a flat, because a one-bedroom place of your own is at the top of the ranges above. Two things are different from Pakistan: a lease is usually for a full year, and heating and electricity may or may not be included, so read what the rent covers before you sign.

Tuition comes on top

The living costs above don't include tuition. Canadian undergraduate tuition for international students is high at most universities, and our Study in Canada guide gives typical ranges. One unusual case: Memorial's 2025-26 table puts graduate tuition for an international master's student at C$4,833 for the year (Rs 9.6 lakh), with about C$486 in student fees on top, which is far below most of Canada. Programme fees differ, so check the exact figure for your course on the university's fees page.

What the study permit asks you to show

The Government of Canada's proof of financial support page (updated 28 August 2026) says that for applications made on or after 1 September 2026, a student outside Quebec must show:

The page says these amounts don't include tuition or travel: you must also show you can pay the first year's tuition and your transport. It lists the kinds of proof it accepts, including a Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) from a Canadian bank, your bank statements for the past six months, a student loan from a bank, and proof of a scholarship. Quebec sets its own amounts.

Two things follow for a family. First, the visa figure is a minimum, not a budget: Toronto and Vancouver both cost more than C$23,448 a year on the universities' own estimates. Second, in a cheaper city such as St. John's, the government figure is higher than Memorial's own budget, so you still show C$23,448. A scholarship letter counts towards the amount. This is a summary of the official page, not immigration advice; the IRCC page is the final word.

How far your scholarship goes

Here is each scholarship's payment set against the costs above. "Left" means what remains after the estimate; it is not a promise of savings.

• Lester B. Pearson: the U of T page says the scholarship covers "tuition, books, incidental fees and full residence support for four years" for about 37 students a year. For September 2027 entry, the school nomination closed on 9 October 2026 and the scholarship documents are due on 6 November 2026. Our Pearson article explains the nomination step.
• U of T PhD: U of T announced on 12 November 2024 that PhD students in the funded cohort are guaranteed a base package of C$40,000 a year including tuition. The UTIAS 2026-27 funding page repeats the C$40,000 total for PhD students, plus UHIP for international students, and gives C$24,000 plus tuition and fees for MASc students. Other departments set their own master's funding, and many master's programmes are not funded at all.
• UBC PhD: UBC's minimum funding policy says full-time PhD students at UBC Vancouver must receive at least C$40,000 a year for the first four years, from September 2026, and that this doesn't include the International Tuition Award. It says funding paid through the university is first applied to tuition and fees, with the rest paid to the student. Read your offer letter for the exact split. If you are applying for a funded PhD, start with our email to a potential supervisor.

Can part-time work fill the gap?

The Government of Canada's off-campus work page (updated 15 April 2026) says an eligible study permit holder can work up to 24 hours a week off campus during regular academic sessions, and unlimited hours during scheduled breaks such as the summer and winter holidays. Your permit has to allow it, and the rules can change. So a family should plan a budget that works without a job and treat any earnings as extra. This is a summary of the official page, not immigration advice; your university's international office is the place to ask about your own case. Our Canada post-graduation work permit summary covers what the official pages say about work after study.

Your next step

Pick two or three universities, open each one's "cost of living" or "budget" page, and put its numbers and today's exchange rate into our cost calculator, so the whole family sees the yearly total in rupees. Remember the visa figure of C$23,448 is the least you must show, not what a year in Toronto or Vancouver costs. Check each scholarship's current rate on its official page before you count on it, and never pay an agent to "arrange" a scholarship, a GIC or an admission: universities and banks deal with you directly. This page is general information, not financial advice.