How Much to Budget for Utilities per Month in Canada

Canadian households spent an average of about $329 a month in 2023 on electricity, heating fuel, water and internet, or about $3,950 a year. Your actual figure can vary with your province and with whether heat and water are included in your rent. Recent planning estimates from OnTheMove Canada put the all-in range for an average household at $325 to $400 a month.

How much to budget for utilities each month

The Statistics Canada 2023 average is a national mean of household spending, not a fixed bill. The 2023 monthly averages by utility were:

These five lines add up to about $329, which matches the headline figure.

Provincial totals

Total monthly utility spending varied sharply by province in 2023. This provincial variation matters more than any single line item:

Planning ranges from OnTheMove Canada (published 2026-05-16)

• Average household, all-in: $325 to $400 a month
• Single person in a one-bedroom, heat and water included in rent: $200 to $260 a month
• Everything paid separately: $325 to $450 a month

These are the article’s own approximations, not official data.

Mobile and internet

The OnTheMove article puts the average postpaid mobile bill at about $75 to $85 a month, citing CRTC reporting. It gives $60 to $100 a month for internet plans from 500 Mbps to 1 Gbps. Mobile service is not part of the Statistics Canada utility category above, so add it separately when you build a full monthly budget.

Method

Start from the 2023 national average, adjust it to your province, then replace the estimate with the amounts on your last 12 months of bills. Keep the mobile line separate so it is not counted twice.

Canadian average: electricity, heating, water and internet

Canadian households spent an average of about CAD 329 a month in 2023 on electricity, heating fuel, water and internet, or about CAD 3,950 a year. The figure comes from Statistics Canada’s Survey of Household Spending, as reported by WealthNorth, a specialist publication citing that survey. It covers only electricity, heating fuel (natural gas and other fuel), water and internet, so it is a baseline for utility bills, not a full household budget.

2023 monthly averages by category:

Provincial spending differs widely. Total monthly utility spending in 2023 was about CAD 233 in Quebec, CAD 298 in British Columbia, CAD 353 in Ontario and CAD 466 in Alberta. The source does not explain these gaps, so a national average is a poor predictor for any single province.

OnTheMove Canada, dated 2026-05-16, gives its own planning ranges:

Why does the budget vary by province?

Monthly utility spending differs widely by province. Statistics Canada’s Survey of Household Spending, as reported by WealthNorth, puts 2023 monthly spending on electricity, heating fuel, water and internet at about $233 in Quebec, $298 in British Columbia, $353 in Ontario and $466 in Alberta. The national average was about $329 a month. Alberta’s figure is roughly double Quebec’s.

The data sheet gives item-level averages only at national level (electricity $125.17, natural gas $57.42, other heating fuel $14.83, water and sewage $44.75, internet $86.67). It does not split the provincial totals by item, so the source does not show which items drive each province’s gap.

The second factor is housing arrangement. OnTheMove Canada (dated 16 May 2026) estimates an all-in range of CAD $325 to $400 a month for an average household. For a single person in a 1-bedroom, it estimates $200 to $260 when heat and water are included in the rent. If everything is paid separately, it gives $325 to $450.

Renter or owner: what is included in rent?

Whether utilities are included in rent determines which bills you pay yourself, so it changes the monthly total. The OnTheMove Canada article (dated 2026-05-16) estimates an all-in cost of CAD $325 to $400 a month for the average household. For a single person in a 1-bedroom where heat and water are in the rent, it gives $200 to $260 a month. If every utility is paid separately, the same article gives $325 to $450.

Included versus separate is the first point to establish. A lease may cover heat and water while leaving electricity and internet to the tenant, or it may cover none of them.

The 2023 national averages from Statistics Canada, reported by WealthNorth, show which items carry the most weight:

Electricity and internet are the largest items, so a lease that excludes them changes the budget the most.

Regional totals differ widely. The same source gives average monthly utility spending in 2023 of about $233 in Quebec, $298 in British Columbia, $353 in Ontario and $466 in Alberta.

Rental comparison method: take the advertised rent, add the utilities the lease does not cover, and estimate them from your own expected usage. Compare that total with the other unit’s total. If you have no bills to base the estimate on, use the regional figure as a rough check.

Internet and phone: should you count them?

Internet is part of the standard utility total, but mobile phone service is not. The Statistics Canada figures cited by WealthNorth cover electricity, heating fuel, water and internet, and together they average about $329 a month for 2023.

For current prices, OnTheMove Canada (dated 2026-05-16) gives two reference points:

• Postpaid mobile: about $75 to $85 a month, citing CRTC reporting.
• Internet: $60 to $100 a month for plans from 500 Mbps to 1 Gbps.

Because the two sources use different dates and bases, the 2023 average and the 2026 plan ranges should not be treated as directly comparable.

How to build your monthly utilities budget?

For 2023, Statistics Canada’s Survey of Household Spending, as reported by WealthNorth, put average household spending on electricity, heating fuel, water and internet at about CAD 329 a month, or about CAD 3,950 a year. The category averages were:

Averages hide large regional differences. The same source reports a provincial range for total monthly utility spending: about CAD 233 in Quebec, CAD 298 in British Columbia, CAD 353 in Ontario and CAD 466 in Alberta.

Steps to build the budget:

1. List each recurring bill by category: electricity, natural gas or other heating fuel, water and sewage, internet and mobile phone.
2. Set a fixed monthly provision. Transfer one set amount each month into a separate account so that irregular bills do not hit your current account.
3. Reconcile after 12 months. Compare total payments with the provision and adjust the amount.

How to cross-check these averages against your own bills

The most solid benchmark for what Canadian households pay comes from Statistics Canada’s Survey of Household Spending. The 2023 figures below come from WealthNorth, which cites that survey.

To check the numbers that apply to you:

1. Compare category by category. The 2023 national monthly averages were:

2. Check current tariffs before you budget. Your provider’s bill or published rate page shows the rates that actually apply to you now.

OnTheMove Canada (dated 2026-05-16) gives an all-in utility estimate of CAD $325 to $400 a month for an average household. Treat such ranges as a cross-check only.

Frequently asked questions

How much should I budget for utilities each month in Canada?

Statistics Canada’s 2023 average works out to about CAD 329 a month, or roughly CAD 3,950 a year, for electricity, heating fuel, water and internet. OnTheMove Canada’s planning range for an average household is CAD 325 to 400 a month, but that is the publication’s own estimate, not official data.

Does my province change what I should set aside?

Yes. Total monthly utility spending in 2023 was about CAD 233 in Quebec, CAD 298 in British Columbia, CAD 353 in Ontario and CAD 466 in Alberta. The sources don’t explain these gaps, so use them as a provincial spread to check your own bills against, not as a fixed rule.

What changes if heat and water are included in my rent?

For a single person in a one-bedroom, OnTheMove gives CAD 200 to 260 a month when heat and water are covered by rent, compared with CAD 325 to 450 when every utility is paid separately. Read your lease before picking a figure. If those costs are not covered, budget at the higher end of the range.

Related reading

• How to Read a Monthly Phone Bill: Charges, Cycles and Prorations
• How to Build a Monthly Household Budget in Canada (Step by Step)
• Grocery Budget for a Family of Four: 2026 Food Spending Projection