How Much Does It Cost To Travel Canada: A Budget Breakdown

If you are planning a trip to Canada, you may worry about your travel budget since Canada isn’t exactly known as a cheap destination.

But don't despair, I wrote this post to show you exactly how much we spent on our budget road trip to Canada.

Canada on a budget

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How to save money when traveling Canada

Canada is the country we spent most of our time in during our one-year RTW trip. For two and a half months we explored this beautiful part of the world.

We spent 2 weeks on Vancouver Island, drove the Sea to Sky highway, marveled at the Canadian Rockies Mountains, hiked around the badlands in Drumheller, crossed the prairie of Saskatchewan, spent a weekend in Winnipeg, road-tripped around Ontario and so much more…

Those who read this blog more often know that road trips are our favorite way to travel. And I can say from experience that road-tripping is not just one of the best, but also one of the cheapest ways to travel!

Keep reading to learn about our cross-Canada road trip costs and for tips on how to visit Canada on a budget.

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How much does it cost to go to Canada?

Is Canada expensive to travel to? The good news is: it doesn't have to be!

Of course, the amount you'll spend depends on your travel style, the length of your trip, and the type of accommodation you choose. But generally speaking, you can travel around Canada on a budget of 50-100 CAD per day (per person).

As you can see in the infographic, our average daily travel budget in Canada during our cross-Canada road trip was 100 CAD per day (€66/US$75) as a couple!

In this post, you can read the full breakdown of our Canada budget and how much we paid for our campervan, accommodation, food and drinks, activities, and miscellaneous expenses.

Canada travel budget: important facts and figures

• I traveled to Canada with my husband, all expenses are for the two of us together.
• I quote prices in € and Canadian Dollars (CAD). At the time of our road trip in Canada, the exchange rate was €1 = 1,50 AUD. You can find the current exchange rate here.
• We spent 2.5 months in Canada, and on an average day, we spent €66/100 CAD.
• Our average daily travel budget includes all the costs to drive across Canada, however, it does not include the costs of our tickets to Canada.
• My Canada road trip started and ended in Vancouver, where we bought our trusted GMC Safari VANessa.

How to save money when planning a trip to Canada

When planning your Canada trip, it's important to be flexible with your itinerary to make the most of your travel budget for Canada.

Avoid peak season (travel during the low season instead)

Start by researching the best time of year to visit Canada as flight costs, car rental costs, campervan rental prices, and campground fees can vary throughout the year.

The high season in Canada is from July and August. During these months prices for accommodation and other tourist facilities are at their highest.

So if you have the option to be flexible with your travel dates and able to travel during shoulder season, this is a great way to save money on your Canada trip.

While temperatures are at their highest during Canada's busy summer season (July and August), traveling in May, June, September, and October will reduce your travel costs considerably.

Save money on flights

You can save a lot of money by searching for cheap flights to Canada on websites like Kiwi.com. Try different travel dates and see how this affects the price of your flight.

Generally speaking, the cheapest days to fly are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday. Airlines often offer discounted fares on these days, so it's worth checking the booking sites and comparing prices on different days of the week.

You’ll get a better deal by booking your flight in advance. For domestic flights 1-3 months before your trip is ideal.

For international flights, it’s best to book 2-8 months in advance. Tickets to Vancouver (West) and Toronto (East) are usually the cheapest option but keep an eye open for tickets to Calgary and Ottawa as well.

Lastly, you may be able to find cheaper flights if you're willing to be flexible with your departure and arrival times.

Sure, it’s not ideal to arrive in the middle of the night, but if it saves you hundreds of dollars it’s worth losing one night of good sleep.

✈️ Click here to find the best ticket deals

Book your accommodation in advance

Once you've got your flights booked, it’s time to research budget accommodation.

Luxury hotels in Canada (such as the iconic Fairmont Château in Lake Louise and the famous Fairmont Empress Hotel in Victoria) are really expensive, so if you're a budget traveler, those aren't an option.

But not to worry, there are lots of budget options available in Canada. I always use Agoda and Booking to find the best value-for-money accommodation for our trips.

I recommend checking both platforms before you book to make sure you get a good deal on hotel rooms.

Please note that Agoda includes taxes in their price whereas Booking doesn't always include this. Make sure to check this before finalizing your booking.

Also, if you want to avoid hefty ATM fees or there's a strict limit on how much cash you can withdraw per transaction, it can be better to book with Agoda as you can often pay online with your credit card (thereby reducing your need for cash).

If you plan to travel around Canada by campervan, it's also worth booking your rental campervan in advance as this will ensure you get the best deal.

Cost to travel Canada

Now that you know some great ways to save money in the planning phase of your Canada trip, it's time for a deep dive into our Canada travel expenses. Our Canada travel costs are divided into four categories:

1. Campervan (transportation costs): €32 / 48 CAD = 49% of daily costs
2. Accommodation: €7 / 10,50 CAD = 10% of daily costs
3. Food and drinks: €24 / 36 CAD = 36% of daily costs
4. Activities and miscellaneous expenses: €3 / 4,50 CAD = 5% of daily costs

Average travel costs per day: €66 / 100 CAD

1. Traveling Canada by campervan: how much does it cost?

In the infographic, you can see that the daily costs for the campervan were €32 / 48 CAD. These costs are divided into 2 categories:

• Costs of buying and maintaining our van (including the necessary camp gear)
• Costs for fuel

The costs to buy (and sell) a camper van in Canada

Because we planned to travel around Canada and the U.S.A. for an extended period of time, we decided to buy a van instead of renting a car or campervan.

This turned out to be a big money saver! Of course, you have to be a bit lucky when buying a secondhand car (have it checked out before closing the sale!), because you never know if it will break down and how much it will cost to repair.

We were very lucky, our car only needed some small repairs along the way plus regular oil changes.

Keep in mind that buying and selling a vehicle takes time, therefore, I think it’s only worthwhile to buy a car if you plan on making an extended road trip (more than 6 weeks).

Here is the detailed breakdown of all the money we spent on VANessa, our beautiful bright red GMC Safari (the building year was 2000).

We drove 25.000 kilometers with VANessa, across Canada and back through the United States.

In total, we were on the road for 141 days, which is why I divide the net costs by 141. The average cost for VANessa was €18/26 CAD per day.

Costs of fuel in Canada

Fuel is relatively cheap in Canada, at least compared to the Netherlands. The downside is that American cars are not very fuel-efficient…

Our VANessa did 1 in 10 (liter per kilometer) on a good day (mainly highway) but only 1 in 5 when driving in the city.

In any case, since we did a lot of driving (not surprising since Canada is the second biggest country in the world) we also bought a lot of fuel. The average costs for fuel on a daily basis were €14/21 CAD.

Depending on our location, we paid between 1,05 CAD (in Alberta, because it has oil sands) and 1,30 CAD (in Vancouver, because it's an expensive city) per liter.

2. Campsites and budget accommodation in Canada

In the infographic, you can see that the total cost per day for accommodation was €7 / 10,50 CAD. These costs are divided into 2 categories:

• Paid campsites
• Airbnb accommodation

(Paid) campsites in Canada

We spent most nights of our Canada road trip in our comfy VANessa and found many nice campsites all across Canada!

Most nights we choose to stay at free camp spots (read more below), however, some nights we looked for an official campsite to have access to a shower (or to do laundry).

I recommend downloading the iOverlander app to find (free) places to camp in Canada.

Airbnb in Canada

Every once in a while we stayed at private rooms via Airbnb, mostly to catch up with family via proper internet or to have something delivered (it's difficult to receive packages when you don't have a permanent address;-).

But also because, as much fun as it is to live in a van, every now and then it was nice to be in a house with a kitchen, bathroom, and more than 5m2 of living space.

Finally, in big cities, it's more convenient to stay at an Airbnb as well, as there usually aren't many places to park overnight.

3. The costs for food and drinks on a trip to Canada

The easiest and most effective way to save money in Canada is by cooking your own food. We made our own breakfast, coffee, lunch, and dinner pretty much every day.

Our average daily expenses for food and drinks were €24 / 36 CAD.

Or course we splurged every once in a while and ate at a nice restaurant or cozy cafe. And most days we got a cup of coffee at the ultimately Canadian coffee chain Tim Hortons.

4. Activities and miscellaneous costs in Canada

Our activity costs and miscellaneous expenses in Canada were €3 / 4,50 CAD on an average day.

Awesome activities in Canada

When you’re in Canada, make sure to take advantage of all the free activities and beautiful places the country has to offer.

Admire the stunning National Parks, explore some of the smaller towns, and simply enjoy the stunning views when you're driving around Canada.

Doing so will help you make the most of your vacation while still sticking to your budget.

Another very budget-friendly activity in Canada is hiking. We're avid hikers and I honestly have no idea how many hikes we did during our Canada road trip. Let's just say a lot;-).

A huge hiking benefit, besides the fact that it's fun, healthy and a great way to explore the area, is that it's completely free! Therefore we didn't spend much money on activities on most days.

Sightseeing in cities is also free (besides the occasional cup of coffee, ice cream, or museum ticket) and we had a great time wandering around Victoria, Calgary, and Winnipeg*.

*Please note that I was hosted by Tourism Winnipeg and Travel Manitoba and didn't pay for any of the activities mentioned in my Winnipeg post. 

Nevertheless, I always write an honest recount of my travel experiences, regardless of who is paying for it (I pay for my own travels 99% of the time).

Miscellaneous costs

This category is made up of some random expenses, things like laundry, public transport tickets in major cities, a local SIM card, postcards for people at home, etc.

Travel insurance costs

I didn't include the cost of travel insurance in our Canada budget breakdown because we use our travel insurance for all our trips, not just for our Canada itinerary.

However, that doesn't take away the fact that making sure you have proper travel insurance is super important.

It helps protect you and your belongings in the event of a mishap during your travels. Furthermore, it provides coverage for medical expenses, trip cancellation, lost or stolen items, and more.

Also, having good travel insurance will provide you peace of mind, knowing that if something goes wrong, you have a safety net in place.

With so much to consider when planning a trip, having the right travel insurance can help ensure a smooth and enjoyable journey without stressing out about things that can go wrong.

How to save money in Canada: budget tips

How to save money on food in Canada

This is my number one budget tip for every road trip: cooking your own breakfast, lunch, and dinner instead of eating out will save you tons of money!

So be smart and shop at large supermarkets (like Walmart, No Frills, Save-On-Foods, or Safeway).

In order to minimize your grocery expenses in Canada, avoid shopping at small local supermarkets (for example, the store in Lake Louise is very expensive).

On the other hand, if you want to support local shop owners, it's better to shop at a local store instead of at large chain grocery stores…

How to save money on campsites in Canada

Going camping is a great way to reduce your Canada trip cost. There are thousands of free campsites all across Canada, you just have to know where to find them.

Most camp/overnight spots we found via the iOverlander app. The app is free and includes comments from people who have (recently) visited a particular camp spot. We rarely had any issues finding a free camp spot or place to park for the night.

Only in major tourist areas (such as Banff National Park and Jasper National Park), there are ‘No overnight parking or camping’ signs, obviously, you shouldn’t wild camp there and book an official campsite instead.

And as always, leave your campsite as clean (or cleaner) than you found it!

How to save money on accommodation in Canada

Besides staying at free campsites, there is another way we saved on accommodation. We did a house-sit in Nelson and Calgary via Trustedhousesitters.

Please know that Trusted Housesitters is not intended as a way to find free accommodation, there is Couchsurfing for that. Trusted Housesitters is a platform for:

• People with pets who want to go on a (short) holiday and are looking for someone to take care of their pets (and house).
• People who love pets and are looking to stay in an area for a longer period of time while taking care of someone's pets and house.

We loved spending a couple of days in one place and experiencing what it would be like to live in Canada (the verdict: pretty awesome!).

Plus I could finally give in to my dream of having a house full of cats and dogs by pretending the animals I cared for were my own…

Check out Trustedhousesitters for more information.

How to save money on fuel in Canada

To find cheap fuel we used the Gasbuddy app. This app (and website) shows the prices of gas stations near you. There can be quite a big difference between them so it's worth looking around for the best option!

As I mentioned above, there is also a big difference in fuel prices between states. For example, Alberta has its own oil fields and fuel tends to be a lot cheaper there compared to other states.

There's also a big difference between getting fuel in a small town in the countryside versus filling up in a major city (especially at the gas stations downtown).

Plan your Canada trip like a pro with these tools:
✈️ Find the best flight deals with Kiwi.com.
? Rent a campervan for your Canada road trip (or a car via Rentalcars.com).
? Arrange your Canada working holiday with Global Work & Travel.
? Plan your journey with the Canada Lonely Planet.
?️ Find the best hotel deals on Booking.com.
? Join the best tours in Canada via Get Your Guide or Viator.
?️ Travel safely and get reliable travel insurance from Safety Wing.

Our Canada road trip budget: in conclusion

That's all our Canada expenses, now you know how much a trip to Canada costs. I hope this post has shown it's possible to make a Canada budget trip and has inspired you to visit this beautiful country!

Feel free to ask any questions you may have and enjoy planning your trip!

Read more about Canada in these posts:

• Charming small towns to visit in Canada
• The prettiest lakes in Canada
• Day trips from Vancouver
• Why you should visit Nanaimo
• Niagara Falls family trip

This post was updated in December 2022.