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The costs of running a household in Canada are no different from any other country. There are a few basic expenses that cannot be avoided, and the rest of your monthly outlay will be based on the extra things in life that you can't do without. If you are frugal, living in Canada can be surprisingly cheap.

The biggest cost each month will be your housing. Whether you rent or pay on your mortgage you can expect a monthly expense of at least C$1,000. Of course, this amount can vary widely depending on the location of your home and its size. But in general, the average monthly rent in Canadian cities is just over C$1,000.

In addition to your rent, there will also be monthly utility bills that need to be paid on time each month. This always includes electricity and water, but can also include gas, trash collection and maintenance fees specific to the place where you live. Canadian utilities are neither expensive nor cheap, so you can expect to pay around C$100 a month and perhaps a little more in winter if you need to heat your home.

Besides these basic utilities, most people want to have phone, internet and cable TV service. In most cases, all three will come bundled together from a single telecommunications company in a package that suits your needs. This is a convenient way to handle it, as you have just one monthly bill to deal with all these important services. The cost per month depends on the extent of your package, but basic service starts at around C$100 per month.

Mobile phone service can sometimes be bundled into your internet and TV, but often it is provided by a separate provider. There are a dozen telecoms companies in Canada offering mobile phone coverage, so you can always find the right package at the right price to suit your needs. Most Canadians spend about C$50 a month on their mobile phone service.

Transportation and insurance are the other main components of monthly household expenses in Canada. Whether you use pubic transportation or have your own car, you need to budget for fuel. With current petrol prices at C$1.30 a litre on average, this can become a rather large part of your monthly outlay depending on how much you need to drive each day.

Any vehicle you own must be insured under Canadian law. Car insurance is never cheap, and the rate you will pay depends largely on personal factors such as your age, driving record, accidents and where you live. With a good driving record you can expect to pay C$50 a month, but this can triple if you have accidents or are a new driver. Health insurance is mainly provided by the government, but if you need to supplement this with private coverage, expect to add another C$50 to C$100 a month to your expenses.