Is there anything better than knowing a vacation is in your future? Whether it’s picturing long lunches overlooking the cliffs of Capri or late-afternoon hikes beneath Arizona’s glowing desert sky, the anticipation alone can brighten an otherwise ordinary week. Travel slows the pace of everyday life and gives you time to explore, relax, and collect the kind of memories that linger long after you unpack your suitcase.
Canadians clearly feel the pull to get away from it all. A recent survey by insurance company Redion found that more than four in five residents travel for leisure at least once a year, even as living costs rise and budgets tighten. At the same time, international trips come with a hefty price tag. To put that spending into perspective, Zoocasa compared the average $2,278 vacation budget to monthly rent prices across 28 Canadian metro areas. In these cities, rent alone consumes between 15% and 33% of average family after‑tax income, and once a single vacation is in the equation, the combined burden in some markets climbs well beyond the 50% mark.
Rent Alone is Already Stretching Budgets
Across most cities, renters are devoting a significant share of their income to housing before any discretionary spending is considered. In roughly 61% of the markets analyzed, at least 25% of household income goes to rent alone, leaving limited space for savings, emergencies, or lifestyle expenses like travel.
Only three cities, Vancouver, Halifax, and Toronto, have rent burdens that climb into the range where housing starts to crowd out other priorities, with renters spending roughly one-third of their income on shelter. That keeps these markets under intense pressure even before a vacation is added to a person’s yearly budget.
Affording the Average International Vacation
Layering a standard $2,278 trip on top of rent shifts the picture dramatically. In about 71% of cities, the combined cost of rent and one vacation exceeds half of household income, pushing renters below a level that leaves room for other essentials and savings.
In the country’s most expensive markets, the burden climbs even higher. Vancouver renters see rent and a single getaway absorb 69% of their income, while Peterborough and Toronto sit at 63% and 62%, respectively. Greater Sudbury, Kamloops, and Nanaimo also reach 61%, showing how quickly a holiday can tip budgets from stretched to precarious.
The Affordability Gap Between Cities
The divide between Canada’s most and least affordable cities is stark. In St. John’s, renters spend about 16% of their income on rent and 34% once a vacation is included, the lowest combined share in the study and much closer to traditional affordability guidelines, even with a trip in the mix. That leaves meaningful room for both travel and financial resilience.
Vancouver sits at the other end of the spectrum. Rent alone takes up roughly 33% of household income, already above what many budgeting frameworks would consider comfortable, and adding a vacation pushes the total to 69%. Despite similar median incomes, about $82,110 in St. John’s versus $87,640 in Vancouver, the difference in rent levels means Vancouver renters have far less flexibility to travel or save.
Where Renters Can Still Afford to Travel
A handful of cities offer a more sustainable balance between housing costs and travel spending. St. John’s stands out, with the lowest rent share and lowest combined burden among all 28 markets, giving renters the most room to fit a getaway into their budget while staying closer to accepted affordability norms.
Calgary and Edmonton also provide notable breathing room. Calgary renters spend around 18% of their income on rent and 42% when a vacation is factored in, supported by the highest average income in the study. Edmonton maintains similarly favourable ratios, with 17% going to rent and 45% to rent plus travel, levels that, while above textbook ideals, still leave more space for other priorities than in high-cost regions.
Prairie Markets Offer More Flexibility
Prairie cities, including Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, Saskatoon, Lethbridge, and Red Deer, consistently keep rent below roughly 20% of household income while keeping total rent and vacation costs under 50%. That combination of moderate housing costs and solid incomes allows renters to absorb travel expenses without severely compromising their financial stability or straying as far from common housing cost rules of thumb as renters in more expensive markets.
In Edmonton, for example, renters spend just 17% of their income on rent, and even after adding a vacation, the total remains below the 50% mark. Calgary shows a similar pattern, with slightly higher rents offset by high incomes that keep overall affordability in check.
Why Your Income Versus Rent Defines Your Financial Future
Cost of living matters more than the number on your paycheque, especially in Canada’s largest air travel hubs. Renters in regions served by Toronto Pearson (YYZ) and Vancouver International Airport (YVR) live close to some of the busiest gateways to the world, but they also face some of the highest rent‑to‑income ratios in the country.
In Toronto, rent alone eats up about one‑third of household income, and around 62% once a typical vacation is included, so even higher salaries can feel tight after housing and travel are paid for. Vancouver renters with an international trip planned see their combined costs climb close to 70% of income, the highest share among all the cities in this study.
By contrast, cities such as St. John’s, Calgary, and Edmonton show how living outside Canada’s priciest travel hubs can change the equation. In these markets, rent and one vacation take a much smaller slice of the budget, leaving more room for both future trips and long‑term financial goals
Where The Cost Burden is Highest
British Columbia is the least affordable region for renters who want to travel. In Vancouver, rent alone consumes about one third of income, and a typical international vacation pushes the total close to 70%, the highest share in the country. Other B.C. markets, including Kelowna, Victoria, Kamloops, and Nanaimo, face similar challenges. While their rents may be less expensive than Vancouver’s, local incomes are also lower, keeping combined burdens elevated.
Ontario follows closely behind. Nearly every Ontario city in the study sees rent plus one vacation exceed 50% of household income. Peterborough leads with a 63% combined burden, followed by Toronto at 62%, underscoring the widespread strain renters face across the province.
Smart Budgeting Can Still Fund Future Trips
That tension between wanderlust and the weekly budget is something most renters know firsthand. It shows up in the quiet moments, like hesitating over a “book now” button or mentally converting flight prices into months of rent. In high-cost markets, the math can make a dream trip feel more like a gamble, especially when housing and a single getaway are already swallowing much of the paycheque.
Elsewhere, the numbers tell a different story. In cities where rent takes a smaller bite out of income, travel feels less like a splurge and more like a realistic line item in the annual budget. A week on a white sand beach or a long‑awaited road trip along the coast can coexist with saving for the future, instead of competing directly with it.
The key is to treat your next getaway the way you would any other big life purchase. Look at what the trip costs in relation to your rent and income, decide what you are willing to trade off, and then design a holiday that fits comfortably within those lines. Whether that means a shorter itinerary, a closer destination, or waiting until the numbers feel right, the goal is the same: to come home with great stories and photos, not a lingering sense that your finances are suddenly on shaky ground.
Curious about what it looks like to live somewhere that makes you feel like you’re on vacation all the time? Zoocasa has thousands of up-to-date listings across Canada and the U.S. Start your search today!
Methodology
Zoocasa analyzed household budgets by pairing 2023 average family after‑tax income for each census metropolitan area, sourced from Statistics Canada, with June 2026 average asking rents for one‑bedroom units from Rentals.ca. We then added a fixed annual vacation budget to each city’s annual rent and calculated the combined cost as a share of typical after‑tax income, as well as the vacation budget expressed as a percentage of one month’s rent, to compare how housing and travel compete for disposable income across Canadian metros.
