Contents
- British Columbia household spending statistics: overall spending and food
- British Columbia household spending statistics: grocery and restaurant spending
- British Columbia household spending statistics: shelter and housing costs
- British Columbia household spending statistics: household operations and furnishings
- British Columbia household spending statistics: clothing and transportation
- British Columbia household spending statistics: recreation, education and other expenses
- Sources
British Columbia household spending statistics: overall spending and food
Statistics Canada reported average annual household total expenditure of $107,797 in British Columbia for 2023. Average total current consumption was $82,715, while food expenditures averaged $12,188. These are averages per household, in dollars, for the 2023 reference year; they are not per-person amounts. The figures come from the current revised vintage of Statistics Canada Table 11-10-0222-01, released September 18, 2026. Source: Statistics Canada, Table 11-10-0222-01 — full CSV download
| British Columbia household expenditure, 2023 | Average per household |
|---|---|
| Total expenditure | $107,797 |
| Total current consumption | $82,715 |
| Food expenditures | $12,188 |
The categories provide different levels of detail: total expenditure is the broad measure, total current consumption is a separate reported category, and food expenditures identify one spending area. The table reports each as an average for a household. It does not describe what every household spent, nor does it provide a median or a distribution showing how expenditures varied among households. Source: Statistics Canada, Table 11-10-0222-01 — full CSV download
Food is broken down further into purchases from stores and restaurants, with more detailed food categories presented in the next section. Those entries help show the composition of the food total, but they remain annual averages per household for 2023. They are not prices for specific products or measures of an individual household’s grocery bill. Source: Statistics Canada, Table 11-10-0222-01 — full CSV download
British Columbia household spending statistics: grocery and restaurant spending
The annual average for food purchased from stores was $8,530 per household in 2023; food purchased from restaurants averaged $3,630. The store category includes the listed food subcategories below, while the restaurant category is separately divided between meals and snacks and beverages. The table uses Statistics Canada’s reported category names and dollar values. Source: Statistics Canada, Table 11-10-0222-01 — full CSV download
| Food spending category, 2023 | Average per household |
|---|---|
| Food purchased from stores | $8,530 |
| Bakery products | $744 |
| Cereal grains and cereal products | $506 |
| Fruit, fruit preparations and nuts | $1,058 |
| Vegetables and vegetable preparations | $1,018 |
| Dairy products and eggs | $1,042 |
| Meat | $1,579 |
| Fish and seafood | $300 |
| Non-alcoholic beverages and other food products | $2,284 |
| Food purchased from restaurants | $3,630 |
| Restaurant meals | $3,434 |
| Restaurant snacks and beverages | $196 |
Within the store-purchased categories listed here, meat averaged $1,579, while non-alcoholic beverages and other food products averaged $2,284. Fruit, fruit preparations and nuts averaged $1,058; vegetables and vegetable preparations, $1,018; and dairy products and eggs, $1,042. These figures describe the categories as reported, without attributing the totals to particular foods, shopping habits or price changes. Source: Statistics Canada, Table 11-10-0222-01 — full CSV download
Other store-food averages were $744 for bakery products, $506 for cereal grains and cereal products, and $300 for fish and seafood. These are annual household averages, not spending per purchase or per person. The underlying table gives category expenditures; the figures alone do not explain why households spent different amounts in any category. Source: Statistics Canada, Table 11-10-0222-01 — full CSV download
For restaurant purchases, meals averaged $3,434 per household and snacks and beverages averaged $196. Those two listed categories distinguish the kinds of restaurant spending shown in the table. Together with the store-purchased figures, they provide a detailed view of food expenditure while retaining the source’s annual, per-household scope. Source: Statistics Canada, Table 11-10-0222-01 — full CSV download
British Columbia household spending statistics: shelter and housing costs
Average shelter expenditure in British Columbia was $28,827 per household in 2023. Within the shelter breakdown, principal accommodation averaged $26,027. The table also reports rented and owned living quarters and specific expenses such as rent, mortgage payments, property taxes, insurance and utilities. These are average household expenditures across the reported population, not rates for a particular rental or owned home. Source: Statistics Canada, Table 11-10-0222-01 — full CSV download
| Shelter category, 2023 | Average per household |
|---|---|
| Shelter | $28,827 |
| Principal accommodation | $26,027 |
| Rented living quarters | $6,846 |
| Rent | $6,698 |
| Tenants’ repairs and improvements | $47 |
| Tenants’ insurance premiums | $68 |
| Owned living quarters | $16,737 |
| Mortgage paid for owned living quarters | $9,750 |
| Repairs and maintenance for owned living quarters | $971 |
| Condominium fees for owned living quarters | $1,456 |
| Property and school taxes for owned living quarters | $2,233 |
| Homeowners’ insurance premiums for owned living quarters | $1,039 |
| Water, fuel and electricity for principal accommodation | $2,444 |
| Electricity for principal accommodation | $1,186 |
The reported annual average for rented living quarters was $6,846, of which the rent category was $6,698. Tenants’ repairs and improvements averaged $47, and tenants’ insurance premiums averaged $68. These figures are household averages for the full geography and population covered by the measure; the table does not present an individual renter’s lease or costs for a specific dwelling. Source: Statistics Canada, Table 11-10-0222-01 — full CSV download
Owned living quarters averaged $16,737 in the reported expenditure category. Mortgage payments for owned living quarters averaged $9,750; repairs and maintenance, $971; condominium fees, $1,456; property and school taxes, $2,233; and homeowners’ insurance premiums, $1,039. These entries are distinct reported measures. They should be read as annual average expenditures per household, rather than as a complete cost estimate for an owner or as a monthly payment schedule. Source: Statistics Canada, Table 11-10-0222-01 — full CSV download
For water, fuel and electricity for principal accommodation, the annual average was $2,444 per household. The separate electricity entry was $1,186. The source labels the broader category and the electricity line specifically; the figures do not provide a breakdown of the remaining amount by fuel or water type. Source: Statistics Canada, Table 11-10-0222-01 — full CSV download
British Columbia household spending statistics: household operations and furnishings
Household operations averaged $6,132 per household in 2023. Communications accounted for a reported average of $3,547, including $1,487 for cell phone and pager services and $1,126 for internet access services. Pet expenses averaged $747, and garden supplies and services averaged $407. The values below retain the labels used in the table. Source: Statistics Canada, Table 11-10-0222-01 — full CSV download
| Household operations and furnishings category, 2023 | Average per household |
|---|---|
| Household operations | $6,132 |
| Communications | $3,547 |
| Cell phone and pager services | $1,487 |
| Internet access services | $1,126 |
| Pet expenses | $747 |
| Pet food and pet-related goods | $386 |
| Garden supplies and services | $407 |
| Household furnishings and equipment | $3,375 |
| Furniture | $1,085 |
| Household appliances | $872 |
Pet food and pet-related goods averaged $386 per household. That more specific row sits within the table’s broader household operations coverage, alongside the separate pet expenses figure. Garden supplies and services were another distinct category, averaging $407. The entries identify reported spending areas; they do not indicate how many households had pets or gardens. Source: Statistics Canada, Table 11-10-0222-01 — full CSV download
Household furnishings and equipment averaged $3,375. Within the named categories, furniture averaged $1,085 and household appliances averaged $872. These figures distinguish selected types of furnishing and equipment spending from the broader category. They are annual averages per household, not purchase prices or spending by households that bought an item. Source: Statistics Canada, Table 11-10-0222-01 — full CSV download
British Columbia household spending statistics: clothing and transportation
Average expenditure on clothing and accessories was $2,558 per household in 2023. Transportation averaged $12,566, with private transportation reported at $10,341 and public transportation at $2,225. The following detail separates vehicle-related categories from public transport and airplane expenditures, while preserving the source’s annual average measure. Source: Statistics Canada, Table 11-10-0222-01 — full CSV download
| Clothing and transportation category, 2023 | Average per household |
|---|---|
| Clothing and accessories | $2,558 |
| Transportation | $12,566 |
| Private transportation | $10,341 |
| Private use automobiles, vans and trucks | $4,473 |
| Automobile, van and truck operations | $5,779 |
| Gas and other fuels (all vehicles and tools) | $2,491 |
| Public transportation | $2,225 |
| Airplane | $1,463 |
Private use automobiles, vans and trucks averaged $4,473 per household, while automobile, van and truck operations averaged $5,779. The gas and other fuels category, which explicitly covers all vehicles and tools, averaged $2,491. These labels describe separate reported rows; the table does not provide vehicle counts or costs for a particular driver. Source: Statistics Canada, Table 11-10-0222-01 — full CSV download
Public transportation expenditure averaged $2,225 per household, and the airplane category averaged $1,463. They appear as separate transportation entries. The figures represent annual averages across households in British Columbia, rather than fares, individual trip costs or spending by transit users alone. The clothing and transportation values are for 2023, not a current-year estimate. Source: Statistics Canada, Table 11-10-0222-01 — full CSV download
British Columbia household spending statistics: recreation, education and other expenses
Recreation expenditure averaged $5,977 per household in 2023. Recreational services averaged $2,787, and package trips averaged $1,273. Education expenditure averaged $2,130, including an average of $1,192 for university tuition fees. These figures are annual expenditures per household, not amounts paid by each person who used a service or enrolled in a program. Source: Statistics Canada, Table 11-10-0222-01 — full CSV download
The table also reports $1,683 in average household expenditure for tobacco products, alcoholic beverages and cannabis for non-medical use. Alcoholic beverages alone averaged $1,245. These are separate named expenditure measures in the same annual table; the listed values do not describe quantities consumed or spending by households that purchased each product. Source: Statistics Canada, Table 11-10-0222-01 — full CSV download
Financial services expenditure averaged $910 per household in 2023. Alongside recreation, education, tobacco products, alcoholic beverages and non-medical cannabis, this category rounds out the selected figures in this section. Each value refers to the annual average per household in British Columbia for the 2023 reference year. The table’s selected categories show the reported range of expenses but do not establish household-level budgets, trends over time or reasons for spending patterns. Source: Statistics Canada, Table 11-10-0222-01 — full CSV download