Quebec's Cost Of Living Is Rising & Here's Which Product Prices Have Increased Most

There's no denying it: Quebec's cost of living is on the rise. On October 20, Statistics Canada announced that between September 2020 and 2021, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by 4.4% in Canada, and by 5.1% in Quebec alone. This is the highest rate since 2003 in Canada and 1991 in the province.

The sharp rise in gas prices is partly responsible for this inflation, but the increase in prices associated with food and housing also had a direct impact on consumers' wallets.

Gasoline and Cars

Gas prices in Quebec rose by 34.9% from September 2020 to September 2021. Statistics Canada explains this boom mainly due to the strong decrease that took place during the pandemic.

Drivers in some regions were able to fill up their gas tanks for less than $1/litre at the height of the crisis.

By comparison, the average price at the gas station is 155.4¢ in Montreal as of October 21, 2021, according to CAA-Québec.

In September 2021, Quebecers who bought a new car had to pay 6.3% more than the previous year.

"The global shortage of semiconductor chips, which led to a reduction in supply, contributed to the increase in prices in September," Statistics Canada explained.

In other words, fewer vehicles available for sale led to higher prices.

Food

At the grocery store, your bill may have increased as well — especially for carnivores.

While the price of all food has increased by 4% in Quebec, the cost of meat has jumped the most. This inflation is mainly explained by the closure of several plants in this industry, the government agency claimed.

In Canada, the yearly increase in the price of bacon (+20.0%) was the highest since January 2015.

Seafood also rose year-over-year across the country. Shrimp had Canadians spending the most, with its 8.9% increase.

On the dairy side, the price of cheese and butter should be taken into consideration on your bill, as they increased by 5.9% and 7.4%, respectively.

Many people could therefore turn to a more vegetarian diet, as vegetable prices in Quebec have only increased by 0.1% year-over-year, while fruit costs 1% more than in September 2020.

Housing

Your rent is probably already taking up a good chunk of your budget, and it's unfortunately not likely to go down any time soon.

The housing inflation rate in Quebec in September 2021 is 4.4%. New housing prices have soared by 17.8% in the province due to higher construction costs and lower interest rates, according to Statistics Canada.

In la belle province, the price of rental housing jumped by 3.7% from 2020 to 2021, but it was in New Brunswick that it increased the most, with a rate of 7.8%.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.

This article was originally published in French on Narcity Québec.