Statistics Canada
Symbol of the Government of Canada
Skip to content | Skip to institutional links

Common menu bar links

Home > CYB Historical Collection >  Browse by… > List of tables  > 1937 > 

Institutional links

Browse by

Chronology

Tools and reference

About the collection

Page content follows

Prices of a family budget of staple foods, fuel and lighting, and rent, for 60 cities in Canada, 1920, 1926, and 1928 to 1936

Archived Content

Information identified as archived on the Web is for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. It has not been altered or updated after the date of archiving. Web pages that are archived on the Web are not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards. As per the Communications Policy of the Government of Canada, you can request alternate formats on the "Contact Us" page.

Related tables:   The Great Depression.

Prices of a family budget of staple foods, fuel and lighting, and rent, for 60 cities in Canada, 1920, 1926, and 1928 to 1936
  Unit 1920 1926 1928 1929 1930 1931
    $
Staple foods              
Beef, sirloin steak 1 lb. 0.389 0.294 0.345 0.363 0.356 0.286
Beef, chuck roast 1 lb. 0.251 0.160 0.206 0.227 0.221 0.158
Veal, roast 1 lb. 0.274 0.193 0.226 0.245 0.239 0.183
Mutton, roast 1 lb. 0.354 0.298 0.300 0.309 0.302 0.253
Pork, fresh, roast 1 lb. 0.397 0.302 0.273 0.300 0.298 0.223
Pork, salt mess 1 lb. 0.362 0.278 0.261 0.273 0.271 0.226
Bacon, breakfast 1 lb. 0.559 0.431 0.379 0.393 0.399 0.301
Lard, pure leaf 1 lb. 0.380 0.246 0.221 0.219 0.212 0.157
Eggs, fresh 1 dozen 0.709 0.466 0.478 0.475 0.457 0.337
Eggs, storage 1 dozen 0.608 0.398 0.412 0.403 0.394 0.271
Milk 1 qt. 0.151 0.118 0.121 0.123 0.123 0.111
Butter, dairy 1 lb. 0.631 0.406 0.417 0.428 0.368 0.272
Butter, creamery 1 lb. 0.696 0.448 0.461 0.470 0.405 0.300
Cheese, old 1 lb. 0.406 0.318 0.329 0.334 0.318 0.251
Cheese, new 1 lb. 0.383 0.318 0.329 0.334 0.318 0.251
Bread, plain white 1 lb. 0.093 0.076 0.077 0.078 0.075 0.062
Flour, family 1 lb. 0.079 0.053 0.052 0.051 0.047 0.033
Rolled oats 1 lb. 0.084 0.058 0.063 0.064 0.061 0.050
Rice, good medium 1 lb. 0.164 0.110 0.105 0.104 0.101 0.092
Beans, hand picked 1 lb. 0.117 0.079 0.089 0.115 0.094 0.061
Apples, evaporated 1 lb. 0.286 0.200 0.210 0.213 0.206 0.178
Prunes, medium 1 lb. 0.270 0.158 0.135 0.141 0.155 0.121
Sugar, granulated 1 lb. 0.197 0.079 0.079 0.073 0.068 0.062
Sugar, yellow 1 lb. 0.185 0.075 0.075 0.069 0.065 0.060
Tea, black 1 lb. 0.644 0.719 0.713 0.704 0.628 0.552
Tea, green 1 lb. 0.672 0.719 0.713 0.704 0.628 0.552
Coffee 1 lb. 0.608 0.612 0.607 0.604 0.572 0.492
Potatoes 1 pk. 0.080 0.436 0.258 0.291 0.355 0.172
Vinegar, white wine 1 pt. 0.080 0.080 0.080 0.080 0.080 0.080
All foods, weekly budget1 $ 15.99 11.21 11.04 11.34 10.96 8.49
Starch, laundry 1 lb. 0.144 0.124 0.123 0.123 0.123 0.120
Fuel and lighting              
Coal, anthracite 1 ton 17.040 17.392 16.272 16.192 16.112 16.064
Coal, bituminous 1 ton 12.380 10.311 10.113 10.080 10.064 9.840
Wood, hard, best 1 cord 13.090 12.195 12.077 12.208 12.176 11.696
Wood, soft 1 cord 10.140 8.947 8.937 8.800 8.672 8.560
Coal oil 1 gallon 0.365 0.308 0.311 0.311 0.309 0.291
Rent              
Rent 1 month 24.80 27.43 27.67 27.92 28.16 27.80
Grand total, weekly budget $ 25.91 21.47 21.27 21.61 21.29 18.66
Note: In the past, Canada used the British Imperial system of measurement (lb., inch, foot, etc.). However, in the 1970s, the Pierre Trudeau government implemented the International System of Units (km, cm, m, kg, etc.).
1. Totals for "All foods" and "Grand total"are based upon the estimated weekly family consumption.
Source: Statistics Canada, Canada Year Book, 1937.
Date modified: 2009-08-10

Top of page
Important notices