Chester, Nova Scotia Cost Of Living

A+

4%

Overall NAT. AVG.

9%

Groceries NAT. AVG.

42%

Housing NAT. AVG.

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Date & Last Updated: This data reflects 2025 and was released from Statistics Canada.

The cost of living index is based on a national average of 100. For example, if the cost of living score is 90, then the estimated cost of living is 10% lower than the national average. If the score is 110, then the estimated cost of living is 10% higher than average. The overall index is calculated using weighted estimates across major everyday expense categories, including housing (30%), groceries (16%), transportation (12%), healthcare (10%), utilities (8%), lifestyle and entertainment (8%), household expenses (8%), and education and childcare (8%). All values are AI-assisted city-level estimates designed for directional comparisons.
Index	Chester	Nova Scotia	National
Cost of living	96	98	100
Groceries	109	109	100
Health care	95	95	100
Housing	58	64	100
Transportation	94	94	100
Utilities	140	140	100
Lifestyle & Entertainment	n/a	n/a	n/a
Household Items	n/a	n/a	n/a
Education & Childcare	n/a	n/a	n/a

Cost Of Living Quick Facts

The cost of living in Chester is 2% lower than the Nova Scotia average
The cost of living in Chester is 4% lower than the national average
Chester housing is 42% lower than the national average
Nova Scotia general sales tax is 67% higher than the national average
Nova Scotia state income tax is 4% higher than the national average

Most Affordable Places to Live in and Around Chester

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Compare Chester, NS Cost of Living

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Price difference in compared to

Cost of living index
Groceries index
Health care index
Housing index
Transportation index
Utilities index
Lifestyle index
Household index
Educare index

Nova Scotia Sales Tax

State	General Sales Tax	With Max Surtax
Nova Scotia	10%	15%

Nova Scotia Income Tax

State	Income Tax (Low)	Income Tax (High)
Nova Scotia	8.79%	21%

Nearby cities with low cost of living

City	Population	Cost of Living Index	National Avg.
Pennal 19, NS	30	96	4.1%
Gold River 21, NS	107	97	3.4%
Mahone Bay, NS	1,160	97	2.6%
Chester, NS	10,450	96	4.3%

Cities with similar population

City	Population	Cost of Living Index	National Avg.
Doraville, GA	10,449	n/a
East Stroudsburg, PA	10,453	n/a
Browns Mills, NJ	10,446	n/a
Waynesville, NC	10,454	n/a
Shasta Lake, CA	10,443	n/a
Chester, NS	10,450	96	4.3%

Date & Last Updated: This data reflects 2020 and was released from Statistics Canada.