Between the loan payments, insurance costs, maintenance expenses, and everything else, you’ve probably wondered: can you live without a car?
The fact is, you need transportation. Even if you work from home, there are endless reasons why you need to get around your community. And if you have a family, transportation options can be even more important and expensive.
So what are the options here?
It may seem like everyone has a car and it’s the responsible thing to do, but there are several alternatives to owning a car. These options can save you money, help the environment, and even offer some new life experiences.
Can you live without a car? Here’s a quick note
Yes, you can indeed live without a car, and we’ll discuss some alternatives below. Especially when you consider the associated costs of vehicle ownership, living without a car can actually look quite appealing.
Assuming that owning a car costs about $730 each month or roughly $8,760 per year, all costs included, potential savings can be calculated based on that.
| Cost Type | Monthly Cost | Annual Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel | $125 | $1,500 |
| Maintenance | $50 | $600 |
| Loan payment | $555.54 | $6,666.48 |
| Total | $730.54 | $8,766 |
Carpooling helps you live without a car
Sharing a ride is a convenient alternative to owning a vehicle, and it can offer an enjoyable social aspect too.
Sites and apps
There are numerous carpooling websites available to Canadians, including:
- CarpoolWorld,
- Poparide,
- Ridesharing.com,
- Kangaride,
- and several more.
On some of these sites you’ll find free rides to wherever you’re going, and others require payment. Not only can you find transportation this way, but you can offer your own services if you do decide to keep your car.
Some of these carpool sites – including Poparide and CarpoolWorld – also have mobile apps, making it even easier to find transportation.
Classified sites
There are numerous ads on classified sites like Kijiji and Facebook Marketplace in large cities with people seeking a ridesharing arrangement. It’s worth trying in more rural areas too – you never know what you might find.
Both Kijiji and Facebook have apps too, so you can search their ads for carpool opportunities at any time.
Public Transportation means you don’t need to own a car
One of the most economic options to owning a car is public transportation. Most cities offer at least 1 transit option, and now even smaller, more rural areas are working to provide public transport for residents.
Although the government is working to improve public transit throughout the country, some areas are still better than others. A few Canadian cities with top-notch transit systems are:
- Toronto – TTC
- Vancouver – SkyTrain
- Montreal – Metro
- Mississauga – Transitway
- Brampton – Zum
Some cities rely mostly on one form of transportation or another, like busses and/or subways. Others have a combination of options, like Toronto with its bus, subway, streetcars, and more.
You’ll likely have the most options for public transit if you live in a downtown urban area, but there are usually still options for those in more suburban and even rural spots.
A great alternative to owning a car: weekend car rentals
Another alternative to owning a car is to simply rent a vehicle instead.
If you live close to work and only need transportation once a week (or less) you may be able to save money by renting a car as needed, rather than owning a vehicle.
Standard car rental companies
The biggest and most popular car rental companies throughout Canada are:
- Enterprise,
- National,
- Hertz,
- Avis,
- Budget, and
- Alamo.
Sometimes, rental companies like Enterprise have weekend specials of $12.99 per day for the weekend, which means you’d pay just over $25 (plus taxes) for having unlimited access to a rental vehicle for the weekend.
They’re able to do this because the large majority of their rentals are made through corporations or insurance companies that are focused on the weekdays, so they can offer specials on weekends to make additional revenue instead of having the vehicles just sit idle from Friday afternoon to Sunday evening.
Plenty of people, especially those who live in the city, take advantage of these deals. They’ll pick up the vehicle on Friday night and have the ability to run all kinds of errands and easily get around town – or even out of town – for a few days.
Car share programs and rentals
Car sharing is a relatively new idea in the car rental world, and they offer lots of economical and fun opportunities for people looking to have a vehicle for a short time. They provide handy options that give users the freedom of having their own vehicle but without the extra cost.
Turo
Just like you can rent someone else’s home through Airbnb, you can rent someone else’s vehicle through Turo. Established in Canada in 2009 as RelayRides, Turo has grown significantly since then and now operates in most provinces and territories.
Not surprisingly, the prices can vary quite a bit with Turo, depending on the type of vehicle you get and how long you want it for. In general, though, the prices are at least comparable to typical car rental agencies and sometimes even cheaper.
Car share programs
In cities and provinces all across Canada, you can find car share organizations. Some of these include:
- Communauto – in Alberta, Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Quebec
- Zipcar – in Ontario (Hamilton, Mississauga, Toronto)
- Modo – in British Columbia
- Peg City Car Co-op – Manitoba (Winnipeg)
With organizations like these, users have access to a fleet of vehicles that are shared between everyone in the program. You create an account, pay a (usually) monthly fee to have access to the vehicles, and are charged for the amount of time you use a vehicle and the distance travelled.
Since there are designated dropoff and pickup spots all over the city, hopping into a car and taking off to run your errands is usually pretty easy.
And sharing vehicles like this is an especially environmentally friendly move.
You can live without a car by taking cabs
Using taxicabs is not just for New Yorkers. In fact, taking cabs can be a helpful way to cut down the cost of transportation if they aren’t used that often.
Since the cost of each cab ride is generally higher than other alternatives, using cabs to get around town would be cheaper than owning a car for anyone who doesn’t need to travel often or can get by with other transportation methods most of the time.
Consider someone who lives close to work and has everything they need for their daily lives nearby like food, groceries, and shopping. They would only need to take a cab for trips to the airport or visiting friends who live out of town, and are therefore better off not owning a vehicle.
Consider this situation – a person walks to work and is also within walking distance to most stores, only using a cab to get to/from the airport when travelling out of town.
The cab ride costs about $50 (one way) but since they only travel 1 – 2 times per year their transportation costs are significantly less than owning a car year-round and rarely using it.
Bonus: accessibility for those who need it
Another benefit of using cabs is the access for disabled persons. Most municipalities have bylaws that regulate the taxi industry, requiring them to provide access for disabled persons. These individuals can and do benefit greatly from having access to cabs that are equipped to transport them within the city.
Even though they offer great convenience, cabs are still one of the most expensive transportation options available and shouldn’t be used as a primary form of transportation.
Uber
We discussed car share options above, but there’s another sector of transportation called ridesharing. Uber is the king of this category and gets a lot of press these days. Here’s a quick primer:
Uber and other rideshare companies like it are companies that use an app to enable people to arrange rides with others – for money. Anyone with a smartphone can download the app and submit a trip request. The request gets sent to drivers, who use their own vehicles to work for Uber.
Generally, the trips are significantly cheaper than a cab fare – peak travel times excepted – and the app allows users to see in real-time where the vehicle picking them up is located.
Using Uber to get around a large city is a great alternative to owning a vehicle as it means you don’t have to pay for all the costs a vehicle owner pays. And you also don’t have to pay the higher prices often charged by cab companies.
To find out if Uber is in your city, do a search here.
This isn’t to say it’s a perfect option. Uber currently only operates in select cities and fare prices tend to spike dramatically during peak travel times, like Canada Day, New Year’s Eve, etc.
Another issue is that Uber drivers can cancel on you. Needless to say, this can be unbelievably inconvenient if you have a flight to catch, a doctor’s appointment to get to, etc.
How can you live without a car? Try walking!
This is by far the cheapest alternative to owning a vehicle. Besides that, walking is a much more environmentally-friendly commuting choice.
The average Canadian commutes 25 minutes to work each morning. In contrast, those who walk to work usually have the simplest commutes. Not only is walking economic, it also provides a cardio workout each time you go to or from work.
If you walk by yourself to work or do errands around town, the journey can provide you with time to clear your head before the workday, event, or whatever is going on. It can be very refreshing. Or you can walk with a friend and use the time to chat and spend quality time together.
No car-related expenses, a built-in workout, and the opportunity to visit with a friend each day? Could be a win-win-win situation.
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$25 GeniusCash + Delicious meal choices with fresh ingredients + Front-door delivery.Cycling: a popular alternative to owning a car
Using your bicycle for transportation offers many of the same benefits that walking does. It’s good for your physical health, can provide time in the fresh air to rejuvenate your mind and spirits, and definitely saves you considerable money.
Plus, all this exercise can help you sleep better.
Especially during the last few years of Covid, cities around Canada have been realizing the value of adding bike lanes and have been adapting accordingly. So, even if you live or work in a congested downtown area, using your bicycle can be a quick and easy way to live without a car.
Now, there are a few downsides to both walking and cycling. These methods can sometimes take far longer than driving, increasing the overall time you’re away from home. Colder weather can also make these activities more difficult – you’ll have to purchase quality outerwear and invest in supportive, hardy footwear.
FAQ
What are the alternatives to owning a car?
There are many alternate options, including carpooling, public transportation, rental cars, cabs and rideshares, walking, and biking. Each of these options has its own pros and cons, but all are cost effective alternatives.
Can you live in Ottawa without a car?
It is not necessary to own a car if you live in Ottawa. The city’s transit system, OC Transpo, offers several modes of transportation, including bus service, an electric light rail system, and a shared-ride service for individuals with disabilities. Ottawa’s transit system is well designed, efficient, and inexpensive – a monthly bus pass is $122.50, which is significantly less than the cost of owning a vehicle.
What alternatives are there to owning a car in Calgary?
Calgary Transit is another efficient and inexpensive alternative to owning a car. A monthly pass for an adult is $109 (although this is going up slightly in 2022) and includes travel by light rail train, bus, and special services. There are car share programs available, like Communauto, and Turo car rentals are available, as are other standard car rental agencies. The city also has designated cycling spaces, including dedicated bike lanes on many roads.
Is owning a car necessary?
No, owning a car is not always necessary. Depending on your travel/transit needs and habits, there are plenty of alternatives, such as those mentioned above. Plus, instead of purchasing a new vehicle, you can choose to purchase a used one – either privately or through a dealership – or sign a lease.
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Comments
It can be risky, but rental car insurance isn't always necessary.
Check out our article here for more info: Do You Really Need Car Rental Insurance?
Cycling wasn't in the article at first and we actually revised the list before publishing to include it. Then an old version actually got published accidently a few days later. This is now fixed you will see that biking is back.
That's a great example. Convenience and reasonable price rolled into one.
I agree Daniel, it's all about structuring your life to make the things you want happen. If there is a will there is a way as they say. Choices, choices, choices.
Weighing all those factors is exactly what needs to be done. Going through the exercise is important even for people like me who thing that have made the right decision.
Even just knowing how much that car is costing you on a yearly basis can be an eye opener for people who didn't realize just how much of their money is going down the drain on one convenience.
Yes TJ, putting more thought and effort into choosing where we decide to live can have a big impact on our finances and our lifestyle.
It's a bit hard for me to fathom at the moment too Ken but working on this article with Dan reminded me that it is a real possibility that could save a lot of money.
Where you live has a big impact for sure.
However, even in the suburbs if you pick a location that is close to most of your shopping needs you could still make it work by combining walking/biking, car pooling, public transit, and rental cars.
Personally, I value time more than anything else in my life right now. A car helps me to save loads of time - especially with young kids - so that is why I choose to keep a vehicle and try to save money on operating it where I can. If I was in a big city, I would have to reconsider. When I get older and am hopefully slowing down a bit, I might revisit the idea again.