Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Albert Lea, MN and Toronto

For one person, living is cheaper in Albert Lea, MN: $1,944 a month against $2,610 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

95

Cost of Living Index in Albert Lea, MN
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Albert Lea, MN Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index

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Albert Lea, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$1,944

/mo nomad

Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,610

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Albert Lea, MN and in Toronto

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Albert Lea, MN and in Toronto actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,944 in Albert Lea, MN versus $2,610 in Toronto.

Albert Lea, MN $1,944
Toronto $2,610

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,969 in Albert Lea, MN versus $3,727 in Toronto.

Albert Lea, MN $2,969
Toronto $3,727

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,995 in Albert Lea, MN versus $4,844 in Toronto.

Albert Lea, MN $3,995
Toronto $4,844

Living in Albert Lea, MN costs roughly 26% less than in Toronto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Albert Lea, MN 43% above, Toronto 93% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.02 $20.02

$17.59 CA$24.87

13.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 $102

$78.8 CA$111

29.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 $11.92

$10.73 CA$15.16

11.09%

Cappuccino

$6.29 $6.29

$4.09 CA$5.78

53.79%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.10 CA$2.97

45.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 $2.56

$1.72 CA$2.43

48.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.88 $4.88

$6.36 CA$8.99

-23.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 $5.69

$7.08 CA$10.01

-19.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$2.54 CA$3.59

-63.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.72 CA$3.85

7.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.18 CA$3.09

-0.46%

Eggs

$3.90 $3.90

$3.63 CA$5.13

7.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.84 $8.84

$9.46 CA$13.37

-6.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.56 $16.56

$11.54 CA$16.32

43.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.96 $18.96

$14.37 CA$20.32

31.94%

Apples (1kg)

$5.40 $5.40

$3.70 CA$5.23

45.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.19 CA$1.68

26.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 $4.89

$3.46 CA$4.90

41.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.22 CA$5.97

-11.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.79 CA$2.52

52.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.65 CA$2.33

34.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.70 $2.70

$2.20 CA$3.11

22.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$1.26 CA$1.78

82.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.92 $9.92

$13.97 CA$19.75

-28.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.24 $15.24

$14.20 CA$20.07

7.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$2.25 CA$3.18

-22.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 $3.39

$2.53 CA$3.58

33.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.09 $2.09

$2.32 CA$3.28

-9.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 CA$158

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.95 $1.95

$3.06 CA$4.33

-36.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.22 CA$1.72

4.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.31 $20.31

$21.69 CA$30.66

-6.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.21 CA$1.72

-22.31%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.1K CA$37.0K

2.04%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.6K $25.6K

$21.1K CA$29.9K

21.18%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$185 $185

$120 CA$169

54.36%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$53.4 $53.4

$32.21 CA$45.54

65.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.6 $79.6

$48.88 CA$69.1

62.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.66 $39.66

$39.34 CA$55.6

0.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.58 CA$33.34

Cinema Ticket

$9.82 $9.82

$12.58 CA$17.79

-21.94%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,350 $1,350

$832 CA$1,176

62.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K $11.9K

$23.6K CA$33.4K

-49.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.76 $45.76

$52.3 CA$73.9

-12.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.54 $24.54

$39.44 CA$55.8

-37.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.6 $50.6

$99.0 CA$140

-48.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.6 $59.6

$122 CA$172

-51.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 $1,030

$1,631 CA$2,306

-36.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 $739

$1,448 CA$2,048

-48.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,586 $1,586

$2,737 CA$3,869

-42.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,188 $1,188

$2,129 CA$3,010

-44.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,942 $2,942

$8,206 CA$11.6K

-64.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,028 $2,028

$6,838 CA$9,666

-70.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,957 $2,957

$3,520 CA$4,976

-15.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

4.47

46.98%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Albert Lea, MN: October 19, 2026

Last update for Toronto: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Albert Lea, MN

$739 38%

Toronto

$1.4K 55.5% 95.9% $709

Groceries & Markets

Albert Lea, MN

$400 20.6%

Toronto

$343 13.1% 14.3% $57

Eating Out

Albert Lea, MN

$330 17%

Toronto

$283 10.9% 14.1% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Albert Lea, MN

$318 16.3%

Toronto

$201 7.7% 36.8% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Albert Lea, MN

$81 4.2%

Toronto

$141 5.4% 73.1% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Albert Lea, MN

$59 3.1%

Toronto

$65 2.5% 8.8% $5.2

Getting Around

Albert Lea, MN

$17 * 0.9%

Toronto

$130 5% 679% $113

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,030 in Albert Lea, MN and $1,631 in Toronto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toronto pays 19% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $102 in Albert Lea, MN vs $79.0 in Toronto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $400 vs $343 per month, with Toronto cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Albert Lea, MN

🇨🇦 Toronto

🕒 Local time

09:42 9:42 AM

10:42 10:42 AM

1 h ahead of Albert Lea, MN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

17,758

2,731,571

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Albert Lea, MN Toronto 1,120 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Albert Lea, MN
Toronto

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Albert Lea, MN vs Toronto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Albert Lea, MN and Toronto differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($1,944 vs $2,610 including rent). Albert Lea, MN is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 19% lower in Toronto. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,030 in Albert Lea, MN versus $1,631 in Toronto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,350 in Albert Lea, MN versus $832 in Toronto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Albert Lea, MN – a meal for two runs $102 versus $79.0 in Toronto. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,944 in Albert Lea, MN versus $2,610 in Toronto, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Albert Lea, MN but tight or insufficient in Toronto. The gap between the two cities makes Albert Lea, MN the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Albert Lea, MN and Toronto are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Albert Lea, MN gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Toronto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.