Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alhambra, CA and Toronto

For one person, living is cheaper in Toronto: $2,530 a month against $3,606 in Alhambra, CA, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Alhambra, CA
🇺🇸 United States
$3,606
/mo nomad
Toronto
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,530
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Alhambra, CA 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 Alhambra, CA and in Toronto actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,606 in Alhambra, CA versus $2,530 in Toronto.

  • Alhambra, CA $3,606
  • Toronto $2,530

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,604 in Alhambra, CA versus $3,646 in Toronto.

  • Alhambra, CA $4,604
  • Toronto $3,646

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Alhambra, CA versus $4,761 in Toronto.

  • Alhambra, CA $5,603
  • Toronto $4,761

Living in Alhambra, CA is roughly 43% more expensive than in Toronto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Alhambra, CA 169% above, Toronto 89% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Alhambra, CA
Toronto
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$24.88 $24.88
$17.67 CA$25.19
40.80%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$77.9 $77.9
$77.4 CA$110
0.66%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.96 $14.96
$10.47 CA$14.93
42.88%
Cappuccino
$6.10 $6.10
$4.08 CA$5.81
49.51%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.06 $3.06
$2.12 CA$3.02
44.34%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.42 $2.42
$1.76 CA$2.51
37.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.04 $7.04
$6.17 CA$8.80
14.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$10.11 $10.11
$6.89 CA$9.82
46.73%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Alhambra, CA
Toronto
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.36 $1.36
$2.43 CA$3.46
-44.03%
White Bread (500g)
$5.11 $5.11
$2.75 CA$3.92
85.82%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.59 $4.59
$2.23 CA$3.18
105.83%
Eggs
$5.91 $5.91
$3.45 CA$4.91
71.30%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.33 $11.33
$8.93 CA$12.73
26.88%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.82 $8.82
$11.44 CA$16.31
-22.90%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.79 $19.79
$14.61 CA$20.83
35.46%
Apples (1kg)
$4.82 $4.82
$3.75 CA$5.34
28.53%
Banana (1kg)
$2.21 $2.21
$1.15 CA$1.64
92.17%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.95 $3.95
$3.55 CA$5.06
11.27%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.64 $5.64
$4.28 CA$6.10
31.78%
Potato (1kg)
$3.20 $3.20
$1.85 CA$2.63
72.97%
Onion (1kg)
$3.15 $3.15
$1.67 CA$2.38
88.62%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.09 $2.09
$2.22 CA$3.16
-5.86%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.82 $2.82
$1.21 CA$1.72
133.06%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.73 $11.73
$13.88 CA$19.78
-15.49%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.24 $15.24
$14.25 CA$20.31
6.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.49 $2.49
$2.20 CA$3.13
13.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 $2.77
$2.42 CA$3.45
14.46%
🚌 Getting Around
Alhambra, CA
Toronto
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.94 $1.94
$2.42 CA$3.44
-19.83%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$110 $110
$111 CA$158
-0.23%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.07 $3.07
$2.90 CA$4.13
5.86%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.82 $1.82
$1.26 CA$1.80
44.44%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.56 $32.56
$22.03 CA$31.40
47.80%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 $1.45
$1.22 CA$1.74
18.85%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.0K $37.0K
$27.6K CA$39.4K
33.80%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.5K $26.5K
$19.8K CA$28.3K
33.69%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Alhambra, CA
Toronto
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$284 $284
$122 CA$174
132.97%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$76.1 $76.1
$32.03 CA$45.66
137.46%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$72.9 $72.9
$47.92 CA$68.3
52.05%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Alhambra, CA
Toronto
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.65 $41.65
$38.90 CA$55.5
7.07%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.80 $15.80
$23.24 CA$33.12
-32.01%
Cinema Ticket
$19.77 $19.77
$12.61 CA$17.97
56.78%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Alhambra, CA
Toronto
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,157 $1,157
$834 CA$1,189
38.79%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$32.5K $32.5K
$23.3K CA$33.3K
39.40%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Alhambra, CA
Toronto
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.7 $62.7
$52.6 CA$75.0
19.11%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$48.26 $48.26
$40.26 CA$57.4
19.87%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 $104
$96.2 CA$137
8.59%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$101 $101
$123 CA$175
-17.51%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Alhambra, CA
Toronto
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,328 $2,328
$1,598 CA$2,278
45.69%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,921 $1,921
$1,435 CA$2,045
33.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,539 $2,539
$2,657 CA$3,787
-4.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,118 $2,118
$2,096 CA$2,988
1.02%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,773 $2,773
$8,033 CA$11.5K
-65.48%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,375 $2,375
$6,557 CA$9,347
-63.79%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Alhambra, CA
Toronto
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,816 $4,816
$3,743 CA$5,335
28.67%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.31
4.47
41.16%

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

Last update for Alhambra, CA: October 5, 2026

Last update for Toronto: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Alhambra, CA
$1.9K
Toronto
$1.4K 25.3% $486
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Alhambra, CA
$433
Toronto
$202 53.4% $231
Groceries & Markets
Alhambra, CA
$432
Toronto
$340 21.3% $92
Eating Out
Alhambra, CA
$394
Toronto
$282 28.5% $112
Clothing & Footwear
Alhambra, CA
$143
Toronto
$140 1.5% $2.2
Getting Around
Alhambra, CA
$130
Toronto
$130 0.6% $0.8
Sport & Entertainment
Alhambra, CA
$81
Toronto
$64 21% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,328 in Alhambra, CA and $1,598 in Toronto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alhambra, CA pays 29% 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: $78.0 in Alhambra, CA vs $77.0 in Toronto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $432 vs $340 per month, with Toronto cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Alhambra, CA
🇨🇦 Toronto
🕒 Local time
22:26 10:26 PM
01:26 1:26 AM
3 h ahead of Alhambra, CA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
83,089
2,731,571
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Alhambra, CA Toronto 3,480 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Alhambra, CA
  • 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
Alhambra, CA vs Toronto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Alhambra, CA and in Toronto?
Alhambra, CA and Toronto differ by about 43% in total monthly costs ($3,606 vs $2,530 including rent). Toronto is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Alhambra, CA or Toronto?
Average pay runs 29% higher in Alhambra, CA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Alhambra, CA and in Toronto?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,328 in Alhambra, CA versus $1,598 in Toronto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Alhambra, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Toronto – a meal for two runs $77.0 versus $78.0 in Alhambra, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is feasible on a $2,500 budget?
Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Toronto is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
How does quality of life compare between Alhambra, CA and Toronto?
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.
Is Alhambra, CA or Toronto safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Alhambra, CA 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.
Where should expats move: Alhambra, CA or Toronto?
Expats usually find Toronto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Alhambra, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Alhambra, CA vs other spots: cost of living compared

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