Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alton, IL and Toronto

For one person, living is cheaper in Alton, IL: $1,895 a month against $2,610 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

92

Cost of Living Index in Alton, IL
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Alton, IL Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index

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Alton, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$1,895

/mo nomad

Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,610

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,895 per month in Alton, IL vs $2,610 in Toronto, rent included.

Alton, IL $1,895
Toronto $2,610

A couple spends around $2,862 per month in Alton, IL vs $3,727 in Toronto, rent included.

Alton, IL $2,862
Toronto $3,727

A family of three spends $3,829 per month in Alton, IL vs $4,844 in Toronto, rent included.

Alton, IL $3,829
Toronto $4,844

Alton, IL is about 27% cheaper than Toronto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Alton, IL and Toronto sit above the global median – Alton, IL by 40%, Toronto by 93%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$17.59 CA$24.87

18.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.6 $55.6

$78.8 CA$111

-29.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.17 $11.17

$10.73 CA$15.16

4.10%

Cappuccino

$4.95 $4.95

$4.09 CA$5.78

21.03%

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

$1.46 $1.46

$2.10 CA$2.97

-30.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.72 CA$2.43

1.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.89 $3.89

$6.36 CA$8.99

-38.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 $5.88

$7.08 CA$10.01

-16.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$2.54 CA$3.59

-68.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.59 $2.59

$2.72 CA$3.85

-4.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.18 CA$3.09

43.58%

Eggs

$3.16 $3.16

$3.63 CA$5.13

-12.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.32 $9.32

$9.46 CA$13.37

-1.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$11.54 CA$16.32

-41.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.42 $23.42

$14.37 CA$20.32

62.98%

Apples (1kg)

$4.26 $4.26

$3.70 CA$5.23

15.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.19 CA$1.68

-0.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.18 $5.18

$3.46 CA$4.90

49.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.89 $4.89

$4.22 CA$5.97

15.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.79 CA$2.52

23.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.74 $2.74

$1.65 CA$2.33

66.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 $2.10

$2.20 CA$3.11

-4.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.26 CA$1.78

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.08 $11.08

$13.97 CA$19.75

-20.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.05 $12.05

$14.20 CA$20.07

-15.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$2.25 CA$3.18

-18.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.53 CA$3.58

5.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 CA$3.28

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 CA$158

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 $2.96

$3.06 CA$4.33

-3.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.22 CA$1.72

38.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.69 CA$30.66

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.21 CA$1.72

-19.01%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$26.1K CA$37.0K

6.59%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$21.1K CA$29.9K

23.05%

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

$331 $331

$120 CA$169

176.83%

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

$43.44 $43.44

$32.21 CA$45.54

34.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.7 $77.7

$48.88 CA$69.1

59.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.07 $27.07

$39.34 CA$55.6

-31.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.58 CA$33.34

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 $11.95

$12.58 CA$17.79

-5.01%

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

$279 $279

$832 CA$1,176

-66.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K CA$33.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.36 $40.36

$52.3 CA$73.9

-22.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$39.44 CA$55.8

8.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.4 $65.4

$99.0 CA$140

-33.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.1 $76.1

$122 CA$172

-37.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 $763

$1,631 CA$2,306

-53.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 $627

$1,448 CA$2,048

-56.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,099 $1,099

$2,737 CA$3,869

-59.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 $1,275

$2,129 CA$3,010

-40.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,513 $1,513

$8,206 CA$11.6K

-81.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,455 $1,455

$6,838 CA$9,666

-78.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,813 $3,813

$3,520 CA$4,976

8.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

34.23%

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

Last update for Alton, IL: October 18, 2026

Last update for Toronto: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Alton, IL

$627 33.1%

Toronto

$1.4K 55.5% 131% $822

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alton, IL

$452 23.9%

Toronto

$201 7.7% 55.6% $252

Groceries & Markets

Alton, IL

$349 18.4%

Toronto

$343 13.1% 1.8% $6.1

Eating Out

Alton, IL

$303 16%

Toronto

$283 10.9% 6.5% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Alton, IL

$101 5.3%

Toronto

$141 5.4% 39.2% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Alton, IL

$51 2.7%

Toronto

$65 2.5% 26.5% $14

Getting Around

Alton, IL

$11 * 0.6%

Toronto

$130 5% 1038% $119

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $763 in Alton, IL versus $1,631 in Toronto. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 8% higher in Alton, IL, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56.0 in Alton, IL versus $79.0 in Toronto. Groceries tell a different story – $349 in Alton, IL vs $343 in Toronto – so Toronto wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Alton, IL

🇨🇦 Toronto

🕒 Local time

16:59 4:59 PM

17:59 5:59 PM

1 h ahead of Alton, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

25,676

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Alton, IL Toronto 1,050 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Alton, IL
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

Alton, IL vs Toronto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Toronto costs about 38% more than Alton, IL, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,842 per month in Alton, IL and $3,916 in Toronto. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Alton, IL, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,895 in Alton, IL and $2,610 in Toronto. That's a gap of about 38%.

Kindergarten costs $279 per month in Alton, IL and $832 in Toronto. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Alton, IL, where all-in costs run around $1,895, than in Toronto at $2,610. In Alton, IL it covers expenses comfortably, while in Toronto it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Alton, IL – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Alton, IL. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Toronto makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.