Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ames, IA and Toronto

For one person, living is cheaper in Ames, IA: $2,142 a month against $2,561 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Toronto outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

104

Cost of Living Index in Ames, IA
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Ames, IA Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index

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Ames, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,142

/mo nomad

Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,561

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,142 in Ames, IA versus $2,561 in Toronto.

Ames, IA $2,142
Toronto $2,561

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,242 in Ames, IA versus $3,694 in Toronto.

Ames, IA $3,242
Toronto $3,694

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,342 in Ames, IA versus $4,826 in Toronto.

Ames, IA $4,342
Toronto $4,826

Living in Ames, IA costs roughly 16% less than in Toronto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ames, IA 59% above, Toronto 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.13 $18.13

$17.18 CA$24.29

5.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 $52.0

$76.0 CA$107

-31.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.18 $12.18

$10.54 CA$14.89

15.56%

Cappuccino

$4.87 $4.87

$4.02 CA$5.68

21.14%

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

$2.60 $2.60

$2.12 CA$3.00

22.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.75 CA$2.48

28.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.05 $4.05

$6.24 CA$8.83

-35.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.81 $6.81

$7.09 CA$10.02

-3.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$2.44 CA$3.45

-63.52%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$2.68 CA$3.78

32.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.24 CA$3.17

45.54%

Eggs

$3.34 $3.34

$3.56 CA$5.03

-6.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 $10.08

$9.09 CA$12.85

10.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.62 $13.62

$11.33 CA$16.01

20.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$14.53 CA$20.55

31.11%

Apples (1kg)

$5.88 $5.88

$3.62 CA$5.12

62.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.21 CA$1.72

50.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$3.60 CA$5.09

85.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.21 CA$5.96

23.99%

Potato (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$1.79 CA$2.53

153.63%

Onion (1kg)

$4.07 $4.07

$1.59 CA$2.25

155.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 $2.32

$2.27 CA$3.21

2.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.25 CA$1.77

95.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.03 $13.03

$13.82 CA$19.53

-5.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.11 $16.11

$14.27 CA$20.18

12.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.20 CA$3.10

30.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.98 $4.98

$2.43 CA$3.44

104.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 $0.99

$2.39 CA$3.38

-58.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.57 $35.57

$111 CA$157

-67.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.09 $5.09

$2.91 CA$4.12

74.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.20 CA$1.69

40.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.13 $24.13

$21.38 CA$30.23

12.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.21 CA$1.71

-20.66%

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

$24.7K $24.7K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

-12.21%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$20.3K CA$28.6K

23.79%

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

$176 $176

$120 CA$170

46.49%

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

$54.3 $54.3

$32.26 CA$45.60

68.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$47.93 CA$67.8

48.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.0 $69.0

$38.48 CA$54.4

79.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.74 $19.74

$22.96 CA$32.46

-14.02%

Cinema Ticket

$15.97 $15.97

$12.38 CA$17.50

29.00%

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

$1,370 $1,370

$830 CA$1,173

65.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.1K $36.1K

$23.1K CA$32.6K

56.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 $58.4

$50.7 CA$71.7

15.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.68 $44.68

$40.02 CA$56.6

11.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.1 $90.1

$98.0 CA$139

-8.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$121 CA$171

-13.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 $1,005

$1,592 CA$2,251

-36.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$822 $822

$1,410 CA$1,994

-41.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,860 $1,860

$2,670 CA$3,775

-30.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,505 $1,505

$2,152 CA$3,042

-30.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,432 $2,432

$7,945 CA$11.2K

-69.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,185 $2,185

$6,542 CA$9,249

-66.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,597 $3,597

$3,727 CA$5,269

-3.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.41

4.47

43.40%

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

Last update for Ames, IA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Toronto: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ames, IA

$822 38.4%

Toronto

$1.4K 55.1% 71.5% $588

Groceries & Markets

Ames, IA

$436 20.4%

Toronto

$340 13.3% 22.1% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ames, IA

$302 14.1%

Toronto

$201 7.8% 33.6% $101

Eating Out

Ames, IA

$293 13.7%

Toronto

$278 10.9% 5.2% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Ames, IA

$134 6.3%

Toronto

$139 5.4% 3.9% $5.2

Sport & Entertainment

Ames, IA

$101 4.7%

Toronto

$63 2.5% 37.4% $38

Getting Around

Ames, IA

$53 2.5%

Toronto

$129 5.1% 144% $76

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,005 in Ames, IA and $1,592 in Toronto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toronto pays 4% 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: $52.0 in Ames, IA vs $76.0 in Toronto. Groceries flip the comparison at $436 vs $340, with Toronto cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ames, IA

🇨🇦 Toronto

🕒 Local time

14:26 2:26 PM

15:26 3:26 PM

1 h ahead of Ames, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

66,427

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 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

Ames, IA Toronto 1,170 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Ames, IA
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

Ames, IA vs Toronto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ames, IA wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Toronto. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ames, IA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 4% 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: $1,005 in Ames, IA versus $1,592 in Toronto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ames, IA runs roughly 212% less than in Toronto. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,370 in Ames, IA versus $830 in Toronto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,142 in Ames, IA versus $2,561 in Toronto, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ames, IA but tight or insufficient in Toronto. The gap between the two cities makes Ames, IA 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.

Expats usually find Ames, IA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Toronto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.