Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ankeny, IA and Toronto

For one person, living is cheaper in Ankeny, IA: $2,326 a month against $2,530 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Toronto outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

113

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

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index

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Ankeny, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,326

/mo nomad

Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,530

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,326 in Ankeny, IA versus $2,530 in Toronto.

Ankeny, IA $2,326
Toronto $2,530

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,298 in Ankeny, IA versus $3,646 in Toronto.

Ankeny, IA $3,298
Toronto $3,646

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,270 in Ankeny, IA versus $4,761 in Toronto.

Ankeny, IA $4,270
Toronto $4,761

Living in Ankeny, IA costs roughly 8% less than in Toronto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ankeny, IA 74% above, Toronto 89% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.62 $19.62

$17.67 CA$25.19

11.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.1 $79.1

$77.4 CA$110

2.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 $11.80

$10.47 CA$14.93

12.70%

Cappuccino

$5.46 $5.46

$4.08 CA$5.81

33.82%

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

$2.97 $2.97

$2.12 CA$3.02

40.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.76 CA$2.51

-1.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.06 $5.06

$6.17 CA$8.80

-17.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.79 $5.79

$6.89 CA$9.82

-15.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$2.43 CA$3.46

-62.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.75 CA$3.92

5.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.27 $3.27

$2.23 CA$3.18

46.64%

Eggs

$3.96 $3.96

$3.45 CA$4.91

14.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.65 $9.65

$8.93 CA$12.73

8.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.65 $8.65

$11.44 CA$16.31

-24.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.96 $14.96

$14.61 CA$20.83

2.40%

Apples (1kg)

$5.24 $5.24

$3.75 CA$5.34

39.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.15 CA$1.64

32.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 $4.89

$3.55 CA$5.06

37.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.67 $3.67

$4.28 CA$6.10

-14.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.85 CA$2.63

20.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.33 $3.33

$1.67 CA$2.38

99.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.88 $1.88

$2.22 CA$3.16

-15.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 $2.65

$1.21 CA$1.72

119.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.80 $8.80

$13.88 CA$19.78

-36.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.79 $14.79

$14.25 CA$20.31

3.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.20 CA$3.13

-23.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.42 CA$3.45

2.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 CA$3.44

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 CA$158

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.90 CA$4.13

-29.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.26 CA$1.80

0.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.71 $19.71

$22.03 CA$31.40

-10.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.22 CA$1.74

-18.85%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$27.6K CA$39.4K

29.11%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$19.8K CA$28.3K

28.07%

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

$159 $159

$122 CA$174

30.76%

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

$53.2 $53.2

$32.03 CA$45.66

66.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.2 $64.2

$47.92 CA$68.3

33.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.0 $74.0

$38.90 CA$55.5

90.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.24 CA$33.12

Cinema Ticket

$14.95 $14.95

$12.61 CA$17.97

18.56%

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

$1,101 $1,101

$834 CA$1,189

32.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K $11.9K

$23.3K CA$33.3K

-48.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.27 $48.27

$52.6 CA$75.0

-8.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.89 $34.89

$40.26 CA$57.4

-13.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.1 $90.1

$96.2 CA$137

-6.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$123 CA$175

-5.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,109 $1,109

$1,598 CA$2,278

-30.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,141 $1,141

$1,435 CA$2,045

-20.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,971 $1,971

$2,657 CA$3,787

-25.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,599 $1,599

$2,096 CA$2,988

-23.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,033 CA$11.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,557 CA$9,347

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,289 $5,289

$3,743 CA$5,335

41.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.37

4.47

42.51%

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

Last update for Ankeny, IA: 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

Ankeny, IA

$1.1K 49%

Toronto

$1.4K 55.4% 25.8% $294

Groceries & Markets

Ankeny, IA

$353 15.2%

Toronto

$340 13.1% 3.6% $13

Eating Out

Ankeny, IA

$314 13.5%

Toronto

$282 10.9% 10.1% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ankeny, IA

$277 11.9%

Toronto

$202 7.8% 27.1% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Ankeny, IA

$130 5.6%

Toronto

$140 5.4% 7.6% $9.9

Sport & Entertainment

Ankeny, IA

$104 4.5%

Toronto

$64 2.5% 38.3% $40

Getting Around

Ankeny, IA

$8.4 * 0.4%

Toronto

$130 5% 1441% $121

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 $1,109 in Ankeny, IA and $1,598 in Toronto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ankeny, IA pays 41% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $79.0 in Ankeny, IA vs $77.0 in Toronto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $353 vs $340 per month, with Toronto cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ankeny, IA

🇨🇦 Toronto

🕒 Local time

01:28 1:28 AM

02:28 2:28 AM

1 h ahead of Ankeny, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

67,887

2,731,571

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 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 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).

CAD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ankeny, IA Toronto 1,180 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Ankeny, 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

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

Ankeny, IA and Toronto differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($2,326 vs $2,530 including rent). Ankeny, IA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 41% higher in Ankeny, IA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,109 in Ankeny, IA versus $1,598 in Toronto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Toronto pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,326 per month in Ankeny, IA versus $2,530 in Toronto – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,326 in Ankeny, IA versus $2,530 in Toronto, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Ankeny, IA but tight or insufficient in Toronto. The gap between the two cities makes Ankeny, 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.

Safety-wise, Ankeny, IA 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 Ankeny, IA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Toronto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.