Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arlington, WA and Toronto

For one person, living is cheaper in Toronto: $2,561 a month against $2,803 in Arlington, WA, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

136

Cost of Living Index in Arlington, WA
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Arlington, WA Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index

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Arlington, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,803

/mo nomad

Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,561

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,803 in Arlington, WA versus $2,561 in Toronto.

Arlington, WA $2,803
Toronto $2,561

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,283 in Arlington, WA versus $3,694 in Toronto.

Arlington, WA $4,283
Toronto $3,694

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,763 in Arlington, WA versus $4,826 in Toronto.

Arlington, WA $5,763
Toronto $4,826

Living in Arlington, WA is roughly 9% more expensive than in Toronto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Arlington, WA 108% above, Toronto 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.98 $24.98

$17.18 CA$24.29

45.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$76.0 CA$107

32.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.24 $14.24

$10.54 CA$14.89

35.10%

Cappuccino

$5.88 $5.88

$4.02 CA$5.68

46.27%

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

$3.04 $3.04

$2.12 CA$3.00

43.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$1.75 CA$2.48

73.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.16 $7.16

$6.24 CA$8.83

14.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.81 $6.81

$7.09 CA$10.02

-3.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$2.44 CA$3.45

-57.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.66 $3.66

$2.68 CA$3.78

36.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.24 CA$3.17

87.05%

Eggs

$3.94 $3.94

$3.56 CA$5.03

10.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.98 $13.98

$9.09 CA$12.85

53.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.33 $13.33

$11.33 CA$16.01

17.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.00 $23.00

$14.53 CA$20.55

58.29%

Apples (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.62 CA$5.12

46.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.21 CA$1.72

57.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 $4.21

$3.60 CA$5.09

16.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$4.21 CA$5.96

16.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.79 CA$2.53

12.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.59 CA$2.25

50.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 $2.77

$2.27 CA$3.21

22.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.25 CA$1.77

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.72 $12.72

$13.82 CA$19.53

-7.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.77 $14.77

$14.27 CA$20.18

3.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.20 CA$3.10

-10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 $4.39

$2.43 CA$3.44

80.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.39 CA$3.38

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 CA$157

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.91 CA$4.12

-9.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.20 CA$1.69

42.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.78 $29.78

$21.38 CA$30.23

39.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.21 CA$1.71

12.40%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

28.08%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$20.3K CA$28.6K

24.35%

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

$293 $293

$120 CA$170

143.17%

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

$69.9 $69.9

$32.26 CA$45.60

116.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$89.2 $89.2

$47.93 CA$67.8

86.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.54 $33.54

$38.48 CA$54.4

-12.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.96 CA$32.46

Cinema Ticket

$16.84 $16.84

$12.38 CA$17.50

36.03%

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

$2,983 $2,983

$830 CA$1,173

259.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.9K $30.9K

$23.1K CA$32.6K

33.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 $50.9

$50.7 CA$71.7

0.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.5 $54.5

$40.02 CA$56.6

36.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$98.0 CA$139

2.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$121 CA$171

11.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,522 $1,522

$1,592 CA$2,251

-4.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,297 $1,297

$1,410 CA$1,994

-8.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,826 $2,826

$2,670 CA$3,775

5.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,454 $2,454

$2,152 CA$3,042

14.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,945 CA$11.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,542 CA$9,249

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,858 $5,858

$3,727 CA$5,269

57.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

4.47

52.35%

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

Last update for Arlington, WA: October 12, 2026

Last update for Toronto: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Arlington, WA

$1.3K 46.3%

Toronto

$1.4K 55.1% 8.8% $114

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arlington, WA

$452 16.1%

Toronto

$201 7.8% 55.6% $251

Groceries & Markets

Arlington, WA

$436 15.6%

Toronto

$340 13.3% 22.2% $97

Eating Out

Arlington, WA

$387 13.8%

Toronto

$278 10.9% 28.1% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Arlington, WA

$153 5.5%

Toronto

$139 5.4% 9.1% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Arlington, WA

$67 2.4%

Toronto

$63 2.5% 5.9% $4

Getting Around

Arlington, WA

$11 * 0.4%

Toronto

$129 5.1% 1061% $118

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 $1,522 in Arlington, WA and $1,592 in Toronto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arlington, WA pays 57% 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: $101 in Arlington, WA vs $76.0 in Toronto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $436 vs $340 per month, with Toronto cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Arlington, WA

🇨🇦 Toronto

🕒 Local time

19:34 7:34 PM

22:34 10:34 PM

3 h ahead of Arlington, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

365,438

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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Arlington, WA Toronto 3,300 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Arlington, WA
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

Arlington, WA vs Toronto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arlington, WA and Toronto differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($2,803 vs $2,561 including rent). Toronto is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 57% higher in Arlington, WA, 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: $1,522 in Arlington, WA versus $1,592 in Toronto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Arlington, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,803 per month in Arlington, WA versus $2,561 in Toronto – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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.

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