Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bakersfield, CA and Toronto

For one person, living is cheaper in Toronto: $2,530 a month against $3,146 in Bakersfield, CA, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

152

Cost of Living Index in Bakersfield, CA
Learn more

Bakersfield, CA Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
Learn more

Toronto Living Index

Jump to prices

Bakersfield, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,146

/mo nomad

Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,530

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,146 in Bakersfield, CA versus $2,530 in Toronto.

Bakersfield, CA $3,146
Toronto $2,530

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,361 in Bakersfield, CA versus $3,646 in Toronto.

Bakersfield, CA $4,361
Toronto $3,646

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,575 in Bakersfield, CA versus $4,761 in Toronto.

Bakersfield, CA $5,575
Toronto $4,761

Living in Bakersfield, CA is roughly 24% more expensive than in Toronto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bakersfield, CA 135% above, Toronto 89% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.87 $18.87

$17.67 CA$25.19

6.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.2 $64.2

$77.4 CA$110

-17.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 $13.91

$10.47 CA$14.93

32.86%

Cappuccino

$6.05 $6.05

$4.08 CA$5.81

48.28%

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

$2.67 $2.67

$2.12 CA$3.02

25.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.76 CA$2.51

15.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.14 $6.14

$6.17 CA$8.80

-0.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 $5.89

$6.89 CA$9.82

-14.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$2.43 CA$3.46

-55.56%

White Bread (500g)

$4.16 $4.16

$2.75 CA$3.92

51.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.23 CA$3.18

137.67%

Eggs

$3.42 $3.42

$3.45 CA$4.91

-0.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.83 $12.83

$8.93 CA$12.73

43.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.26 $13.26

$11.44 CA$16.31

15.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.95 $15.95

$14.61 CA$20.83

9.17%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 $4.14

$3.75 CA$5.34

10.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.15 CA$1.64

80.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.96 $3.96

$3.55 CA$5.06

11.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.82 $3.82

$4.28 CA$6.10

-10.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.85 CA$2.63

18.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.41 $2.41

$1.67 CA$2.38

44.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.22 CA$3.16

-4.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.21 CA$1.72

95.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.95 $9.95

$13.88 CA$19.78

-28.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.72 $17.72

$14.25 CA$20.31

24.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 $1.90

$2.20 CA$3.13

-13.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 $4.76

$2.42 CA$3.45

96.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.42 CA$3.44

-27.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.5 $57.5

$111 CA$158

-48.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.90 CA$4.13

3.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.26 CA$1.80

65.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.03 CA$31.40

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.22 CA$1.74

23.77%

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

$37.4K $37.4K

$27.6K CA$39.4K

35.24%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$19.8K CA$28.3K

32.79%

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

$400 $400

$122 CA$174

228.50%

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

$60.0 $60.0

$32.03 CA$45.66

87.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.3 $74.3

$47.92 CA$68.3

55.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.76 $38.76

$38.90 CA$55.5

-0.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.77 $24.77

$23.24 CA$33.12

6.58%

Cinema Ticket

$15.05 $15.05

$12.61 CA$17.97

19.35%

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

$1,482 $1,482

$834 CA$1,189

77.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K CA$33.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.5 $61.5

$52.6 CA$75.0

16.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.13 $48.13

$40.26 CA$57.4

19.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 $99.7

$96.2 CA$137

3.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 $123

$123 CA$175

0.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,694 $1,694

$1,598 CA$2,278

6.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,567 $1,567

$1,435 CA$2,045

9.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,401 $2,401

$2,657 CA$3,787

-9.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,511 $2,511

$2,096 CA$2,988

19.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,496 $2,496

$8,033 CA$11.5K

-68.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,464 $2,464

$6,557 CA$9,347

-62.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,646 $3,646

$3,743 CA$5,335

-2.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

4.47

43.85%

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

Last update for Bakersfield, CA: October 6, 2026

Last update for Toronto: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bakersfield, CA

$1.6K 50%

Toronto

$1.4K 55.4% 8.5% $133

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bakersfield, CA

$535 17.1%

Toronto

$202 7.8% 62.3% $333

Groceries & Markets

Bakersfield, CA

$411 13.1%

Toronto

$340 13.1% 17.2% $71

Eating Out

Bakersfield, CA

$327 10.4%

Toronto

$282 10.9% 13.7% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Bakersfield, CA

$150 4.8%

Toronto

$140 5.4% 6.1% $9.2

Getting Around

Bakersfield, CA

$78 2.5%

Toronto

$130 5% 66.4% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Bakersfield, CA

$69 2.2%

Toronto

$64 2.5% 6.9% $4.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,694 in Bakersfield, CA and $1,598 in Toronto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toronto pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $64.0 in Bakersfield, CA vs $77.0 in Toronto. Groceries flip the comparison at $411 vs $340, with Toronto cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bakersfield, CA

🇨🇦 Toronto

🕒 Local time

20:23 8:23 PM

23:23 11:23 PM

3 h ahead of Bakersfield, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

373,640

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bakersfield, CA Toronto 3,490 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Bakersfield, 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

Bakersfield, CA vs Toronto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Toronto is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 24% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 3% 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: $1,694 in Bakersfield, CA versus $1,598 in Toronto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Toronto – a meal for two runs $77.0 versus $64.0 in Bakersfield, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,146 per month in Bakersfield, CA versus $2,530 in Toronto – a 24% 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 24% less than in Bakersfield, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.