Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berkeley, CA and Toronto

For one person, living is cheaper in Toronto: $2,561 a month against $3,878 in Berkeley, CA, rent and utilities included – about $15,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

188

Cost of Living Index in Berkeley, CA
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Berkeley, CA Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index

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Berkeley, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,878

/mo nomad

Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,561

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,878 per month in Berkeley, CA vs $2,561 in Toronto, rent included.

Berkeley, CA $3,878
Toronto $2,561

A couple spends around $5,546 per month in Berkeley, CA vs $3,694 in Toronto, rent included.

Berkeley, CA $5,546
Toronto $3,694

A family of three spends $7,215 per month in Berkeley, CA vs $4,826 in Toronto, rent included.

Berkeley, CA $7,215
Toronto $4,826

Berkeley, CA costs about 51% more than Toronto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Berkeley, CA and Toronto sit above the global median – Berkeley, CA by 187%, Toronto by 90%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.39 $22.39

$17.18 CA$24.29

30.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.3 $80.3

$76.0 CA$107

5.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.52 $10.52

$10.54 CA$14.89

-0.19%

Cappuccino

$6.07 $6.07

$4.02 CA$5.68

51.00%

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

$3.25 $3.25

$2.12 CA$3.00

53.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.75 CA$2.48

76.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.90 $5.90

$6.24 CA$8.83

-5.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.65 $7.65

$7.09 CA$10.02

7.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 $2.00

$2.44 CA$3.45

-18.03%

White Bread (500g)

$4.54 $4.54

$2.68 CA$3.78

69.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.74 $5.74

$2.24 CA$3.17

156.25%

Eggs

$6.07 $6.07

$3.56 CA$5.03

70.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.78 $26.78

$9.09 CA$12.85

194.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.58 $16.58

$11.33 CA$16.01

46.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.69 $21.69

$14.53 CA$20.55

49.28%

Apples (1kg)

$7.14 $7.14

$3.62 CA$5.12

97.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 $2.57

$1.21 CA$1.72

112.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.21 $6.21

$3.60 CA$5.09

72.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$10.45 $10.45

$4.21 CA$5.96

148.22%

Potato (1kg)

$3.58 $3.58

$1.79 CA$2.53

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$4.84 $4.84

$1.59 CA$2.25

204.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.27 CA$3.21

11.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.25 CA$1.77

146.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.57 $11.57

$13.82 CA$19.53

-16.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.82 $12.82

$14.27 CA$20.18

-10.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.20 CA$3.10

-6.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.43 CA$3.44

14.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.39 CA$3.38

3.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.1 $93.1

$111 CA$157

-16.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.41 $3.41

$2.91 CA$4.12

17.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.20 CA$1.69

57.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.52 $39.52

$21.38 CA$30.23

84.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.21 CA$1.71

21.49%

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

$37.7K $37.7K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

33.65%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$20.3K CA$28.6K

28.67%

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

$180 $180

$120 CA$170

49.75%

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

$61.7 $61.7

$32.26 CA$45.60

91.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.7 $76.7

$47.93 CA$67.8

59.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.54 $49.54

$38.48 CA$54.4

28.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.94 $7.94

$22.96 CA$32.46

-65.42%

Cinema Ticket

$15.27 $15.27

$12.38 CA$17.50

23.34%

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

$2,565 $2,565

$830 CA$1,173

209.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.2K $35.2K

$23.1K CA$32.6K

52.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.2 $71.2

$50.7 CA$71.7

40.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.5 $70.5

$40.02 CA$56.6

76.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 $96.2

$98.0 CA$139

-1.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$235 $235

$121 CA$171

94.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,594 $2,594

$1,592 CA$2,251

62.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,219 $2,219

$1,410 CA$1,994

57.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,778 $4,778

$2,670 CA$3,775

78.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,487 $3,487

$2,152 CA$3,042

62.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,047 $8,047

$7,945 CA$11.2K

1.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,245 $7,245

$6,542 CA$9,249

10.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,775 $6,775

$3,727 CA$5,269

81.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

4.47

48.10%

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

Last update for Berkeley, CA: 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

Berkeley, CA

$2.2K 57.2%

Toronto

$1.4K 55.1% 36.4% $808

Groceries & Markets

Berkeley, CA

$578 14.9%

Toronto

$340 13.3% 41.2% $239

Eating Out

Berkeley, CA

$354 9.1%

Toronto

$278 10.9% 21.4% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Berkeley, CA

$319 8.2%

Toronto

$201 7.8% 37.1% $118

Clothing & Footwear

Berkeley, CA

$213 5.5%

Toronto

$139 5.4% 34.6% $74

Getting Around

Berkeley, CA

$116 3%

Toronto

$129 5.1% 11.7% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Berkeley, CA

$80 2.1%

Toronto

$63 2.5% 21% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,594 in Berkeley, CA versus $1,592 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 82% higher in Berkeley, CA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80.0 in Berkeley, CA versus $76.0 in Toronto. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $578 vs $340 – making Toronto the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Berkeley, CA

🇨🇦 Toronto

🕒 Local time

10:54 10:54 AM

13:54 1:54 PM

3 h ahead of Berkeley, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

121,363

2,731,571

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 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

Berkeley, CA Toronto 3,630 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

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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

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

Yes – Berkeley, CA is pricier by about 51%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,817 per month in Berkeley, CA and $3,841 in Toronto. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 19% less in Toronto. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,565 per month in Berkeley, CA and $830 in Toronto. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,878 in Berkeley, CA and $2,561 in Toronto. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Toronto – 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 Toronto. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Berkeley, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.