Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Boulder, CO and Toronto

For one person, living is cheaper in Toronto: $2,610 a month against $3,518 in Boulder, CO, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

169

Cost of Living Index in Boulder, CO
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Boulder, CO Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index

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Boulder, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$3,518

/mo nomad

Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,610

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,518 per month in Boulder, CO vs $2,610 in Toronto, rent included.

Boulder, CO $3,518
Toronto $2,610

A couple spends around $5,103 per month in Boulder, CO vs $3,727 in Toronto, rent included.

Boulder, CO $5,103
Toronto $3,727

A family of three spends $6,689 per month in Boulder, CO vs $4,844 in Toronto, rent included.

Boulder, CO $6,689
Toronto $4,844

Boulder, CO costs about 35% more than Toronto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Boulder, CO and Toronto sit above the global median – Boulder, CO by 160%, Toronto by 93%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.81 $19.81

$17.59 CA$24.87

12.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.3 $79.3

$78.8 CA$111

0.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.07 $15.07

$10.73 CA$15.16

40.45%

Cappuccino

$5.56 $5.56

$4.09 CA$5.78

35.94%

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

$3.70 $3.70

$2.10 CA$2.97

76.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 $2.88

$1.72 CA$2.43

67.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.09 $7.09

$6.36 CA$8.99

11.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$7.08 CA$10.01

24.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 $1.18

$2.54 CA$3.59

-53.54%

White Bread (500g)

$5.55 $5.55

$2.72 CA$3.85

104.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.50 $6.50

$2.18 CA$3.09

198.17%

Eggs

$5.53 $5.53

$3.63 CA$5.13

52.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.85 $11.85

$9.46 CA$13.37

25.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.91 $10.91

$11.54 CA$16.32

-5.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.35 $17.35

$14.37 CA$20.32

20.74%

Apples (1kg)

$5.93 $5.93

$3.70 CA$5.23

60.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.19 CA$1.68

22.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.35 $6.35

$3.46 CA$4.90

83.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.09 $6.09

$4.22 CA$5.97

44.31%

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 $3.92

$1.79 CA$2.52

118.99%

Onion (1kg)

$3.84 $3.84

$1.65 CA$2.33

132.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.35 $3.35

$2.20 CA$3.11

52.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 $2.65

$1.26 CA$1.78

110.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.24 $10.24

$13.97 CA$19.75

-26.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.23 $17.23

$14.20 CA$20.07

21.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$2.25 CA$3.18

-17.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 $4.94

$2.53 CA$3.58

95.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.32 CA$3.28

21.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$152 $152

$112 CA$158

36.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.43 $2.43

$3.06 CA$4.33

-20.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.22 CA$1.72

13.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.21 $24.21

$21.69 CA$30.66

11.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.21 CA$1.72

-10.74%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$26.1K CA$37.0K

5.11%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

$21.1K CA$29.9K

27.31%

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

$279 $279

$120 CA$169

133.26%

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

$72.1 $72.1

$32.21 CA$45.54

123.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.2 $74.2

$48.88 CA$69.1

51.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$83.1 $83.1

$39.34 CA$55.6

111.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.21 $20.21

$23.58 CA$33.34

-14.29%

Cinema Ticket

$16.72 $16.72

$12.58 CA$17.79

32.91%

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

$1,633 $1,633

$832 CA$1,176

96.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.2K $31.2K

$23.6K CA$33.4K

32.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.2 $69.2

$52.3 CA$73.9

32.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.21 $48.21

$39.44 CA$55.8

22.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 $92.2

$99.0 CA$140

-6.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$122 CA$172

17.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,374 $2,374

$1,631 CA$2,306

45.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,825 $1,825

$1,448 CA$2,048

25.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,307 $4,307

$2,737 CA$3,869

57.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 $3,069

$2,129 CA$3,010

44.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,420 $4,420

$8,206 CA$11.6K

-46.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,495 $4,495

$6,838 CA$9,666

-34.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,629 $5,629

$3,520 CA$4,976

59.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

4.47

46.53%

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

Last update for Boulder, CO: October 17, 2026

Last update for Toronto: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Boulder, CO

$1.8K 51.9%

Toronto

$1.4K 55.5% 20.6% $376

Groceries & Markets

Boulder, CO

$470 13.4%

Toronto

$343 13.1% 27.1% $127

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Boulder, CO

$425 12.1%

Toronto

$201 7.7% 52.8% $225

Eating Out

Boulder, CO

$350 10%

Toronto

$283 10.9% 19.1% $67

Getting Around

Boulder, CO

$173 4.9%

Toronto

$130 5% 24.6% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Boulder, CO

$159 4.5%

Toronto

$141 5.4% 11.5% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Boulder, CO

$117 3.3%

Toronto

$65 2.5% 44.7% $52

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,374 in Boulder, CO versus $1,631 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 60% higher in Boulder, CO, 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 $79.0 in Boulder, CO versus $79.0 in Toronto. Groceries tell a different story – $470 in Boulder, CO vs $343 in Toronto – so Toronto wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Boulder, CO

🇨🇦 Toronto

🕒 Local time

10:53 10:53 AM

12:53 12:53 PM

2 h ahead of Boulder, CO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

106,803

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 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

Boulder, CO Toronto 2,200 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Boulder, CO
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

Boulder, CO vs Toronto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Boulder, CO is pricier by about 35%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,277 per month in Boulder, CO and $3,916 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.

Groceries cost about 37% more in Boulder, CO, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Boulder, CO and $79.0 in Toronto. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,518 in Boulder, CO and $2,610 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, Boulder, CO makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.