Cost of Living Comparison Between Burnaby and Toronto Cost of Living Comparison Between Burnaby and Toronto

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,869 in Burnaby versus $2,620 in Toronto.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,015 in Burnaby versus $3,866 in Toronto.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,160 in Burnaby versus $5,111 in Toronto.

Living in Burnaby is roughly 10% more expensive than in Toronto, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.82 CA$30.27

$17.85 CA$24.75

22.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.5 CA$121

$86.8 CA$120

0.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.54 CA$13.24

$10.94 CA$15.17

-12.80%

Cappuccino

$4.81 CA$6.67

$4.01 CA$5.57

19.95%

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

$2.35 CA$3.27

$2.19 CA$3.04

7.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 CA$2.50

$1.69 CA$2.34

6.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.19 CA$9.98

$6.45 CA$8.94

11.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.10 CA$8.46

$7.05 CA$9.77

-13.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.40 CA$3.33

$2.71 CA$3.77

-11.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.92 CA$4.05

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.60 CA$4.99

$2.48 CA$3.44

45.16%

Eggs

$3.30 CA$4.58

$3.85 CA$5.34

-14.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.34 CA$19.89

$10.10 CA$14.01

41.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.01 CA$19.43

$12.02 CA$16.66

16.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.31 CA$35.10

$15.61 CA$21.65

62.14%

Apples (1kg)

$4.56 CA$6.33

$3.90 CA$5.41

16.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 CA$1.81

$1.24 CA$1.72

4.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.65 CA$6.45

$3.78 CA$5.24

23.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 CA$6.36

$4.38 CA$6.08

4.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 CA$4.02

$1.93 CA$2.67

50.26%

Onion (1kg)

$3.60 CA$4.99

$1.50 CA$2.08

140.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.83 CA$3.93

$2.28 CA$3.17

24.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 CA$3.01

$1.46 CA$2.02

48.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.60 CA$20.25

$14.52 CA$20.14

0.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 CA$19.11

$14.42 CA$20.00

-4.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 CA$2.91

$2.26 CA$3.14

-7.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 CA$3.30

$2.59 CA$3.60

-8.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 CA$3.42

$2.36 CA$3.28

4.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.9 CA$112

$114 CA$159

-29.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 CA$4.13

$3.16 CA$4.38

-5.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 CA$2.04

$1.26 CA$1.74

16.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.88 CA$37.28

$22.57 CA$31.30

19.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 CA$1.84

$1.24 CA$1.72

7.26%

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

$28.3K CA$39.2K

$27.3K CA$37.9K

3.41%

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

$19.7K CA$27.3K

$20.7K CA$28.8K

-5.14%

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

$125 CA$173

$124 CA$172

0.71%

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

$44.12 CA$61.2

$32.72 CA$45.38

34.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.1 CA$75.0

$48.79 CA$67.7

10.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.15 CA$43.20

$40.27 CA$55.9

-22.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.89 CA$15.11

$23.84 CA$33.06

-54.32%

Cinema Ticket

$14.55 CA$20.18

$12.82 CA$17.77

13.49%

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

$667 CA$925

$787 CA$1,092

-15.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K CA$34.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 CA$73.9

$54.2 CA$75.2

-1.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.5 CA$72.8

$43.10 CA$59.8

21.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 CA$146

$97.9 CA$136

7.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.1 CA$111

$126 CA$175

-36.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,690 CA$2,344

$1,660 CA$2,303

1.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,550 CA$2,149

$1,483 CA$2,057

4.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,476 CA$3,434

$2,800 CA$3,883

-11.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,189 CA$3,036

$2,157 CA$2,991

1.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,866 CA$9,523

$8,381 CA$11.6K

-18.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,585 CA$7,746

$6,842 CA$9,489

-18.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,162 CA$4,386

$3,799 CA$5,269

-16.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.76

4.47

6.49%

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

Last update for Burnaby: September 7, 2026

Last update for Toronto: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,690 in Burnaby and $1,660 in Toronto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toronto pays 20% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $88.0 in Burnaby vs $87.0 in Toronto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $438 vs $364 per month, with Toronto cheaper across the board.

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

Burnaby vs Toronto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Burnaby and Toronto differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($2,869 vs $2,620 including rent). Toronto is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 20% 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: $1,690 in Burnaby versus $1,660 in Toronto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $667 in Burnaby versus $787 in Toronto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Burnaby. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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 10% less than in Burnaby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.