Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cali and Toronto

For one person, living is cheaper in Cali: $1,054 a month against $2,530 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $17,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

51

Cost of Living Index in Cali
Learn more

Cali Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
Learn more

Toronto Living Index

Jump to prices

Cali

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,054

/mo nomad

Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,530

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,054 in Cali versus $2,530 in Toronto.

Cali $1,054
Toronto $2,530

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,614 in Cali versus $3,646 in Toronto.

Cali $1,614
Toronto $3,646

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,174 in Cali versus $4,761 in Toronto.

Cali $2,174
Toronto $4,761

Living in Cali costs roughly 58% less than in Toronto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cali is 21% below, Toronto is 89% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.26 COP 23.4K

$17.67 CA$25.13

-58.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.04 COP 119.3K

$77.4 CA$110

-52.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.05 COP 25.9K

$10.47 CA$14.90

-23.11%

Cappuccino

$1.54 COP 4,972

$4.08 CA$5.80

-62.25%

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

$1.25 COP 4,027

$2.12 CA$3.01

-41.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,702

$1.76 CA$2.50

-52.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.16 COP 10.2K

$6.17 CA$8.78

-48.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 COP 11.5K

$6.89 CA$9.80

-48.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 COP 4,998

$2.43 CA$3.46

-36.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 COP 6,026

$2.75 CA$3.91

-32.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,822

$2.23 CA$3.17

-32.74%

Eggs

$2.77 COP 8,907

$3.45 CA$4.90

-19.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.40 COP 20.6K

$8.93 CA$12.71

-28.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.89 COP 22.2K

$11.44 CA$16.27

-39.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.92 COP 31.9K

$14.61 CA$20.78

-32.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.43 COP 11.0K

$3.75 CA$5.33

-8.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 COP 4,186

$1.15 CA$1.63

13.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 COP 5,659

$3.55 CA$5.05

-50.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,421

$4.28 CA$6.09

-60.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 COP 4,730

$1.85 CA$2.62

-20.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 COP 4,722

$1.67 CA$2.37

-11.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 COP 3,551

$2.22 CA$3.15

-50.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 COP 3,004

$1.21 CA$1.72

-23.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.63 COP 11.7K

$13.88 CA$19.74

-73.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.56 COP 40.5K

$14.25 CA$20.27

-11.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,565

$2.20 CA$3.12

-35.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,712

$2.42 CA$3.44

-0.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 COP 3,370

$2.42 CA$3.44

-56.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.00 COP 93.4K

$111 CA$158

-73.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.83 COP 2,664

$2.90 CA$4.12

-71.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 CA$1.79

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.03 CA$31.33

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 COP 4,040

$1.22 CA$1.74

2.46%

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

$27.6K CA$39.3K

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

$33.7K COP 108.5M

$19.8K CA$28.2K

70.02%

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

$111 COP 358.1K

$122 CA$173

-8.75%

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

$12.79 COP 41.2K

$32.03 CA$45.56

-60.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.75 COP 95.8K

$47.92 CA$68.2

-37.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.38 COP 91.4K

$38.90 CA$55.3

-27.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.24 CA$33.05

Cinema Ticket

$8.24 COP 26.5K

$12.61 CA$17.94

-34.66%

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

$834 CA$1,186

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K CA$33.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.8 COP 243.9K

$52.6 CA$74.8

44.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.8 COP 173.3K

$40.26 CA$57.3

33.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 COP 394.4K

$96.2 CA$137

27.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 350.7K

$123 CA$175

-11.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$638 COP 2.1M

$1,598 CA$2,273

-60.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$291 COP 937.4K

$1,435 CA$2,041

-79.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,498 COP 4.8M

$2,657 CA$3,779

-43.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$479 COP 1.5M

$2,096 CA$2,981

-77.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,033 CA$11.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,557 CA$9,327

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$567 COP 1.8M

$3,743 CA$5,324

-84.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.58

4.47

159.06%

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

Last update for Cali: October 4, 2026

Last update for Toronto: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cali

$291 27.6%

Toronto

$1.4K 55.4% 393% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Cali

$235 22.3%

Toronto

$340 13.1% 44.7% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Cali

$162 15.4%

Toronto

$140 5.4% 13.6% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cali

$154 14.6%

Toronto

$202 7.8% 31.3% $48

Eating Out

Cali

$132 12.5%

Toronto

$282 10.9% 113% $150

Sport & Entertainment

Cali

$45 4.3%

Toronto

$64 2.5% 43% $19

Getting Around

Cali

$34 * 3.2%

Toronto

$130 5% 281% $96

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 $638 in Cali and $1,598 in Toronto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toronto pays 560% 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: $37.00 in Cali vs $77.0 in Toronto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $340 per month, with Cali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Cali

🇨🇦 Toronto

🕒 Local time

23:54 11:54 PM

00:54 12:54 AM

1 h ahead of Cali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,568,609

2,731,571

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.11 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.627 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,220 COP (10,000 COP = 3.11 USD). 1 EUR = 3,611 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cali Toronto 4,480 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Cali
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

Cali vs Toronto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cali is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 140% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 560% 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: $638 in Cali 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 Cali – a meal for two runs $37.00 versus $77.0 in Toronto. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Cali runs roughly 282% less than in Toronto. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,054 in Cali versus $2,530 in Toronto, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cali but tight or insufficient in Toronto. The gap between the two cities makes Cali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cali is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Toronto, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Cali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 140% less than in Toronto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.