Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Carlton and Tofino

For one person, living is cheaper in Carlton: $2,253 a month against $2,373 in Tofino, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Carlton
Learn more

Carlton Living Index
115

Cost of Living Index in Tofino
Learn more

Tofino Living Index

Jump to prices

Carlton

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,253

/mo nomad

Tofino

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,373

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Carlton and in Tofino

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Carlton and in Tofino actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,253 in Carlton versus $2,373 in Tofino.

Carlton $2,253
Tofino $2,373

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,284 in Carlton versus $4,106 in Tofino.

Carlton $3,284
Tofino $4,106

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,315 in Carlton versus $5,838 in Tofino.

Carlton $4,315
Tofino $5,838

Living in Carlton costs roughly 5% less than in Tofino, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Carlton 66% above, Tofino 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.35 A$24.96

$18.88 CA$26.69

-8.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 A$100.0

$69.0 CA$97.5

0.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 A$14.66

$11.02 CA$15.58

-7.53%

Cappuccino

$3.03 A$4.36

$4.20 CA$5.94

-27.86%

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

$2.63 A$3.78

$2.29 CA$3.24

14.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 A$3.04

$1.86 CA$2.63

13.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.54 A$9.41

$5.57 CA$7.87

17.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.57 A$9.46

$5.67 CA$8.01

15.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 A$1.92

$2.11 CA$2.99

-36.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 A$2.98

$2.99 CA$4.22

-30.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 A$1.92

$3.95 CA$5.58

-66.08%

Eggs

$3.27 A$4.70

$4.19 CA$5.93

-21.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.29 A$14.81

$9.92 CA$14.03

3.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.98 A$14.37

$7.15 CA$10.11

39.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.85 A$21.37

$10.70 CA$15.12

38.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 A$4.72

$3.98 CA$5.62

-17.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 A$4.09

$1.39 CA$1.96

104.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.21 A$4.62

$3.99 CA$5.64

-19.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.51 A$6.49

$4.12 CA$5.82

9.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 A$3.55

$3.49 CA$4.94

-29.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 A$3.08

$2.81 CA$3.97

-23.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.17 A$3.13

$3.16 CA$4.46

-31.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 A$1.30

$2.45 CA$3.46

-63.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.29 A$36.39

$14.96 CA$21.14

69.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 A$14.92

$14.94 CA$21.12

-30.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.69 A$8.18

$3.90 CA$5.52

45.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.21 A$7.50

$3.46 CA$4.90

50.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 A$4.39

$2.26 CA$3.19

34.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.2 A$118

$60.5 CA$85.6

35.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.53 A$5.07

$2.63 CA$3.71

34.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 A$1.77

$1.60 CA$2.26

-23.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.49 A$38.12

$33.92 CA$47.95

-21.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 A$1.88

$1.30 CA$1.84

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

$18.1K A$26.1K

$28.3K CA$40.0K

-35.93%

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

$14.0K A$20.1K

$17.9K CA$25.4K

-22.13%

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

$92.2 A$133

$97.3 CA$138

-5.24%

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

$27.31 A$39.30

$43.33 CA$61.3

-36.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.00 A$67.6

$61.8 CA$87.4

-23.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.64 A$45.53

$41.00 CA$58.0

-22.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.38 A$25.01

$17.86 CA$25.25

-2.69%

Cinema Ticket

$13.20 A$19.00

$10.36 CA$14.65

27.41%

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

$2,076 A$2,987

$906 CA$1,281

129.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K A$17.8K

$22.9K CA$32.3K

-46.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.3 A$114

$52.8 CA$74.7

50.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.34 A$71.0

$44.80 CA$63.3

10.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.7 A$100

$88.6 CA$125

-21.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 A$193

$106 CA$150

26.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,395 A$2,007

$1,270 CA$1,796

9.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 A$1,679

$1,246 CA$1,762

-6.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,121 A$3,052

$3,363 CA$4,754

-36.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,784 A$2,568

$3,258 CA$4,606

-45.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,783 A$8,322

$4,224 CA$5,972

36.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,967 A$7,148

$3,578 CA$5,058

38.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,754 A$8,280

$1,241 CA$1,755

363.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

4.31

36.89%

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

Last update for Carlton: October 18, 2026

Last update for Tofino: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Carlton

$1.2K 51.8%

Tofino

$1.2K 52.5% 6.8% $79

Groceries & Markets

Carlton

$338 15%

Tofino

$360 15.2% 6.8% $23

Eating Out

Carlton

$271 12%

Tofino

$290 12.2% 7.3% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Carlton

$167 7.4%

Tofino

$202 8.5% 21.6% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Carlton

$150 6.6%

Tofino

$132 5.6% 12% $18

Getting Around

Carlton

$104 4.6%

Tofino

$80 3.4% 23% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Carlton

$58 2.6%

Tofino

$62 2.6% 6.3% $3.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,395 in Carlton and $1,270 in Tofino. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carlton pays 364% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Carlton vs $69.0 in Tofino for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $338 vs $360 per month, with Carlton cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Carlton

🇨🇦 Tofino

🕒 Local time

02:30 2:30 AM

08:30 8:30 AM

18 h behind Carlton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,001

2,200

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 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).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Carlton Tofino 13,020 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Carlton
Tofino

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

Carlton vs Tofino: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Carlton and Tofino differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($2,253 vs $2,373 including rent). Carlton is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 364% higher in Carlton, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,395 in Carlton versus $1,270 in Tofino. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,076 in Carlton versus $906 in Tofino. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Tofino. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,253 in Carlton versus $2,373 in Tofino, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Carlton but tight or insufficient in Tofino. The gap between the two cities makes Carlton the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Carlton and Tofino are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Carlton gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Tofino. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.