Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cartago and Toronto

For one person, living is cheaper in Cartago: $1,713 a month against $2,561 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Cartago
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Cartago Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index

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Cartago

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,713

/mo nomad

Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,561

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,713 in Cartago versus $2,561 in Toronto.

Cartago $1,713
Toronto $2,561

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,362 in Cartago versus $3,694 in Toronto.

Cartago $2,362
Toronto $3,694

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,011 in Cartago versus $4,826 in Toronto.

Cartago $3,011
Toronto $4,826

Living in Cartago costs roughly 33% less than in Toronto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cartago 27% above, Toronto 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.64 ₡3,882

$17.18 CA$24.42

-49.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.53 ₡15.5K

$76.0 CA$108

-54.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.92 ₡4,458

$10.54 CA$14.97

-5.88%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$4.02 CA$5.71

12.94%

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

$2.13 ₡957

$2.12 CA$3.01

0.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 ₡611

$1.75 CA$2.49

-22.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 ₡966

$6.24 CA$8.87

-65.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.06 ₡1,823

$7.09 CA$10.07

-42.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,075

$2.44 CA$3.47

-2.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 ₡1,067

$2.68 CA$3.80

-11.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.47 ₡1,112

$2.24 CA$3.18

10.27%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,604

$3.56 CA$5.06

0.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.61 ₡3,868

$9.09 CA$12.92

-5.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.38 ₡4,664

$11.33 CA$16.10

-8.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.94 ₡6,265

$14.53 CA$20.66

-4.06%

Apples (1kg)

$5.24 ₡2,356

$3.62 CA$5.15

44.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 ₡580

$1.21 CA$1.72

6.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.49 ₡2,018

$3.60 CA$5.12

24.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.91 ₡1,309

$4.21 CA$5.99

-30.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 ₡1,006

$1.79 CA$2.54

25.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 ₡973

$1.59 CA$2.26

36.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$2.27 CA$3.23

-51.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 ₡979

$1.25 CA$1.78

74.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.07 ₡2,728

$13.82 CA$19.64

-56.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.16 ₡6,810

$14.27 CA$20.29

6.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 ₡1,298

$2.20 CA$3.12

31.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ₡914

$2.43 CA$3.46

-16.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ₡614

$2.39 CA$3.40

-42.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.2 ₡32.9K

$111 CA$158

-34.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 ₡600

$2.91 CA$4.14

-54.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡703

$1.20 CA$1.70

30.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.95 ₡4,023

$21.38 CA$30.39

-58.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₡679

$1.21 CA$1.72

24.79%

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

$21.7K ₡9.7M

$28.2K CA$40.0K

-23.01%

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

$35.1K ₡15.8M

$20.3K CA$28.8K

73.38%

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

$52.4 ₡23.6K

$120 CA$171

-56.44%

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

$35.12 ₡15.8K

$32.26 CA$45.84

8.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.9 ₡26.9K

$47.93 CA$68.1

24.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$38.48 CA$54.7

91.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$77.8 ₡34.9K

$22.96 CA$32.63

238.68%

Cinema Ticket

$7.27 ₡3,268

$12.38 CA$17.59

-41.28%

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

$549 ₡246.6K

$830 CA$1,180

-33.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,878 ₡3.5M

$23.1K CA$32.8K

-65.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.1 ₡31.5K

$50.7 CA$72.1

38.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.5 ₡25.4K

$40.02 CA$56.9

41.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 ₡54.5K

$98.0 CA$139

23.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.7 ₡39.4K

$121 CA$171

-27.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$923 ₡415.0K

$1,592 CA$2,263

-42.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$704 ₡316.5K

$1,410 CA$2,005

-50.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,869 ₡839.7K

$2,670 CA$3,795

-30.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 ₡325.4K

$2,152 CA$3,058

-66.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,945 CA$11.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,542 CA$9,298

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,344 ₡604.0K

$3,727 CA$5,297

-63.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.47

92.84%

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

Last update for Cartago: October 11, 2026

Last update for Toronto: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cartago

$704 41.1%

Toronto

$1.4K 55.1% 100% $706

Groceries & Markets

Cartago

$348 20.3%

Toronto

$340 13.3% 2.4% $8.5

Eating Out

Cartago

$186 10.9%

Toronto

$278 10.9% 49.4% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Cartago

$151 8.8%

Toronto

$139 5.4% 7.8% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cartago

$147 8.6%

Toronto

$201 7.8% 36.1% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Cartago

$88 5.2%

Toronto

$63 2.5% 28.4% $25

Getting Around

Cartago

$88 5.1%

Toronto

$129 5.1% 47.4% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $923 in Cartago and $1,592 in Toronto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toronto pays 177% 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: $35.00 in Cartago vs $76.0 in Toronto. Groceries flip the comparison at $348 vs $340, with Toronto cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Cartago

🇨🇦 Toronto

🕒 Local time

04:20 4:20 AM

06:20 6:20 AM

2 h ahead of Cartago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,000

2,731,571

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1 CAD = 0.704 USD

1 CAD = 0.628 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.628 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cartago Toronto 3,780 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Cartago
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

Cartago vs Toronto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cartago is cheaper overall, especially in eating out and transport. The 49% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 177% 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: $923 in Cartago versus $1,592 in Toronto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cartago runs roughly 52% less than in Toronto. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $549 in Cartago versus $830 in Toronto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,713 in Cartago versus $2,561 in Toronto, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Cartago but tight or insufficient in Toronto. The gap between the two cities makes Cartago 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, Cartago and Toronto 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 Cartago gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Toronto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.