Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Castro Valley, CA and Toronto

For one person, living is cheaper in Toronto: $2,610 a month against $3,363 in Castro Valley, CA, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Castro Valley, CA
🇺🇸 United States
$3,363
/mo nomad
Toronto
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,610
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,363 in Castro Valley, CA versus $2,610 in Toronto.

  • Castro Valley, CA $3,363
  • Toronto $2,610

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,211 in Castro Valley, CA versus $3,727 in Toronto.

  • Castro Valley, CA $4,211
  • Toronto $3,727

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,060 in Castro Valley, CA versus $4,844 in Toronto.

  • Castro Valley, CA $5,060
  • Toronto $4,844

Living in Castro Valley, CA is roughly 29% more expensive than in Toronto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Castro Valley, CA 148% above, Toronto 93% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Castro Valley, CA
Toronto
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.70 $21.70
$17.59 CA$24.87
23.37%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$79.9 $79.9
$78.8 CA$111
1.38%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.06 $12.06
$10.73 CA$15.16
12.40%
Cappuccino
$5.62 $5.62
$4.09 CA$5.78
37.41%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.00 $3.00
$2.10 CA$2.97
42.86%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.80 $2.80
$1.72 CA$2.43
62.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.12 $6.12
$6.36 CA$8.99
-3.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.31 $7.31
$7.08 CA$10.01
3.25%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Castro Valley, CA
Toronto
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.46 $1.46
$2.54 CA$3.59
-42.52%
White Bread (500g)
$4.43 $4.43
$2.72 CA$3.85
62.87%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.77 $5.77
$2.18 CA$3.09
164.68%
Eggs
$6.29 $6.29
$3.63 CA$5.13
73.28%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.15 $15.15
$9.46 CA$13.37
60.15%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.05 $13.05
$11.54 CA$16.32
13.08%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$22.13 $22.13
$14.37 CA$20.32
54.00%
Apples (1kg)
$5.58 $5.58
$3.70 CA$5.23
50.81%
Banana (1kg)
$2.62 $2.62
$1.19 CA$1.68
120.17%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.51 $4.51
$3.46 CA$4.90
30.35%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.61 $4.61
$4.22 CA$5.97
9.24%
Potato (1kg)
$3.57 $3.57
$1.79 CA$2.52
99.44%
Onion (1kg)
$4.68 $4.68
$1.65 CA$2.33
183.64%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.46 $2.46
$2.20 CA$3.11
11.82%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.02 $1.02
$1.26 CA$1.78
-19.05%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.56 $11.56
$13.97 CA$19.75
-17.25%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.41 $17.41
$14.20 CA$20.07
22.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.68 $1.68
$2.25 CA$3.18
-25.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.81 $2.81
$2.53 CA$3.58
11.07%
🚌 Getting Around
Castro Valley, CA
Toronto
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.19 $3.19
$2.32 CA$3.28
37.50%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$112 CA$158
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.47 $3.47
$3.06 CA$4.33
13.40%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.89 $1.89
$1.22 CA$1.72
54.92%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$40.52 $40.52
$21.69 CA$30.66
86.81%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.54 $1.54
$1.21 CA$1.72
27.27%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.8K $27.8K
$26.1K CA$37.0K
6.24%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.3K $26.3K
$21.1K CA$29.9K
24.45%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Castro Valley, CA
Toronto
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$185 $185
$120 CA$169
54.70%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$62.9 $62.9
$32.21 CA$45.54
95.41%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$60.8 $60.8
$48.88 CA$69.1
24.30%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Castro Valley, CA
Toronto
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.85 $40.85
$39.34 CA$55.6
3.84%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$23.58 CA$33.34
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.95 $14.95
$12.58 CA$17.79
18.84%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Castro Valley, CA
Toronto
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,500 $2,500
$832 CA$1,176
200.51%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$35.1K $35.1K
$23.6K CA$33.4K
48.80%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Castro Valley, CA
Toronto
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$40.38 $40.38
$52.3 CA$73.9
-22.76%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.54 $35.54
$39.44 CA$55.8
-9.89%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$76.4 $76.4
$99.0 CA$140
-22.88%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$50.9 $50.9
$122 CA$172
-58.23%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Castro Valley, CA
Toronto
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,260 $2,260
$1,631 CA$2,306
38.50%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,061 $2,061
$1,448 CA$2,048
42.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,469 $2,469
$2,737 CA$3,869
-9.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,112 $2,112
$2,129 CA$3,010
-0.81%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,712 $2,712
$8,206 CA$11.6K
-66.96%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,368 $2,368
$6,838 CA$9,666
-65.37%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Castro Valley, CA
Toronto
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,708 $5,708
$3,520 CA$4,976
62.18%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.62
4.47
48.10%

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

Last update for Castro Valley, CA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Toronto: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Castro Valley, CA
$2.1K
Toronto
$1.4K 29.7% $612
Groceries & Markets
Castro Valley, CA
$460
Toronto
$343 25.5% $117
Eating Out
Castro Valley, CA
$346
Toronto
$283 18.1% $62
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Castro Valley, CA
$309
Toronto
$201 35% $108
Clothing & Footwear
Castro Valley, CA
$91
Toronto
$141 53.9% $49
Sport & Entertainment
Castro Valley, CA
$71
Toronto
$65 8.8% $6.3
Getting Around
Castro Valley, CA
$26 *
Toronto
$130 407% $104

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 $2,260 in Castro Valley, CA and $1,631 in Toronto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Castro Valley, CA pays 62% 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: $80.0 in Castro Valley, CA vs $79.0 in Toronto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $460 vs $343 per month, with Toronto cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Castro Valley, CA
🇨🇦 Toronto
🕒 Local time
01:43 1:43 AM
04:43 4:43 AM
3 h ahead of Castro Valley, CA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
61,388
2,731,571
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Castro Valley, CA Toronto 3,620 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Castro Valley, CA
  • 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
Castro Valley, CA vs Toronto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Castro Valley, CA and in Toronto?
Castro Valley, CA and Toronto differ by about 29% in total monthly costs ($3,363 vs $2,610 including rent). Toronto is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Castro Valley, CA or Toronto?
Average pay runs 62% higher in Castro Valley, CA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Castro Valley, CA and in Toronto?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,260 in Castro Valley, CA versus $1,631 in Toronto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Castro Valley, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Castro Valley, CA or Toronto?
All in, you'll spend $3,363 per month in Castro Valley, CA versus $2,610 in Toronto – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is feasible on a $2,500 budget?
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.
How does quality of life compare between Castro Valley, CA and Toronto?
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.
Is Castro Valley, CA or Toronto safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Castro Valley, CA 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.
Where should expats move: Castro Valley, CA or Toronto?
Expats usually find Toronto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Castro Valley, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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