Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Toronto

For one person, living is cheaper in Toronto: $2,530 a month against $3,169 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

153

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,169

/mo nomad

Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,530

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,169 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,530 in Toronto, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,169
Toronto $2,530

A couple spends around $4,682 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,646 in Toronto, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,682
Toronto $3,646

A family of three spends $6,196 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,761 in Toronto, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,196
Toronto $4,761

Chicago, IL costs about 25% more than Toronto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Toronto sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 136%, Toronto by 89%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.62 $21.62

$17.67 CA$25.13

22.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.2 $91.2

$77.4 CA$110

17.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.09 $13.09

$10.47 CA$14.90

25.02%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$4.08 CA$5.80

41.67%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.12 CA$3.01

24.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.76 CA$2.50

29.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.94 $6.94

$6.17 CA$8.78

12.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.93 $8.93

$6.89 CA$9.80

29.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$2.43 CA$3.46

-47.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.94 $3.94

$2.75 CA$3.91

43.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$2.23 CA$3.17

122.42%

Eggs

$4.64 $4.64

$3.45 CA$4.90

34.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.97 $13.97

$8.93 CA$12.71

56.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.37 $14.37

$11.44 CA$16.27

25.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.59 $18.59

$14.61 CA$20.78

27.24%

Apples (1kg)

$5.37 $5.37

$3.75 CA$5.33

43.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.15 CA$1.63

67.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.01 $4.01

$3.55 CA$5.05

12.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.94 $4.94

$4.28 CA$6.09

15.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.85 CA$2.62

51.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$1.67 CA$2.37

65.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.22 CA$3.15

-2.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.12 $3.12

$1.21 CA$1.72

157.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.71 $15.71

$13.88 CA$19.74

13.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.23 $15.23

$14.25 CA$20.27

6.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$2.20 CA$3.12

16.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.42 CA$3.44

43.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.42 CA$3.44

2.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.4 $74.4

$111 CA$158

-32.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 $3.23

$2.90 CA$4.12

11.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.26 CA$1.79

13.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.33 $24.33

$22.03 CA$31.33

10.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.22 CA$1.74

2.46%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$27.6K CA$39.3K

29.85%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$19.8K CA$28.2K

31.10%

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

$195 $195

$122 CA$173

59.65%

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

$69.0 $69.0

$32.03 CA$45.56

115.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.1 $62.1

$47.92 CA$68.2

29.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.5 $54.5

$38.90 CA$55.3

40.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.80 $27.80

$23.24 CA$33.05

19.62%

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$12.61 CA$17.94

41.48%

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

$1,513 $1,513

$834 CA$1,186

81.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$23.3K CA$33.2K

33.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.1 $68.1

$52.6 CA$74.8

29.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.6 $51.6

$40.26 CA$57.3

28.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$96.2 CA$137

5.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$123 CA$175

14.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,437 $2,437

$1,598 CA$2,273

52.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 $1,662

$1,435 CA$2,041

15.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,644 $4,644

$2,657 CA$3,779

74.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,751 $2,751

$2,096 CA$2,981

31.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,036 $4,036

$8,033 CA$11.4K

-49.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,677 $2,677

$6,557 CA$9,327

-59.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,861 $4,861

$3,743 CA$5,324

29.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

4.47

51.45%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 6, 2026

Last update for Toronto: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53%

Toronto

$1.4K 55.4% 13.7% $227

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$450 14.3%

Toronto

$340 13.1% 24.3% $109

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$354 11.3%

Toronto

$282 10.9% 20.3% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.4%

Toronto

$202 7.8% 38% $124

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$163 5.2%

Toronto

$140 5.4% 13.9% $23

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Toronto

$130 5% 36.9% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Toronto

$64 2.5% 28.9% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,437 in Chicago, IL versus $1,598 in Toronto. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 30% higher in Chicago, IL, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91.0 in Chicago, IL versus $77.0 in Toronto. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $450 vs $340 – making Toronto the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇨🇦 Toronto

🕒 Local time

01:22 1:22 AM

02:22 2:22 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

2,731,571

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.627 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 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).

CAD to USD in detail →

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Chicago, IL Toronto 700 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

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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

Chicago, IL vs Toronto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,169 in Chicago, IL, $2,530 in Toronto – roughly 25% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,753 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,795 in Toronto. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Toronto, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 32% more in Chicago, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91.0 in Chicago, IL and $77.0 in Toronto. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,169 in Chicago, IL and $2,530 in Toronto. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,530 in Toronto to $3,169 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Toronto. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chicago, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.