Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chico, CA and Toronto

For one person, living costs are similar in Chico, CA and in Toronto: $2,515 and $2,561 a month, rent and utilities included.

123

Cost of Living Index in Chico, CA
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Chico, CA Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index

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Chico, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,515

/mo nomad

Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,561

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,515 in Chico, CA versus $2,561 in Toronto.

Chico, CA $2,515
Toronto $2,561

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,036 in Chico, CA versus $3,694 in Toronto.

Chico, CA $4,036
Toronto $3,694

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,556 in Chico, CA versus $4,826 in Toronto.

Chico, CA $5,556
Toronto $4,826

Living in Chico, CA costs roughly 2% less than in Toronto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chico, CA 86% above, Toronto 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.46 $25.46

$17.18 CA$24.29

48.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.1 $50.1

$76.0 CA$107

-34.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.05 $12.05

$10.54 CA$14.89

14.33%

Cappuccino

$5.77 $5.77

$4.02 CA$5.68

43.53%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$2.12 CA$3.00

24.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.75 CA$2.48

29.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.34 $7.34

$6.24 CA$8.83

17.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.22 $8.22

$7.09 CA$10.02

15.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$2.44 CA$3.45

-53.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.99 $2.99

$2.68 CA$3.78

11.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.51 $3.51

$2.24 CA$3.17

56.70%

Eggs

$4.86 $4.86

$3.56 CA$5.03

36.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.12 $11.12

$9.09 CA$12.85

22.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.12 $12.12

$11.33 CA$16.01

6.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.12 $23.12

$14.53 CA$20.55

59.12%

Apples (1kg)

$5.43 $5.43

$3.62 CA$5.12

50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.21 CA$1.72

94.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.81 $3.81

$3.60 CA$5.09

5.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.64 $5.64

$4.21 CA$5.96

33.97%

Potato (1kg)

$5.01 $5.01

$1.79 CA$2.53

179.89%

Onion (1kg)

$3.10 $3.10

$1.59 CA$2.25

94.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 $2.46

$2.27 CA$3.21

8.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 $2.56

$1.25 CA$1.77

104.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.01 $8.01

$13.82 CA$19.53

-42.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.92 $14.92

$14.27 CA$20.18

4.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.20 CA$3.10

-20.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.43 CA$3.44

48.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 $2.94

$2.39 CA$3.38

23.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.74 $34.74

$111 CA$157

-68.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 $3.22

$2.91 CA$4.12

10.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 $2.41

$1.20 CA$1.69

100.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.65 $40.65

$21.38 CA$30.23

90.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.21 CA$1.71

17.36%

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

$36.3K $36.3K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

28.85%

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

$24.7K $24.7K

$20.3K CA$28.6K

22.09%

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

$185 $185

$120 CA$170

53.53%

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

$49.40 $49.40

$32.26 CA$45.60

53.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.9 $67.9

$47.93 CA$67.8

41.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.0 $77.0

$38.48 CA$54.4

100.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.96 CA$32.46

Cinema Ticket

$13.12 $13.12

$12.38 CA$17.50

5.98%

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

$1,837 $1,837

$830 CA$1,173

121.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.1K $37.1K

$23.1K CA$32.6K

60.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.1 $51.1

$50.7 CA$71.7

0.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.08 $31.08

$40.02 CA$56.6

-22.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.3 $70.3

$98.0 CA$139

-28.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 $98.8

$121 CA$171

-18.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 $1,508

$1,592 CA$2,251

-5.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,123 $1,123

$1,410 CA$1,994

-20.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,933 $2,933

$2,670 CA$3,775

9.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,590 $2,590

$2,152 CA$3,042

20.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,210 $3,210

$7,945 CA$11.2K

-59.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,919 $2,919

$6,542 CA$9,249

-55.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,832 $3,832

$3,727 CA$5,269

2.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.28

4.47

40.49%

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

Last update for Chico, CA: October 12, 2026

Last update for Toronto: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chico, CA

$1.1K 44.6%

Toronto

$1.4K 55.1% 25.6% $287

Groceries & Markets

Chico, CA

$430 17.1%

Toronto

$340 13.3% 21.1% $91

Eating Out

Chico, CA

$382 15.2%

Toronto

$278 10.9% 27.1% $104

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chico, CA

$302 12%

Toronto

$201 7.8% 33.6% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Chico, CA

$113 4.5%

Toronto

$139 5.4% 23.1% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Chico, CA

$103 4.1%

Toronto

$63 2.5% 38.8% $40

Getting Around

Chico, CA

$62 2.5%

Toronto

$129 5.1% 110% $68

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,508 in Chico, CA and $1,592 in Toronto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chico, CA pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $50.0 in Chico, CA vs $76.0 in Toronto. Groceries flip the comparison at $430 vs $340, with Toronto cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chico, CA

🇨🇦 Toronto

🕒 Local time

00:35 12:35 AM

03:35 3:35 AM

3 h ahead of Chico, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

90,316

2,731,571

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 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).

CAD to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Chico, CA Toronto 3,510 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Chico, 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

Chico, CA vs Toronto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chico, CA is cheaper overall, especially in clothing and transport. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 3% higher in Chico, CA, 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: $1,508 in Chico, CA versus $1,592 in Toronto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Chico, CA – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $76.0 in Toronto. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,515 per month in Chico, CA versus $2,561 in Toronto – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Chico, CA is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

Expats usually find Chico, CA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Toronto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.