Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubuque, IA and Toronto

For one person, living is cheaper in Dubuque, IA: $1,731 a month against $2,610 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

84

Cost of Living Index in Dubuque, IA
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Dubuque, IA Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index

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Dubuque, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,731

/mo nomad

Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,610

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,731 per month in Dubuque, IA vs $2,610 in Toronto, rent included.

Dubuque, IA $1,731
Toronto $2,610

A couple spends around $2,538 per month in Dubuque, IA vs $3,727 in Toronto, rent included.

Dubuque, IA $2,538
Toronto $3,727

A family of three spends $3,345 per month in Dubuque, IA vs $4,844 in Toronto, rent included.

Dubuque, IA $3,345
Toronto $4,844

Dubuque, IA is about 34% cheaper than Toronto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Dubuque, IA and Toronto sit above the global median – Dubuque, IA by 28%, Toronto by 93%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.85 $13.85

$17.59 CA$24.87

-21.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.71 $49.71

$78.8 CA$111

-36.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 $11.80

$10.73 CA$15.16

9.97%

Cappuccino

$4.99 $4.99

$4.09 CA$5.78

22.00%

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

$2.02 $2.02

$2.10 CA$2.97

-3.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.72 CA$2.43

-44.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 $3.01

$6.36 CA$8.99

-52.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 $4.53

$7.08 CA$10.01

-36.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.78 $0.78

$2.54 CA$3.59

-69.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 $2.71

$2.72 CA$3.85

-0.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.18 CA$3.09

29.36%

Eggs

$2.85 $2.85

$3.63 CA$5.13

-21.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.05 $14.05

$9.46 CA$13.37

48.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.38 $10.38

$11.54 CA$16.32

-10.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.63 $10.63

$14.37 CA$20.32

-26.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 $3.32

$3.70 CA$5.23

-10.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.19 CA$1.68

1.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.46 CA$4.90

-5.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 $2.45

$4.22 CA$5.97

-41.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.79 CA$2.52

-24.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.65 CA$2.33

1.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 $2.42

$2.20 CA$3.11

10.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.26 CA$1.78

42.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.70 $8.70

$13.97 CA$19.75

-37.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.36 $13.36

$14.20 CA$20.07

-5.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.25 CA$3.18

-24.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.53 CA$3.58

11.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 CA$3.28

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 CA$158

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 CA$4.33

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 CA$1.72

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.69 CA$30.66

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.21 CA$1.72

-24.79%

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

$24.5K $24.5K

$26.1K CA$37.0K

-6.15%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$21.1K CA$29.9K

18.50%

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

$176 $176

$120 CA$169

47.34%

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

$52.0 $52.0

$32.21 CA$45.54

61.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.7 $50.7

$48.88 CA$69.1

3.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.87 $36.87

$39.34 CA$55.6

-6.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.58 CA$33.34

Cinema Ticket

$8.17 $8.17

$12.58 CA$17.79

-35.06%

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

$812 $812

$832 CA$1,176

-2.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K CA$33.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.6 $55.6

$52.3 CA$73.9

6.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.65 $35.65

$39.44 CA$55.8

-9.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 $86.1

$99.0 CA$140

-13.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.7 $88.7

$122 CA$172

-27.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 $985

$1,631 CA$2,306

-39.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 $725

$1,448 CA$2,048

-49.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,476 $1,476

$2,737 CA$3,869

-46.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 $1,201

$2,129 CA$3,010

-43.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,732 $1,732

$8,206 CA$11.6K

-78.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,707 $1,707

$6,838 CA$9,666

-75.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,768 $3,768

$3,520 CA$4,976

7.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

4.47

17.45%

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

Last update for Dubuque, IA: 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

Dubuque, IA

$725 41.9%

Toronto

$1.4K 55.5% 99.8% $724

Groceries & Markets

Dubuque, IA

$312 18%

Toronto

$343 13.1% 9.9% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubuque, IA

$279 16.1%

Toronto

$201 7.7% 28.1% $78

Eating Out

Dubuque, IA

$242 14%

Toronto

$283 10.9% 17% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Dubuque, IA

$120 6.9%

Toronto

$141 5.4% 17.5% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Dubuque, IA

$53 3.1%

Toronto

$65 2.5% 21.2% $11

Getting Around

Dubuque, IA

- * 0%

Toronto

$130 5%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Dubuque, IA versus $1,631 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 7% higher in Dubuque, IA, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Dubuque, IA versus $79.0 in Toronto. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $312 vs $343 – making Dubuque, IA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Dubuque, IA

🇨🇦 Toronto

🕒 Local time

22:12 10:12 PM

23:12 11:12 PM

1 h ahead of Dubuque, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

59,667

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 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).

CAD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Dubuque, IA Toronto 920 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Dubuque, IA
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

Dubuque, IA vs Toronto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Toronto costs about 51% more than Dubuque, IA, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,596 per month in Dubuque, IA and $3,916 in Toronto. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,731 in Dubuque, IA and $2,610 in Toronto. That's a gap of about 51%.

Kindergarten costs $812 per month in Dubuque, IA and $832 in Toronto. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Dubuque, IA, where all-in costs run around $1,731, than in Toronto at $2,610. In Dubuque, IA it covers expenses comfortably, while in Toronto it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Dubuque, IA – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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