Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Elgin, IL and Toronto

For one person, living is cheaper in Elgin, IL: $1,035 a month against $2,530 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $17,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

51

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

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index

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Elgin, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$1,035

/mo nomad

Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,530

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,035 in Elgin, IL versus $2,530 in Toronto.

Elgin, IL $1,035
Toronto $2,530

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,614 in Elgin, IL versus $3,646 in Toronto.

Elgin, IL $2,614
Toronto $3,646

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,192 in Elgin, IL versus $4,761 in Toronto.

Elgin, IL $4,192
Toronto $4,761

Living in Elgin, IL costs roughly 59% less than in Toronto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Elgin, IL is 23% below, Toronto is 89% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.93 $19.93

$17.67 CA$25.19

12.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.5 $59.5

$77.4 CA$110

-23.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.07 $10.07

$10.47 CA$14.93

-3.82%

Cappuccino

$3.90 $3.90

$4.08 CA$5.81

-4.41%

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

$3.03 $3.03

$2.12 CA$3.02

42.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.76 CA$2.51

16.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.96 $5.96

$6.17 CA$8.80

-3.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.92 $4.92

$6.89 CA$9.82

-28.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$2.43 CA$3.46

-63.37%

White Bread (500g)

$3.54 $3.54

$2.75 CA$3.92

28.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.23 CA$3.18

94.62%

Eggs

$3.73 $3.73

$3.45 CA$4.91

8.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.35 $11.35

$8.93 CA$12.73

27.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.45 $13.45

$11.44 CA$16.31

17.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.71 $11.71

$14.61 CA$20.83

-19.85%

Apples (1kg)

$4.49 $4.49

$3.75 CA$5.34

19.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.15 CA$1.64

10.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 $2.57

$3.55 CA$5.06

-27.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$4.28 CA$6.10

-1.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.85 CA$2.63

7.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.67 CA$2.38

24.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$2.22 CA$3.16

-17.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 $2.37

$1.21 CA$1.72

95.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.79 $10.79

$13.88 CA$19.78

-22.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 $15.56

$14.25 CA$20.31

9.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.20 CA$3.13

19.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.42 CA$3.45

44.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 CA$3.44

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 CA$158

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.06 $4.06

$2.90 CA$4.13

40.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.26 CA$1.80

60.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.28 $28.28

$22.03 CA$31.40

28.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.22 CA$1.74

-14.75%

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

$36.5K $36.5K

$27.6K CA$39.4K

32.20%

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

$24.9K $24.9K

$19.8K CA$28.3K

25.79%

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

$99.4 $99.4

$122 CA$174

-18.48%

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

$52.2 $52.2

$32.03 CA$45.66

62.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.61 $49.61

$47.92 CA$68.3

3.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.90 CA$55.5

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.24 CA$33.12

Cinema Ticket

$14.76 $14.76

$12.61 CA$17.97

17.05%

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

$1,690 $1,690

$834 CA$1,189

102.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.2K $23.2K

$23.3K CA$33.3K

-0.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.27 $39.27

$52.6 CA$75.0

-25.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.2 $50.2

$40.26 CA$57.4

24.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$96.2 CA$137

4.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$123 CA$175

-0.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 CA$2,278

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,435 CA$2,045

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,175 $2,175

$2,657 CA$3,787

-18.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,811 $1,811

$2,096 CA$2,988

-13.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,192 $2,192

$8,033 CA$11.5K

-72.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,211 $2,211

$6,557 CA$9,347

-66.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,971 $3,971

$3,743 CA$5,335

6.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

4.47

49.66%

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

Last update for Elgin, IL: October 4, 2026

Last update for Toronto: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Elgin, IL

$371 35.3%

Toronto

$340 13.1% 8.4% $31

Eating Out

Elgin, IL

$296 28.1%

Toronto

$282 10.9% 4.9% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Elgin, IL

$201 19.1%

Toronto

$202 7.8% 0.3% $0.7

Clothing & Footwear

Elgin, IL

$141 13.3%

Toronto

$140 5.4% 0.1% $0.1

Sport & Entertainment

Elgin, IL

$30 * 2.8%

Toronto

$64 2.5% 117% $35

Getting Around

Elgin, IL

$14 * 1.4%

Toronto

$130 5% 815% $115

Accommodation & Living

Elgin, IL

- * 0%

Toronto

$1.4K 55.4%

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

Cost Breakdown

Elgin, IL pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $59.0 in Elgin, IL vs $77.0 in Toronto. Groceries flip the comparison at $371 vs $340, with Toronto cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Elgin, IL

🇨🇦 Toronto

🕒 Local time

19:09 7:09 PM

20:09 8:09 PM

1 h ahead of Elgin, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

112,603

2,731,571

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 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 11, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 11, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Elgin, IL Toronto 750 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Elgin, IL
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

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

Elgin, IL is cheaper overall, especially in leisure and transport. The 144% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 6% higher in Elgin, IL, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Childcare runs $1,690 in Elgin, IL versus $834 in Toronto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Elgin, IL – a meal for two runs $59.0 versus $77.0 in Toronto. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,035 in Elgin, IL versus $2,530 in Toronto, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Elgin, IL but tight or insufficient in Toronto. The gap between the two cities makes Elgin, IL 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, Elgin, IL 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 Elgin, IL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 144% less than in Toronto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.