Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Foster City, CA and Toronto

For one person, living is cheaper in Toronto: $2,610 a month against $4,311 in Foster City, CA, rent and utilities included – about $20,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

208

Cost of Living Index in Foster City, CA
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Foster City, CA Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index

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Foster City, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,311

/mo nomad

Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,610

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,311 per month in Foster City, CA vs $2,610 in Toronto, rent included.

Foster City, CA $4,311
Toronto $2,610

A couple spends around $4,062 per month in Foster City, CA vs $3,727 in Toronto, rent included.

Foster City, CA $4,062
Toronto $3,727

A family of three spends $3,812 per month in Foster City, CA vs $4,844 in Toronto, rent included.

Foster City, CA $3,812
Toronto $4,844

Foster City, CA costs about 65% more than Toronto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Foster City, CA and Toronto sit above the global median – Foster City, CA by 218%, Toronto by 93%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.94 $24.94

$17.59 CA$24.87

41.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$109 $109

$78.8 CA$111

38.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.14 $12.14

$10.73 CA$15.16

13.14%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$4.09 CA$5.78

37.65%

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

$2.94 $2.94

$2.10 CA$2.97

40.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 $2.72

$1.72 CA$2.43

58.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.09 $8.09

$6.36 CA$8.99

27.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.20 $8.20

$7.08 CA$10.01

15.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 $1.38

$2.54 CA$3.59

-45.67%

White Bread (500g)

$4.96 $4.96

$2.72 CA$3.85

82.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 $2.18

$2.18 CA$3.09

Eggs

$6.46 $6.46

$3.63 CA$5.13

77.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.14 $15.14

$9.46 CA$13.37

60.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.04 $13.04

$11.54 CA$16.32

13.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.19 $23.19

$14.37 CA$20.32

61.38%

Apples (1kg)

$7.78 $7.78

$3.70 CA$5.23

110.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.19 CA$1.68

98.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.50 $6.50

$3.46 CA$4.90

87.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.30 $3.30

$4.22 CA$5.97

-21.80%

Potato (1kg)

$3.35 $3.35

$1.79 CA$2.52

87.15%

Onion (1kg)

$3.12 $3.12

$1.65 CA$2.33

89.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 $2.46

$2.20 CA$3.11

11.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.26 CA$1.78

63.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.93 $11.93

$13.97 CA$19.75

-14.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.18 $20.18

$14.20 CA$20.07

42.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.25 CA$3.18

-23.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 $3.70

$2.53 CA$3.58

46.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.77 $3.77

$2.32 CA$3.28

62.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$190 $190

$112 CA$158

70.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 $3.22

$3.06 CA$4.33

5.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.22 CA$1.72

93.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.74 $39.74

$21.69 CA$30.66

83.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.21 CA$1.72

30.58%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$26.1K CA$37.0K

6.11%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$21.1K CA$29.9K

24.39%

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

$270 $270

$120 CA$169

125.53%

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

$50.2 $50.2

$32.21 CA$45.54

55.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.5 $67.5

$48.88 CA$69.1

38.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$39.34 CA$55.6

184.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.58 CA$33.34

Cinema Ticket

$15.80 $15.80

$12.58 CA$17.79

25.60%

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

$2,697 $2,697

$832 CA$1,176

224.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.6K $37.6K

$23.6K CA$33.4K

59.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.34 $47.34

$52.3 CA$73.9

-9.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.56 $29.56

$39.44 CA$55.8

-25.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.7 $67.7

$99.0 CA$140

-31.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.96 $49.96

$122 CA$172

-59.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,003 $3,003

$1,631 CA$2,306

84.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,609 $2,609

$1,448 CA$2,048

80.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,737 CA$3,869

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,129 CA$3,010

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.6K $10.6K

$8,206 CA$11.6K

29.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,568 $9,568

$6,838 CA$9,666

39.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,872 $6,872

$3,520 CA$4,976

95.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

4.47

52.57%

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

Last update for Foster City, CA: October 17, 2026

Last update for Toronto: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Foster City, CA

$2.6K 60.5%

Toronto

$1.4K 55.5% 44.5% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Foster City, CA

$481 11.2%

Toronto

$343 13.1% 28.7% $138

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Foster City, CA

$387 9%

Toronto

$201 7.7% 48.2% $187

Eating Out

Foster City, CA

$383 8.9%

Toronto

$283 10.9% 26.1% $100

Getting Around

Foster City, CA

$220 5.1%

Toronto

$130 5% 40.9% $90

Sport & Entertainment

Foster City, CA

$144 3.3%

Toronto

$65 2.5% 55.1% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Foster City, CA

$88 2%

Toronto

$141 5.4% 60.7% $53

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,003 in Foster City, CA 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 95% higher in Foster City, CA, 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 $109 in Foster City, CA versus $79.0 in Toronto. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $481 vs $343 – making Toronto the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Foster City, CA

🇨🇦 Toronto

🕒 Local time

00:33 12:33 AM

03:33 3:33 AM

3 h ahead of Foster City, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

30,567

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 →

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Between locations

Foster City, CA Toronto 3,640 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

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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

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

Yes – Foster City, CA is pricier by about 65%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,467 per month in Foster City, CA 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 Toronto, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 70% less in Toronto. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,697 per month in Foster City, CA and $832 in Toronto. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,311 in Foster City, CA and $2,610 in Toronto. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Toronto – 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 Toronto. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Foster City, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.