Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guelph and Toronto

For one person, living costs are similar in Guelph and in Toronto: $2,574 and $2,561 a month, rent and utilities included.

125

Cost of Living Index in Guelph
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Guelph Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index

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Guelph

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,574

/mo nomad

Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,561

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,574 in Guelph versus $2,561 in Toronto.

Guelph $2,574
Toronto $2,561

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,642 in Guelph versus $3,694 in Toronto.

Guelph $3,642
Toronto $3,694

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,711 in Guelph versus $4,826 in Toronto.

Guelph $4,711
Toronto $4,826

Living in Guelph is roughly 1% more expensive than in Toronto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Guelph 91% above, Toronto 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.94 CA$29.61

$17.18 CA$24.29

21.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.8 CA$100

$76.0 CA$107

-6.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.35 CA$16.04

$10.54 CA$14.89

7.69%

Cappuccino

$3.27 CA$4.62

$4.02 CA$5.68

-18.66%

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

$1.43 CA$2.02

$2.12 CA$3.00

-32.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 CA$1.87

$1.75 CA$2.48

-24.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.78 CA$6.75

$6.24 CA$8.83

-23.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 CA$8.04

$7.09 CA$10.02

-19.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 CA$3.10

$2.44 CA$3.45

-10.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 CA$3.87

$2.68 CA$3.78

2.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.55 CA$5.02

$2.24 CA$3.17

58.48%

Eggs

$3.02 CA$4.26

$3.56 CA$5.03

-15.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 CA$14.18

$9.09 CA$12.85

10.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.98 CA$22.59

$11.33 CA$16.01

41.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.72 CA$30.71

$14.53 CA$20.55

49.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 CA$4.93

$3.62 CA$5.12

-3.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 CA$1.82

$1.21 CA$1.72

6.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.28 CA$6.05

$3.60 CA$5.09

18.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.63 CA$6.54

$4.21 CA$5.96

9.98%

Potato (1kg)

$3.41 CA$4.82

$1.79 CA$2.53

90.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 CA$3.15

$1.59 CA$2.25

40.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 CA$4.02

$2.27 CA$3.21

25.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$1.25 CA$1.77

18.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.77 CA$15.23

$13.82 CA$19.53

-22.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.74 CA$15.18

$14.27 CA$20.18

-24.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.46 CA$4.89

$2.20 CA$3.10

57.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 CA$4.39

$2.43 CA$3.44

27.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.14 CA$3.02

$2.39 CA$3.38

-10.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.8 CA$91.7

$111 CA$157

-41.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.33 CA$3.29

$2.91 CA$4.12

-19.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 CA$2.64

$1.20 CA$1.69

55.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.09 CA$34.06

$21.38 CA$30.23

12.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.66

$1.21 CA$1.71

-3.31%

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

$27.7K CA$39.2K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

-1.64%

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

$20.4K CA$28.8K

$20.3K CA$28.6K

0.75%

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

$123 CA$174

$120 CA$170

2.50%

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

$42.11 CA$59.5

$32.26 CA$45.60

30.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.7 CA$77.3

$47.93 CA$67.8

14.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.1 CA$77.9

$38.48 CA$54.4

43.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.24 CA$20.14

$22.96 CA$32.46

-37.98%

Cinema Ticket

$10.69 CA$15.11

$12.38 CA$17.50

-13.65%

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

$796 CA$1,126

$830 CA$1,173

-4.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K CA$23.4K

$23.1K CA$32.6K

-28.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.5 CA$88.3

$50.7 CA$71.7

23.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.00 CA$50.9

$40.02 CA$56.6

-10.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.2 CA$122

$98.0 CA$139

-11.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 CA$176

$121 CA$171

2.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,442 CA$2,038

$1,592 CA$2,251

-9.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,361 CA$1,925

$1,410 CA$1,994

-3.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,044 CA$2,890

$2,670 CA$3,775

-23.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,921 CA$2,716

$2,152 CA$3,042

-10.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,782 CA$6,760

$7,945 CA$11.2K

-39.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,727 CA$6,682

$6,542 CA$9,249

-27.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,174 CA$4,487

$3,727 CA$5,269

-14.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.99

4.47

11.63%

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

Last update for Guelph: October 11, 2026

Last update for Toronto: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Guelph

$1.4K 52.9%

Toronto

$1.4K 55.1% 3.6% $49

Groceries & Markets

Guelph

$405 15.7%

Toronto

$340 13.3% 16.1% $65

Eating Out

Guelph

$287 11.2%

Toronto

$278 10.9% 3.1% $8.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Guelph

$220 8.6%

Toronto

$201 7.8% 8.9% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Guelph

$139 5.4%

Toronto

$139 5.4% 0.1% $0.2

Getting Around

Guelph

$85 3.3%

Toronto

$129 5.1% 52.1% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Guelph

$77 3%

Toronto

$63 2.5% 17.4% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,442 in Guelph and $1,592 in Toronto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toronto pays 17% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $71.0 in Guelph vs $76.0 in Toronto. Groceries flip the comparison at $405 vs $340, with Toronto cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Guelph

🇨🇦 Toronto

🕒 Local time

12:30 12:30 PM

Same time as Guelph

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

131,794

2,731,571

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Guelph vs Toronto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Toronto is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 17% lower in Toronto. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,442 in Guelph versus $1,592 in Toronto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Guelph. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Toronto – a meal for two runs $76.0 versus $71.0 in Guelph. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Toronto 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 Toronto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Guelph. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.