Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hayward, CA and Toronto

For one person, living is cheaper in Toronto: $2,610 a month against $3,419 in Hayward, CA, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

166

Cost of Living Index in Hayward, CA
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Hayward, CA Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index

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Hayward, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,419

/mo nomad

Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,610

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,419 in Hayward, CA versus $2,610 in Toronto.

Hayward, CA $3,419
Toronto $2,610

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,664 in Hayward, CA versus $3,727 in Toronto.

Hayward, CA $4,664
Toronto $3,727

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,908 in Hayward, CA versus $4,844 in Toronto.

Hayward, CA $5,908
Toronto $4,844

Living in Hayward, CA is roughly 31% more expensive than in Toronto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hayward, CA 152% above, Toronto 93% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.98 $19.98

$17.59 CA$24.87

13.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.6 $75.6

$78.8 CA$111

-4.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.48 $10.48

$10.73 CA$15.16

-2.33%

Cappuccino

$4.89 $4.89

$4.09 CA$5.78

19.56%

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

$2.99 $2.99

$2.10 CA$2.97

42.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.72 CA$2.43

33.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.88 $5.88

$6.36 CA$8.99

-7.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.34 $7.34

$7.08 CA$10.01

3.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$2.54 CA$3.59

-50.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 $1.83

$2.72 CA$3.85

-32.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.82 $5.82

$2.18 CA$3.09

166.97%

Eggs

$5.92 $5.92

$3.63 CA$5.13

63.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.81 $26.81

$9.46 CA$13.37

183.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.35 $7.35

$11.54 CA$16.32

-36.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.45 $22.45

$14.37 CA$20.32

56.23%

Apples (1kg)

$6.99 $6.99

$3.70 CA$5.23

88.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.19 CA$1.68

110.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.13 $6.13

$3.46 CA$4.90

77.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$10.20 $10.20

$4.22 CA$5.97

141.71%

Potato (1kg)

$3.58 $3.58

$1.79 CA$2.52

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$4.85 $4.85

$1.65 CA$2.33

193.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.20 CA$3.11

14.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 $3.22

$1.26 CA$1.78

155.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.87 $11.87

$13.97 CA$19.75

-15.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.90 $12.90

$14.20 CA$20.07

-9.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.25 CA$3.18

-24.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.53 CA$3.58

10.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 $2.25

$2.32 CA$3.28

-3.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 CA$158

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.47 $3.47

$3.06 CA$4.33

13.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.22 CA$1.72

54.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.22 $40.22

$21.69 CA$30.66

85.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.21 CA$1.72

17.36%

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

$28.0K $28.0K

$26.1K CA$37.0K

7.24%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$21.1K CA$29.9K

20.71%

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

$183 $183

$120 CA$169

52.64%

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

$42.35 $42.35

$32.21 CA$45.54

31.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.2 $77.2

$48.88 CA$69.1

57.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 $55.9

$39.34 CA$55.6

42.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.58 CA$33.34

Cinema Ticket

$14.92 $14.92

$12.58 CA$17.79

18.60%

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

$1,236 $1,236

$832 CA$1,176

48.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.7K $34.7K

$23.6K CA$33.4K

47.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.6 $50.6

$52.3 CA$73.9

-3.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$71.0 $71.0

$39.44 CA$55.8

80.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.8 $73.8

$99.0 CA$140

-25.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 $119

$122 CA$172

-2.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,870 $1,870

$1,631 CA$2,306

14.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,056 $2,056

$1,448 CA$2,048

41.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,440 $3,440

$2,737 CA$3,869

25.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,853 $2,853

$2,129 CA$3,010

34.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,446 $7,446

$8,206 CA$11.6K

-9.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,826 $6,826

$6,838 CA$9,666

-0.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,559 $4,559

$3,520 CA$4,976

29.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.15

4.47

37.58%

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

Last update for Hayward, CA: October 18, 2026

Last update for Toronto: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hayward, CA

$2.1K 60.1%

Toronto

$1.4K 55.5% 29.6% $608

Groceries & Markets

Hayward, CA

$497 14.5%

Toronto

$343 13.1% 31% $154

Eating Out

Hayward, CA

$315 9.2%

Toronto

$283 10.9% 10.2% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hayward, CA

$302 8.8%

Toronto

$201 7.7% 33.6% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Hayward, CA

$141 4.1%

Toronto

$141 5.4% 0.4% $0.6

Sport & Entertainment

Hayward, CA

$86 2.5%

Toronto

$65 2.5% 24.8% $21

Getting Around

Hayward, CA

$22 * 0.6%

Toronto

$130 5% 494% $108

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,870 in Hayward, CA and $1,631 in Toronto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hayward, CA pays 30% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $76.0 in Hayward, CA vs $79.0 in Toronto. Groceries flip the comparison at $497 vs $343, with Toronto cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Hayward, CA

🇨🇦 Toronto

🕒 Local time

23:48 11:48 PM

02:48 2:48 AM

3 h ahead of Hayward, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

159,203

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

Hayward, CA Toronto 3,620 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Hayward, 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

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

Toronto wins on cost – living expenses run 31% lower than in Hayward, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Toronto the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 30% higher in Hayward, 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: $1,870 in Hayward, CA versus $1,631 in Toronto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Hayward, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $3,419 per month in Hayward, CA versus $2,610 in Toronto – a 31% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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 work as nomad bases, but Toronto delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,610 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Toronto hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Hayward, CA 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 Toronto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Hayward, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.