Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hearst and Toronto

For one person, living is cheaper in Hearst: $2,210 a month against $2,610 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Hearst
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,210
/mo nomad
Toronto
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,610
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Hearst versus $2,610 in Toronto.

  • Hearst $2,210
  • Toronto $2,610

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,203 in Hearst versus $3,727 in Toronto.

  • Hearst $3,203
  • Toronto $3,727

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,197 in Hearst versus $4,844 in Toronto.

  • Hearst $4,197
  • Toronto $4,844

Living in Hearst costs roughly 15% less than in Toronto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hearst 63% above, Toronto 93% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Hearst
Toronto
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.35 CA$24.53
$17.59 CA$24.87
-1.36%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.0 CA$93.4
$78.8 CA$111
-16.21%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.67 CA$15.09
$10.73 CA$15.16
-0.56%
Cappuccino
$3.60 CA$5.09
$4.09 CA$5.78
-11.98%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.01 CA$2.83
$2.10 CA$2.97
-4.29%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.55 CA$2.20
$1.72 CA$2.43
-9.88%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.18 CA$7.32
$6.36 CA$8.99
-18.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.58 CA$7.88
$7.08 CA$10.01
-21.19%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Hearst
Toronto
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.09 CA$2.95
$2.54 CA$3.59
-17.72%
White Bread (500g)
$2.55 CA$3.60
$2.72 CA$3.85
-6.25%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.29 CA$4.65
$2.18 CA$3.09
50.92%
Eggs
$3.34 CA$4.73
$3.63 CA$5.13
-7.99%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.67 CA$13.67
$9.46 CA$13.37
2.22%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.53 CA$16.30
$11.54 CA$16.32
-0.09%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.25 CA$20.15
$14.37 CA$20.32
-0.84%
Apples (1kg)
$3.78 CA$5.35
$3.70 CA$5.23
2.16%
Banana (1kg)
$1.26 CA$1.78
$1.19 CA$1.68
5.88%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.63 CA$5.13
$3.46 CA$4.90
4.91%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.67 CA$5.18
$4.22 CA$5.97
-13.03%
Potato (1kg)
$2.49 CA$3.52
$1.79 CA$2.52
39.11%
Onion (1kg)
$2.17 CA$3.06
$1.65 CA$2.33
31.52%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.48 CA$3.51
$2.20 CA$3.11
12.73%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.57 CA$2.22
$1.26 CA$1.78
24.60%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.89 CA$19.63
$13.97 CA$19.75
-0.57%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.84 CA$18.15
$14.20 CA$20.07
-9.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.61 CA$3.70
$2.25 CA$3.18
16.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.09 CA$4.37
$2.53 CA$3.58
22.13%
🚌 Getting Around
Hearst
Toronto
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.24 CA$3.17
$2.32 CA$3.28
-3.45%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$62.3 CA$88.0
$112 CA$158
-44.24%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.79 CA$3.95
$3.06 CA$4.33
-8.82%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.40 CA$1.98
$1.22 CA$1.72
14.75%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$22.95 CA$32.44
$21.69 CA$30.66
5.81%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.14 CA$1.61
$1.21 CA$1.72
-5.79%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.9K CA$39.4K
$26.1K CA$37.0K
6.57%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.9K CA$26.7K
$21.1K CA$29.9K
-10.64%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hearst
Toronto
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$132 CA$186
$120 CA$169
10.04%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$38.55 CA$54.5
$32.21 CA$45.54
19.68%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$54.4 CA$77.0
$48.88 CA$69.1
11.37%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Hearst
Toronto
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.47 CA$57.2
$39.34 CA$55.6
2.87%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.81 CA$25.18
$23.58 CA$33.34
-24.47%
Cinema Ticket
$11.12 CA$15.72
$12.58 CA$17.79
-11.61%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Hearst
Toronto
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$748 CA$1,057
$832 CA$1,176
-10.10%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.1K CA$18.5K
$23.6K CA$33.4K
-44.72%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Hearst
Toronto
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.7 CA$75.9
$52.3 CA$73.9
2.70%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.42 CA$54.3
$39.44 CA$55.8
-2.59%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$83.4 CA$118
$99.0 CA$140
-15.73%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 CA$145
$122 CA$172
-15.86%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Hearst
Toronto
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,220 CA$1,724
$1,631 CA$2,306
-25.23%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,104 CA$1,560
$1,448 CA$2,048
-23.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,918 CA$2,711
$2,737 CA$3,869
-29.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,687 CA$2,384
$2,129 CA$3,010
-20.79%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,145 CA$5,860
$8,206 CA$11.6K
-49.49%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,557 CA$5,028
$6,838 CA$9,666
-47.98%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Hearst
Toronto
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,120 CA$4,410
$3,520 CA$4,976
-11.38%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.66
4.47
4.25%

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

Last update for Hearst: 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
Hearst
$1.1K
Toronto
$1.4K 31.2% $345
Groceries & Markets
Hearst
$347
Toronto
$343 1.2% $4.2
Eating Out
Hearst
$265
Toronto
$283 6.7% $18
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hearst
$225
Toronto
$201 10.6% $24
Clothing & Footwear
Hearst
$125
Toronto
$141 12.4% $16
Getting Around
Hearst
$81
Toronto
$130 60.6% $49
Sport & Entertainment
Hearst
$63
Toronto
$65 2.9% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,220 in Hearst and $1,631 in Toronto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toronto pays 13% 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: $66.0 in Hearst vs $79.0 in Toronto. Groceries flip the comparison at $347 vs $343, with Toronto cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Hearst
🇨🇦 Toronto
🕒 Local time
09:27 9:27 AM
09:27 9:27 AM
Same time as Hearst
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
5,000
2,731,571
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Hearst Toronto 750 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Hearst
  • 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
Hearst vs Toronto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Hearst and in Toronto?
Hearst and Toronto differ by about 18% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $2,610 including rent). Hearst is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 13% 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Hearst and in Toronto?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,220 in Hearst versus $1,631 in Toronto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Hearst and Toronto?
Childcare runs $748 in Hearst versus $832 in Toronto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Toronto pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $2,210 in Hearst versus $2,610 in Toronto, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Hearst but tight or insufficient in Toronto. The gap between the two cities makes Hearst the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Hearst and Toronto?
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.
Where should expats move: Hearst or Toronto?
Expats usually find Hearst gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Toronto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Hearst vs other spots: cost of living compared

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