Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iqaluit, NU and Toronto

For one person, living is cheaper in Toronto: $2,561 a month against $2,934 in Iqaluit, NU, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

142

Cost of Living Index in Iqaluit, NU
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Iqaluit, NU Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index

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Iqaluit, NU

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,934

/mo nomad

Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,561

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,934 in Iqaluit, NU versus $2,561 in Toronto.

Iqaluit, NU $2,934
Toronto $2,561

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,585 in Iqaluit, NU versus $3,694 in Toronto.

Iqaluit, NU $4,585
Toronto $3,694

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,236 in Iqaluit, NU versus $4,826 in Toronto.

Iqaluit, NU $6,236
Toronto $4,826

Living in Iqaluit, NU is roughly 15% more expensive than in Toronto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Iqaluit, NU 117% above, Toronto 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.82 CA$37.92

$17.18 CA$24.29

56.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 CA$89.6

$76.0 CA$107

-16.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.91 CA$18.25

$10.54 CA$14.89

22.49%

Cappuccino

$7.02 CA$9.92

$4.02 CA$5.68

74.63%

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

$3.71 CA$5.25

$2.12 CA$3.00

75.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 CA$2.29

$1.75 CA$2.48

-7.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.73 CA$9.51

$6.24 CA$8.83

7.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.45 CA$7.70

$7.09 CA$10.02

-23.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 CA$3.45

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 CA$3.60

$2.68 CA$3.78

-4.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.18 CA$4.50

$2.24 CA$3.17

41.96%

Eggs

$3.41 CA$4.82

$3.56 CA$5.03

-4.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.71 CA$13.73

$9.09 CA$12.85

6.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.07 CA$18.48

$11.33 CA$16.01

15.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.48 CA$20.47

$14.53 CA$20.55

-0.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 CA$5.23

$3.62 CA$5.12

2.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 CA$1.89

$1.21 CA$1.72

9.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.58 CA$5.06

$3.60 CA$5.09

-0.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.80 CA$5.38

$4.21 CA$5.96

-9.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.41 CA$3.40

$1.79 CA$2.53

34.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 CA$3.06

$1.59 CA$2.25

35.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 CA$3.35

$2.27 CA$3.21

4.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.24

$1.25 CA$1.77

26.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.88 CA$19.62

$13.82 CA$19.53

0.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.82 CA$18.12

$14.27 CA$20.18

-10.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 CA$3.60

$2.20 CA$3.10

15.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 CA$4.24

$2.43 CA$3.44

23.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 CA$3.15

$2.39 CA$3.38

-6.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.5 CA$87.0

$111 CA$157

-44.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.57 CA$9.28

$2.91 CA$4.12

125.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 CA$1.95

$1.20 CA$1.69

15.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.20 CA$28.56

$21.38 CA$30.23

-5.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 CA$1.61

$1.21 CA$1.71

-5.79%

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

$38.0K CA$53.7K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

34.94%

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

$30.1K CA$42.5K

$20.3K CA$28.6K

48.54%

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

$114 CA$161

$120 CA$170

-5.43%

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

$38.71 CA$54.7

$32.26 CA$45.60

19.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 CA$75.8

$47.93 CA$67.8

11.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.57 CA$57.4

$38.48 CA$54.4

5.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.61 CA$24.90

$22.96 CA$32.46

-23.30%

Cinema Ticket

$8.09 CA$11.44

$12.38 CA$17.50

-34.65%

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

$755 CA$1,067

$830 CA$1,173

-9.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K CA$18.5K

$23.1K CA$32.6K

-43.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 CA$74.5

$50.7 CA$71.7

3.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.18 CA$54.0

$40.02 CA$56.6

-4.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.7 CA$121

$98.0 CA$139

-12.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 CA$145

$121 CA$171

-15.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,751 CA$2,475

$1,592 CA$2,251

9.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,700 CA$2,404

$1,410 CA$1,994

20.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,877 CA$4,068

$2,670 CA$3,775

7.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,448 CA$4,874

$2,152 CA$3,042

60.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,252 CA$6,011

$7,945 CA$11.2K

-46.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,525 CA$4,983

$6,542 CA$9,249

-46.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,135 CA$5,845

$3,727 CA$5,269

10.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.32

4.47

19.02%

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

Last update for Iqaluit, NU: October 10, 2026

Last update for Toronto: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Iqaluit, NU

$1.7K 58%

Toronto

$1.4K 55.1% 17% $290

Eating Out

Iqaluit, NU

$403 13.8%

Toronto

$278 10.9% 31% $125

Groceries & Markets

Iqaluit, NU

$358 12.2%

Toronto

$340 13.3% 5.2% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Iqaluit, NU

$206 7%

Toronto

$201 7.8% 2.7% $5.6

Clothing & Footwear

Iqaluit, NU

$125 4.3%

Toronto

$139 5.4% 11% $14

Getting Around

Iqaluit, NU

$84 2.9%

Toronto

$129 5.1% 54.3% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Iqaluit, NU

$57 1.9%

Toronto

$63 2.5% 11.4% $6.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,751 in Iqaluit, NU and $1,592 in Toronto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Iqaluit, NU pays 11% 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: $63.0 in Iqaluit, NU vs $76.0 in Toronto. Groceries flip the comparison at $358 vs $340, with Toronto cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Iqaluit, NU

🇨🇦 Toronto

🕒 Local time

22:04 10:04 PM

Same time as Iqaluit, NU

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

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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Between locations

Iqaluit, NU Toronto 2,340 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Iqaluit, NU
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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

Iqaluit, NU vs Toronto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Toronto is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 11% higher in Iqaluit, NU, 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: $1,751 in Iqaluit, NU versus $1,592 in Toronto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $755 in Iqaluit, NU versus $830 in Toronto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Iqaluit, NU. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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 15% less than in Iqaluit, NU. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.