Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madison, WI and Toronto

For one person, living is cheaper in Toronto: $2,530 a month against $2,994 in Madison, WI, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

148

Cost of Living Index in Madison, WI
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Madison, WI Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index

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Madison, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,994

/mo nomad

Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,530

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,994 per month in Madison, WI vs $2,530 in Toronto, rent included.

Madison, WI $2,994
Toronto $2,530

A couple spends around $4,424 per month in Madison, WI vs $3,646 in Toronto, rent included.

Madison, WI $4,424
Toronto $3,646

A family of three spends $5,854 per month in Madison, WI vs $4,761 in Toronto, rent included.

Madison, WI $5,854
Toronto $4,761

Madison, WI costs about 18% more than Toronto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Madison, WI and Toronto sit above the global median – Madison, WI by 123%, Toronto by 89%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.62 $19.62

$17.67 CA$25.13

11.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.0 $68.0

$77.4 CA$110

-12.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.07 $13.07

$10.47 CA$14.90

24.83%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$4.08 CA$5.80

37.99%

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

$3.16 $3.16

$2.12 CA$3.01

49.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 $2.53

$1.76 CA$2.50

43.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.08 $7.08

$6.17 CA$8.78

14.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.23 $8.23

$6.89 CA$9.80

19.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$2.43 CA$3.46

-59.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.43 $3.43

$2.75 CA$3.91

24.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.13 $4.13

$2.23 CA$3.17

85.20%

Eggs

$3.61 $3.61

$3.45 CA$4.90

4.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.92 $14.92

$8.93 CA$12.71

67.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.28 $13.28

$11.44 CA$16.27

16.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.06 $20.06

$14.61 CA$20.78

37.30%

Apples (1kg)

$4.75 $4.75

$3.75 CA$5.33

26.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.15 CA$1.63

40.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.31 $5.31

$3.55 CA$5.05

49.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$4.28 CA$6.09

16.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$1.85 CA$2.62

50.81%

Onion (1kg)

$3.12 $3.12

$1.67 CA$2.37

86.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 $2.19

$2.22 CA$3.15

-1.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.21 CA$1.72

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.77 $10.77

$13.88 CA$19.74

-22.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.75 $15.75

$14.25 CA$20.27

10.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 $2.70

$2.20 CA$3.12

22.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 $4.43

$2.42 CA$3.44

83.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.42 CA$3.44

-14.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 $65.5

$111 CA$158

-40.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.97 $3.97

$2.90 CA$4.12

36.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.26 CA$1.79

60.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.09 $43.09

$22.03 CA$31.33

95.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.22 CA$1.74

-17.21%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$27.6K CA$39.3K

30.27%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$19.8K CA$28.2K

29.28%

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

$269 $269

$122 CA$173

120.82%

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

$52.5 $52.5

$32.03 CA$45.56

64.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$83.8 $83.8

$47.92 CA$68.2

74.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 $58.4

$38.90 CA$55.3

50.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.54 $10.54

$23.24 CA$33.05

-54.65%

Cinema Ticket

$15.27 $15.27

$12.61 CA$17.94

21.09%

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

$1,705 $1,705

$834 CA$1,186

104.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.0K $23.0K

$23.3K CA$33.2K

-1.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 $63.0

$52.6 CA$74.8

19.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.0 $50.0

$40.26 CA$57.3

24.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 $108

$96.2 CA$137

11.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$123 CA$175

-1.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,789 $1,789

$1,598 CA$2,273

11.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,572 $1,572

$1,435 CA$2,041

9.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,177 $3,177

$2,657 CA$3,779

19.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$2,096 CA$2,981

22.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,524 $4,524

$8,033 CA$11.4K

-43.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 $2,489

$6,557 CA$9,327

-62.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 $4,383

$3,743 CA$5,324

17.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

4.47

49.66%

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

Last update for Madison, WI: October 5, 2026

Last update for Toronto: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Madison, WI

$1.6K 51.1%

Toronto

$1.4K 55.4% 8.7% $138

Groceries & Markets

Madison, WI

$432 14%

Toronto

$340 13.1% 21.3% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madison, WI

$405 13.2%

Toronto

$202 7.8% 50.2% $204

Eating Out

Madison, WI

$338 11%

Toronto

$282 10.9% 16.7% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Madison, WI

$154 5%

Toronto

$140 5.4% 8.8% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Madison, WI

$89 2.9%

Toronto

$64 2.5% 27.9% $25

Getting Around

Madison, WI

$88 2.9%

Toronto

$130 5% 47.6% $42

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,789 in Madison, WI versus $1,598 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 17% higher in Madison, WI, 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 $68.0 in Madison, WI versus $77.0 in Toronto. Groceries tell a different story – $432 in Madison, WI vs $340 in Toronto – so Toronto wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Madison, WI

🇨🇦 Toronto

🕒 Local time

22:14 10:14 PM

23:14 11:14 PM

1 h ahead of Madison, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

248,951

2,731,571

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.627 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Madison, WI Toronto 810 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Madison, WI
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

Madison, WI vs Toronto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,994 in Madison, WI, $2,530 in Toronto – roughly 18% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,491 per month in Madison, WI and $3,795 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 69% less in Toronto. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,705 per month in Madison, WI and $834 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 $2,994 in Madison, WI and $2,530 in Toronto. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Madison, WI has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,530 in Toronto to $2,994 in Madison, WI. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Madison, WI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.