Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Markham and Toronto

For one person, living is cheaper in Markham: $2,429 a month against $2,610 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

119

Cost of Living Index in Markham
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Markham Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index

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Markham

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,429

/mo nomad

Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,610

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,429 in Markham versus $2,610 in Toronto.

Markham $2,429
Toronto $2,610

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,533 in Markham versus $3,727 in Toronto.

Markham $3,533
Toronto $3,727

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Markham versus $4,844 in Toronto.

Markham $4,638
Toronto $4,844

Living in Markham costs roughly 7% less than in Toronto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Markham 79% above, Toronto 93% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 CA$24.74

$17.59 CA$24.87

-0.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.7 CA$74.5

$78.8 CA$111

-33.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.50 CA$14.85

$10.73 CA$15.16

-2.14%

Cappuccino

$3.69 CA$5.22

$4.09 CA$5.78

-9.78%

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

$1.77 CA$2.50

$2.10 CA$2.97

-15.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 CA$1.67

$1.72 CA$2.43

-31.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.62 CA$5.11

$6.36 CA$8.99

-43.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 CA$8.07

$7.08 CA$10.01

-19.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 CA$2.71

$2.54 CA$3.59

-24.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 CA$3.19

$2.72 CA$3.85

-16.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 CA$2.70

$2.18 CA$3.09

-12.39%

Eggs

$3.18 CA$4.49

$3.63 CA$5.13

-12.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.46 CA$13.37

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.96 CA$16.91

$11.54 CA$16.32

3.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.92 CA$9.79

$14.37 CA$20.32

-51.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.76 CA$5.32

$3.70 CA$5.23

1.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 CA$1.89

$1.19 CA$1.68

12.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 CA$3.27

$3.46 CA$4.90

-32.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 CA$4.58

$4.22 CA$5.97

-23.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 CA$2.86

$1.79 CA$2.52

12.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 CA$2.80

$1.65 CA$2.33

20.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 CA$4.03

$2.20 CA$3.11

29.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 CA$2.10

$1.26 CA$1.78

18.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.22 CA$18.69

$13.97 CA$19.75

-5.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.59 CA$20.63

$14.20 CA$20.07

2.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 CA$3.39

$2.25 CA$3.18

6.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 CA$4.41

$2.53 CA$3.58

23.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.10 CA$4.38

$2.32 CA$3.28

33.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.7 CA$130

$112 CA$158

-17.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.39 CA$4.79

$3.06 CA$4.33

10.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 CA$1.72

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 CA$25.88

$21.69 CA$30.66

-15.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 CA$1.68

$1.21 CA$1.72

-1.65%

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

$27.6K CA$39.0K

$26.1K CA$37.0K

5.52%

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

$21.4K CA$30.2K

$21.1K CA$29.9K

1.26%

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

$126 CA$178

$120 CA$169

5.51%

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

$27.25 CA$38.52

$32.21 CA$45.54

-15.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.89 CA$64.9

$48.88 CA$69.1

-6.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.66 CA$60.3

$39.34 CA$55.6

8.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.28 CA$30.09

$23.58 CA$33.34

-9.75%

Cinema Ticket

$10.00 CA$14.14

$12.58 CA$17.79

-20.51%

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

$878 CA$1,242

$832 CA$1,176

5.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.5K CA$38.8K

$23.6K CA$33.4K

16.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.38 CA$59.9

$52.3 CA$73.9

-18.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 CA$53.9

$39.44 CA$55.8

-3.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.8 CA$133

$99.0 CA$140

-5.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$149

$122 CA$172

-13.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,607 CA$2,271

$1,631 CA$2,306

-1.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,395 CA$1,972

$1,448 CA$2,048

-3.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,736 CA$3,868

$2,737 CA$3,869

-0.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,343 CA$3,312

$2,129 CA$3,010

10.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,918 CA$8,367

$8,206 CA$11.6K

-27.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,456 CA$7,714

$6,838 CA$9,666

-20.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,198 CA$4,520

$3,520 CA$4,976

-9.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.56

4.47

2.01%

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

Last update for Markham: October 20, 2026

Last update for Toronto: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Markham

$1.4K 57.4%

Toronto

$1.4K 55.5% 3.8% $53

Groceries & Markets

Markham

$282 * 11.6%

Toronto

$343 13.1% 21.7% $61

Eating Out

Markham

$257 10.6%

Toronto

$283 10.9% 10.1% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Markham

$199 8.2%

Toronto

$201 7.7% 0.7% $1.4

Clothing & Footwear

Markham

$126 5.2%

Toronto

$141 5.4% 11.7% $15

Getting Around

Markham

$107 * 4.4%

Toronto

$130 5% 21.1% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Markham

$63 2.6%

Toronto

$65 2.5% 2.9% $1.8

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 $1,607 in Markham and $1,631 in Toronto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toronto pays 10% 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: $53.0 in Markham vs $79.0 in Toronto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $282 vs $343 per month, with Markham cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Markham

🇨🇦 Toronto

🕒 Local time

01:03 1:03 AM

Same time as Markham

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

338,503

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

On the map

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Between locations

Markham Toronto 23 km

From you

Markham
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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

Markham vs Toronto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Markham wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Toronto. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Markham the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 10% 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: $1,607 in Markham versus $1,631 in Toronto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $878 in Markham versus $832 in Toronto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Toronto. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Markham 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.

Safety-wise, Markham 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 Markham gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Toronto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.