Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Merced, CA and Toronto

For one person, living costs are similar in Merced, CA and in Toronto: $2,528 and $2,561 a month, rent and utilities included.

123

Cost of Living Index in Merced, CA
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Merced, CA Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index

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Merced, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,528

/mo nomad

Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,561

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,528 in Merced, CA versus $2,561 in Toronto.

Merced, CA $2,528
Toronto $2,561

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,698 in Merced, CA versus $3,694 in Toronto.

Merced, CA $3,698
Toronto $3,694

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,868 in Merced, CA versus $4,826 in Toronto.

Merced, CA $4,868
Toronto $4,826

Living in Merced, CA costs roughly 1% less than in Toronto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Merced, CA 87% above, Toronto 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 $17.30

$17.18 CA$24.29

0.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.53 $39.53

$76.0 CA$107

-47.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.13 $12.13

$10.54 CA$14.89

15.09%

Cappuccino

$5.67 $5.67

$4.02 CA$5.68

41.04%

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

$2.47 $2.47

$2.12 CA$3.00

16.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.75 CA$2.48

-16.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.15 $9.15

$6.24 CA$8.83

46.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.14 $10.14

$7.09 CA$10.02

43.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$2.44 CA$3.45

-49.18%

White Bread (500g)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.68 CA$3.78

61.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.18 $4.18

$2.24 CA$3.17

86.61%

Eggs

$5.69 $5.69

$3.56 CA$5.03

59.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.30 $19.30

$9.09 CA$12.85

112.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.22 $14.22

$11.33 CA$16.01

25.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.62 $21.62

$14.53 CA$20.55

48.80%

Apples (1kg)

$4.45 $4.45

$3.62 CA$5.12

22.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.21 CA$1.72

67.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.41 $5.41

$3.60 CA$5.09

50.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.36 $5.36

$4.21 CA$5.96

27.32%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$1.79 CA$2.53

94.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.96 $2.96

$1.59 CA$2.25

86.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.27 CA$3.21

7.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$1.25 CA$1.77

105.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.89 $11.89

$13.82 CA$19.53

-13.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.78 $15.78

$14.27 CA$20.18

10.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$2.20 CA$3.10

10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 $3.41

$2.43 CA$3.44

40.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.39 CA$3.38

-37.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.9 $59.9

$111 CA$157

-46.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.91 CA$4.12

4.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.20 CA$1.69

38.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.51 $26.51

$21.38 CA$30.23

23.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.21 CA$1.71

9.09%

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

$37.3K $37.3K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

32.23%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$20.3K CA$28.6K

27.22%

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

$237 $237

$120 CA$170

97.30%

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

$29.93 $29.93

$32.26 CA$45.60

-7.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$82.7 $82.7

$47.93 CA$67.8

72.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.75 $32.75

$38.48 CA$54.4

-14.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.11 $14.11

$22.96 CA$32.46

-38.55%

Cinema Ticket

$16.87 $16.87

$12.38 CA$17.50

36.27%

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

$1,851 $1,851

$830 CA$1,173

123.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.5K $40.5K

$23.1K CA$32.6K

75.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 $59.9

$50.7 CA$71.7

18.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 $50.7

$40.02 CA$56.6

26.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100.0 $100.0

$98.0 CA$139

2.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$121 CA$171

-0.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,638 $1,638

$1,592 CA$2,251

2.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,082 $1,082

$1,410 CA$1,994

-23.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 $2,012

$2,670 CA$3,775

-24.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,905 $1,905

$2,152 CA$3,042

-11.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,890 $2,890

$7,945 CA$11.2K

-63.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,896 $2,896

$6,542 CA$9,249

-55.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,329 $3,329

$3,727 CA$5,269

-10.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.36

4.47

42.28%

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

Last update for Merced, CA: 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

Merced, CA

$1.1K 42.8%

Toronto

$1.4K 55.1% 30.3% $328

Groceries & Markets

Merced, CA

$479 19%

Toronto

$340 13.3% 29.1% $140

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Merced, CA

$350 13.9%

Toronto

$201 7.8% 42.7% $150

Eating Out

Merced, CA

$325 12.8%

Toronto

$278 10.9% 14.3% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Merced, CA

$149 5.9%

Toronto

$139 5.4% 6.3% $9.3

Getting Around

Merced, CA

$77 3.1%

Toronto

$129 5.1% 67.7% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Merced, CA

$66 2.6%

Toronto

$63 2.5% 4.9% $3.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,638 in Merced, CA and $1,592 in Toronto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toronto pays 12% 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: $40.00 in Merced, CA vs $76.0 in Toronto. Groceries flip the comparison at $479 vs $340, with Toronto cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Merced, CA

🇨🇦 Toronto

🕒 Local time

01:46 1:46 AM

04:46 4:46 AM

3 h ahead of Merced, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

83,316

2,731,571

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.628 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.628 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Merced, CA Toronto 3,510 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Merced, 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

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

Merced, CA and Toronto differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($2,528 vs $2,561 including rent). Merced, CA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 12% 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: $1,638 in Merced, CA versus $1,592 in Toronto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,851 in Merced, CA versus $830 in Toronto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Toronto pay roughly 41% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Merced, CA 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 Merced, CA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Toronto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.