Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Merrillville, IN and Toronto

For one person, living costs are similar in Merrillville, IN and in Toronto: $2,597 and $2,610 a month, rent and utilities included.

Merrillville, IN
🇺🇸 United States
$2,597
/mo nomad
Toronto
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,610
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,597 in Merrillville, IN versus $2,610 in Toronto.

  • Merrillville, IN $2,597
  • Toronto $2,610

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,672 in Merrillville, IN versus $3,727 in Toronto.

  • Merrillville, IN $3,672
  • Toronto $3,727

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,748 in Merrillville, IN versus $4,844 in Toronto.

  • Merrillville, IN $4,748
  • Toronto $4,844

Living in Merrillville, IN costs roughly 1% less than in Toronto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Merrillville, IN 92% above, Toronto 93% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Merrillville, IN
Toronto
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.93 $14.93
$17.59 CA$24.87
-15.12%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$55.9 $55.9
$78.8 CA$111
-29.05%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.88 $9.88
$10.73 CA$15.16
-7.92%
Cappuccino
$4.63 $4.63
$4.09 CA$5.78
13.20%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.19 $2.19
$2.10 CA$2.97
4.29%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.24 $2.24
$1.72 CA$2.43
30.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.54 $4.54
$6.36 CA$8.99
-28.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.90 $5.90
$7.08 CA$10.01
-16.67%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Merrillville, IN
Toronto
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.74 $0.74
$2.54 CA$3.59
-70.87%
White Bread (500g)
$3.19 $3.19
$2.72 CA$3.85
17.28%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.54 $4.54
$2.18 CA$3.09
108.26%
Eggs
$4.63 $4.63
$3.63 CA$5.13
27.55%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.10 $11.10
$9.46 CA$13.37
17.34%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.61 $9.61
$11.54 CA$16.32
-16.72%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.94 $21.94
$14.37 CA$20.32
52.68%
Apples (1kg)
$5.75 $5.75
$3.70 CA$5.23
55.41%
Banana (1kg)
$1.12 $1.12
$1.19 CA$1.68
-5.88%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.39 $4.39
$3.46 CA$4.90
26.88%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.49 $5.49
$4.22 CA$5.97
30.09%
Potato (1kg)
$3.68 $3.68
$1.79 CA$2.52
105.59%
Onion (1kg)
$4.40 $4.40
$1.65 CA$2.33
166.67%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.45 $2.45
$2.20 CA$3.11
11.36%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 $1.27
$1.26 CA$1.78
0.79%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.36 $11.36
$13.97 CA$19.75
-18.68%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.22 $12.22
$14.20 CA$20.07
-13.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.08 $2.08
$2.25 CA$3.18
-7.56%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.43 $3.43
$2.53 CA$3.58
35.57%
🚌 Getting Around
Merrillville, IN
Toronto
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.02 $2.02
$2.32 CA$3.28
-12.93%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$112 CA$158
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.95 $4.95
$3.06 CA$4.33
61.76%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.87 $1.87
$1.22 CA$1.72
53.28%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$50.3 $50.3
$21.69 CA$30.66
131.67%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.93 $0.93
$1.21 CA$1.72
-23.14%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.9K $27.9K
$26.1K CA$37.0K
6.62%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.0K $27.0K
$21.1K CA$29.9K
27.95%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Merrillville, IN
Toronto
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$233 $233
$120 CA$169
94.37%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$50.9 $50.9
$32.21 CA$45.54
57.90%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$59.0 $59.0
$48.88 CA$69.1
20.77%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Merrillville, IN
Toronto
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$47.50 $47.50
$39.34 CA$55.6
20.74%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$23.58 CA$33.34
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.98 $14.98
$12.58 CA$17.79
19.08%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Merrillville, IN
Toronto
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,397 $1,397
$832 CA$1,176
67.87%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$20.4K $20.4K
$23.6K CA$33.4K
-13.44%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Merrillville, IN
Toronto
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.3 $53.3
$52.3 CA$73.9
1.97%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.39 $40.39
$39.44 CA$55.8
2.41%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 $106
$99.0 CA$140
7.53%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$95.7 $95.7
$122 CA$172
-21.53%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Merrillville, IN
Toronto
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,510 $1,510
$1,631 CA$2,306
-7.44%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,374 $1,374
$1,448 CA$2,048
-5.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,410 $2,410
$2,737 CA$3,869
-11.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,148 $2,148
$2,129 CA$3,010
0.89%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,523 $2,523
$8,206 CA$11.6K
-69.26%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,195 $2,195
$6,838 CA$9,666
-67.90%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Merrillville, IN
Toronto
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$3,520 CA$4,976
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.53
4.47
46.09%

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

Last update for Merrillville, IN: 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
Merrillville, IN
$1.4K
Toronto
$1.4K 5.4% $74
Groceries & Markets
Merrillville, IN
$390
Toronto
$343 12.1% $47
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Merrillville, IN
$342
Toronto
$201 41.4% $142
Eating Out
Merrillville, IN
$257
Toronto
$283 10.3% $26
Clothing & Footwear
Merrillville, IN
$133
Toronto
$141 5.7% $7.6
Sport & Entertainment
Merrillville, IN
$77
Toronto
$65 16.7% $13
Getting Around
Merrillville, IN
$22 *
Toronto
$130 481% $108

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 $1,510 in Merrillville, IN and $1,631 in Toronto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $56.0 in Merrillville, IN vs $79.0 in Toronto. Groceries flip the comparison at $390 vs $343, with Toronto cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Merrillville, IN
🇨🇦 Toronto
🕒 Local time
16:37 4:37 PM
17:37 5:37 PM
1 h ahead of Merrillville, IN
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
36,444
2,731,571
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 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
  • Merrillville, IN Toronto 690 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Merrillville, IN
  • 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
Merrillville, IN vs Toronto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Merrillville, IN and in Toronto?
Merrillville, IN and Toronto differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($2,597 vs $2,610 including rent). Merrillville, IN is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Merrillville, IN compared to Toronto?
You'd need roughly $3,895 in Merrillville, IN and $3,916 in Toronto to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Merrillville, IN and in Toronto?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,510 in Merrillville, IN versus $1,631 in Toronto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Toronto pay roughly 14% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more expensive overall: Merrillville, IN or Toronto?
All in, you'll spend $2,597 per month in Merrillville, IN versus $2,610 in Toronto – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is feasible on a $3,000 budget?
Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Merrillville, IN is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
How does quality of life compare between Merrillville, IN 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: Merrillville, IN or Toronto?
Expats usually find Merrillville, IN 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.

Merrillville, IN vs other spots: cost of living compared

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