Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Modesto, CA and Toronto

For one person, living costs are similar in Modesto, CA and in Toronto: $2,634 and $2,530 a month, rent and utilities included.

128

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

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index

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Modesto, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,634

/mo nomad

Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,530

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,634 per month in Modesto, CA vs $2,530 in Toronto, rent included.

Modesto, CA $2,634
Toronto $2,530

A couple spends around $3,994 per month in Modesto, CA vs $3,646 in Toronto, rent included.

Modesto, CA $3,994
Toronto $3,646

A family of three spends $5,354 per month in Modesto, CA vs $4,761 in Toronto, rent included.

Modesto, CA $5,354
Toronto $4,761

Modesto, CA costs about 4% more than Toronto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Modesto, CA and Toronto sit above the global median – Modesto, CA by 97%, Toronto by 89%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.85 $14.85

$17.67 CA$25.19

-15.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.9 $78.9

$77.4 CA$110

1.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.02 $9.02

$10.47 CA$14.93

-13.85%

Cappuccino

$5.56 $5.56

$4.08 CA$5.81

36.27%

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

$2.57 $2.57

$2.12 CA$3.02

21.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.76 CA$2.51

-6.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.01 $5.01

$6.17 CA$8.80

-18.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.16 $7.16

$6.89 CA$9.82

3.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$2.43 CA$3.46

-54.73%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$2.75 CA$3.92

29.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.23 CA$3.18

89.24%

Eggs

$5.55 $5.55

$3.45 CA$4.91

60.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.00 $13.00

$8.93 CA$12.73

45.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.57 $13.57

$11.44 CA$16.31

18.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.45 $19.45

$14.61 CA$20.83

33.13%

Apples (1kg)

$5.40 $5.40

$3.75 CA$5.34

44.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.15 CA$1.64

67.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$3.55 CA$5.06

50.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$4.28 CA$6.10

25.70%

Potato (1kg)

$3.60 $3.60

$1.85 CA$2.63

94.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.67 CA$2.38

74.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.22 CA$3.16

9.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.21 CA$1.72

103.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.69 $11.69

$13.88 CA$19.78

-15.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.74 $14.74

$14.25 CA$20.31

3.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$2.20 CA$3.13

-12.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.42 CA$3.45

35.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.42 CA$3.44

-19.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.63 $40.63

$111 CA$158

-63.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.47 $3.47

$2.90 CA$4.13

19.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.26 CA$1.80

141.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.63 $29.63

$22.03 CA$31.40

34.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 $1.40

$1.22 CA$1.74

14.75%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$27.6K CA$39.4K

30.88%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$19.8K CA$28.3K

29.94%

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

$262 $262

$122 CA$174

115.24%

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

$47.75 $47.75

$32.03 CA$45.66

49.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.4 $69.4

$47.92 CA$68.3

44.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.66 $41.66

$38.90 CA$55.5

7.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.14 $15.14

$23.24 CA$33.12

-34.85%

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 $10.81

$12.61 CA$17.97

-14.27%

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

$1,792 $1,792

$834 CA$1,189

114.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.5K $40.5K

$23.3K CA$33.3K

73.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.10 $48.10

$52.6 CA$75.0

-8.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.40 $39.40

$40.26 CA$57.4

-2.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.5 $94.5

$96.2 CA$137

-1.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$123 CA$175

-2.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,425 $1,425

$1,598 CA$2,278

-10.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 $1,293

$1,435 CA$2,045

-9.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,438 $2,438

$2,657 CA$3,787

-8.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,403 $2,403

$2,096 CA$2,988

14.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,151 $3,151

$8,033 CA$11.5K

-60.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,185 $3,185

$6,557 CA$9,347

-51.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,038 $4,038

$3,743 CA$5,335

7.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.1

4.47

36.47%

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

Last update for Modesto, CA: 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

Modesto, CA

$1.3K 48.9%

Toronto

$1.4K 55.4% 10.9% $142

Groceries & Markets

Modesto, CA

$439 16.6%

Toronto

$340 13.1% 22.5% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Modesto, CA

$380 14.3%

Toronto

$202 7.8% 46.8% $178

Eating Out

Modesto, CA

$269 10.2%

Toronto

$282 10.9% 4.8% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Modesto, CA

$136 5.1%

Toronto

$140 5.4% 3.4% $4.6

Getting Around

Modesto, CA

$67 2.5%

Toronto

$130 5% 93.1% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Modesto, CA

$63 2.4%

Toronto

$64 2.5% 1.3% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,425 in Modesto, CA 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 8% higher in Modesto, CA, 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 $79.0 in Modesto, CA versus $77.0 in Toronto. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $439 vs $340 – making Toronto the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Modesto, CA

🇨🇦 Toronto

🕒 Local time

05:44 5:44 AM

08:44 8:44 AM

3 h ahead of Modesto, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

211,266

2,731,571

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 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 11, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 11, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

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Modesto, CA Toronto 3,540 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Modesto, 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

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

Modesto, CA costs about 4% more than Toronto, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,952 per month in Modesto, CA 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,634 in Modesto, CA and $2,530 in Toronto. That's a gap of about 4%.

Public transport costs about 173% less in Toronto. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,634 in Modesto, CA and $2,530 in Toronto. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Toronto – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Toronto. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Modesto, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.