Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oakland, CA and Toronto

For one person, living is cheaper in Toronto: $2,530 a month against $3,666 in Oakland, CA, rent and utilities included – about $13,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

180

Cost of Living Index in Oakland, CA
Learn more

Oakland, CA Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
Learn more

Toronto Living Index

Jump to prices

Oakland, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,666

/mo nomad

Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,530

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,666 in Oakland, CA versus $2,530 in Toronto.

Oakland, CA $3,666
Toronto $2,530

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,759 in Oakland, CA versus $3,646 in Toronto.

Oakland, CA $5,759
Toronto $3,646

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,853 in Oakland, CA versus $4,761 in Toronto.

Oakland, CA $7,853
Toronto $4,761

Living in Oakland, CA is roughly 45% more expensive than in Toronto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oakland, CA 174% above, Toronto 89% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.90 $24.90

$17.67 CA$25.19

40.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 $121

$77.4 CA$110

55.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.81 $11.81

$10.47 CA$14.93

12.80%

Cappuccino

$5.76 $5.76

$4.08 CA$5.81

41.18%

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

$3.59 $3.59

$2.12 CA$3.02

69.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$1.76 CA$2.51

30.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.91 $7.91

$6.17 CA$8.80

28.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.79 $7.79

$6.89 CA$9.82

13.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$2.43 CA$3.46

-41.56%

White Bread (500g)

$4.96 $4.96

$2.75 CA$3.92

80.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$8.03 $8.03

$2.23 CA$3.18

260.09%

Eggs

$6.20 $6.20

$3.45 CA$4.91

79.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.88 $25.88

$8.93 CA$12.73

189.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.55 $18.55

$11.44 CA$16.31

62.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.84 $22.84

$14.61 CA$20.83

56.33%

Apples (1kg)

$7.71 $7.71

$3.75 CA$5.34

105.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.15 CA$1.64

99.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.35 $8.35

$3.55 CA$5.06

135.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.65 $6.65

$4.28 CA$6.10

55.37%

Potato (1kg)

$5.01 $5.01

$1.85 CA$2.63

170.81%

Onion (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.67 CA$2.38

84.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.22 CA$3.16

9.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.21 CA$1.72

151.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.94 $11.94

$13.88 CA$19.78

-13.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.14 $20.14

$14.25 CA$20.31

41.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.20 CA$3.13

-19.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 $3.71

$2.42 CA$3.45

53.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.42 CA$3.44

25.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.7 $86.7

$111 CA$158

-21.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.90 CA$4.13

9.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.26 CA$1.80

86.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.75 $39.75

$22.03 CA$31.40

80.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.22 CA$1.74

21.31%

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

$36.4K $36.4K

$27.6K CA$39.4K

31.78%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$19.8K CA$28.3K

30.15%

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

$187 $187

$122 CA$174

53.06%

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

$63.4 $63.4

$32.03 CA$45.66

97.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.8 $66.8

$47.92 CA$68.3

39.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.21 $39.21

$38.90 CA$55.5

0.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.90 $12.90

$23.24 CA$33.12

-44.49%

Cinema Ticket

$16.11 $16.11

$12.61 CA$17.97

27.76%

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

$2,684 $2,684

$834 CA$1,189

221.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.4K $36.4K

$23.3K CA$33.3K

56.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.1 $70.1

$52.6 CA$75.0

33.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.20 $48.20

$40.26 CA$57.4

19.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 $114

$96.2 CA$137

19.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$203 $203

$123 CA$175

64.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,362 $2,362

$1,598 CA$2,278

47.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,044 $2,044

$1,435 CA$2,045

42.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,306 $4,306

$2,657 CA$3,787

62.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,725 $3,725

$2,096 CA$2,988

77.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,814 $7,814

$8,033 CA$11.5K

-2.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,894 $5,894

$6,557 CA$9,347

-10.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,302 $5,302

$3,743 CA$5,335

41.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

4.47

51.45%

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

Last update for Oakland, CA: October 3, 2026

Last update for Toronto: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Oakland, CA

$2K 54.8%

Toronto

$1.4K 55.4% 29.8% $609

Groceries & Markets

Oakland, CA

$602 16.2%

Toronto

$340 13.1% 43.5% $262

Eating Out

Oakland, CA

$382 10.3%

Toronto

$282 10.9% 26.3% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Oakland, CA

$317 8.5%

Toronto

$202 7.8% 36.3% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Oakland, CA

$196 5.3%

Toronto

$140 5.4% 28.4% $56

Getting Around

Oakland, CA

$114 3.1%

Toronto

$130 5% 13.9% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Oakland, CA

$71 1.9%

Toronto

$64 2.5% 10.2% $7.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,362 in Oakland, CA and $1,598 in Toronto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oakland, CA pays 42% 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: $121 in Oakland, CA vs $77.0 in Toronto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $602 vs $340 per month, with Toronto cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Oakland, CA

🇨🇦 Toronto

🕒 Local time

23:09 11:09 PM

02:09 2:09 AM

3 h ahead of Oakland, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

433,031

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

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 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 →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Oakland, CA Toronto 3,630 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Oakland, 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

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

Oakland, CA and Toronto differ by about 45% in total monthly costs ($3,666 vs $2,530 including rent). Toronto is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 42% higher in Oakland, CA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,362 in Oakland, CA versus $1,598 in Toronto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 77% higher in Oakland, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Toronto – a meal for two runs $77.0 versus $121 in Oakland, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Toronto 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 Toronto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Oakland, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.