Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ontario, CA and Toronto

For one person, living is cheaper in Toronto: $2,561 a month against $2,867 in Ontario, CA, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

139

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

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index

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Ontario, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,867

/mo nomad

Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,561

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,867 in Ontario, CA versus $2,561 in Toronto.

Ontario, CA $2,867
Toronto $2,561

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,937 in Ontario, CA versus $3,694 in Toronto.

Ontario, CA $2,937
Toronto $3,694

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,007 in Ontario, CA versus $4,826 in Toronto.

Ontario, CA $3,007
Toronto $4,826

Living in Ontario, CA is roughly 12% more expensive than in Toronto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ontario, CA 112% above, Toronto 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.91 $19.91

$17.18 CA$24.29

15.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.2 $78.2

$76.0 CA$107

2.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.13 $15.13

$10.54 CA$14.89

43.55%

Cappuccino

$5.64 $5.64

$4.02 CA$5.68

40.30%

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

$3.09 $3.09

$2.12 CA$3.00

45.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 $2.31

$1.75 CA$2.48

32.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.26 $7.26

$6.24 CA$8.83

16.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.37 $9.37

$7.09 CA$10.02

32.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$2.44 CA$3.45

-57.38%

White Bread (500g)

$4.00 $4.00

$2.68 CA$3.78

49.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.79 $4.79

$2.24 CA$3.17

113.84%

Eggs

$4.57 $4.57

$3.56 CA$5.03

28.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.97 $12.97

$9.09 CA$12.85

42.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.85 $8.85

$11.33 CA$16.01

-21.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.66 $15.66

$14.53 CA$20.55

7.78%

Apples (1kg)

$4.62 $4.62

$3.62 CA$5.12

27.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.21 CA$1.72

40.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.97 $3.97

$3.60 CA$5.09

10.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.54 $5.54

$4.21 CA$5.96

31.59%

Potato (1kg)

$3.59 $3.59

$1.79 CA$2.53

100.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 $2.31

$1.59 CA$2.25

45.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.27 CA$3.21

-12.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.25 CA$1.77

53.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.56 $11.56

$13.82 CA$19.53

-16.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.76 $14.76

$14.27 CA$20.18

3.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.20 CA$3.10

-11.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 $4.13

$2.43 CA$3.44

69.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.39 CA$3.38

-35.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.84 $29.84

$111 CA$157

-73.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.08 $6.08

$2.91 CA$4.12

108.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 CA$1.69

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.38 CA$30.23

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.21 CA$1.71

26.45%

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

$37.1K $37.1K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

31.55%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

$20.3K CA$28.6K

32.85%

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

$222 $222

$120 CA$170

84.12%

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

$68.7 $68.7

$32.26 CA$45.60

112.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.8 $61.8

$47.93 CA$67.8

29.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.0 $64.0

$38.48 CA$54.4

66.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.79 $28.79

$22.96 CA$32.46

25.39%

Cinema Ticket

$17.89 $17.89

$12.38 CA$17.50

44.51%

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

$1,164 $1,164

$830 CA$1,173

40.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K CA$32.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 $58.3

$50.7 CA$71.7

15.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.76 $40.76

$40.02 CA$56.6

1.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.3 $91.3

$98.0 CA$139

-6.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$121 CA$171

-13.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,900 $1,900

$1,592 CA$2,251

19.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,503 $1,503

$1,410 CA$1,994

6.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,646 $2,646

$2,670 CA$3,775

-0.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,152 CA$3,042

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,989 $3,989

$7,945 CA$11.2K

-49.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,666 $3,666

$6,542 CA$9,249

-43.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,613 $3,613

$3,727 CA$5,269

-3.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

4.47

42.95%

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

Last update for Ontario, CA: October 12, 2026

Last update for Toronto: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ontario, CA

$1.5K 52.4%

Toronto

$1.4K 55.1% 6.1% $92

Groceries & Markets

Ontario, CA

$389 13.6%

Toronto

$340 13.3% 12.6% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ontario, CA

$352 12.3%

Toronto

$201 7.8% 43% $152

Eating Out

Ontario, CA

$349 12.2%

Toronto

$278 10.9% 20.3% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Ontario, CA

$133 4.6%

Toronto

$139 5.4% 5% $6.7

Sport & Entertainment

Ontario, CA

$100 3.5%

Toronto

$63 2.5% 36.6% $37

Getting Around

Ontario, CA

$42 * 1.5%

Toronto

$129 5.1% 208% $87

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 $1,900 in Ontario, CA and $1,592 in Toronto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toronto pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $78.0 in Ontario, CA vs $76.0 in Toronto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $389 vs $340 per month, with Toronto cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ontario, CA

🇨🇦 Toronto

🕒 Local time

14:56 2:56 PM

17:56 5:56 PM

3 h ahead of Ontario, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

185,000

2,731,571

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 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 = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 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 = 0.629 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ontario, CA Toronto 3,450 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ontario, 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

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

Toronto is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 3% 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: $1,900 in Ontario, CA versus $1,592 in Toronto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,164 in Ontario, CA versus $830 in Toronto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Ontario, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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 12% less than in Ontario, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.