Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oshawa and Toronto

For one person, living is cheaper in Oshawa: $2,370 a month against $2,599 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

113

Cost of Living Index in Oshawa
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Oshawa Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index

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Oshawa

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,370

/mo nomad

Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,599

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,370 in Oshawa versus $2,599 in Toronto.

Oshawa $2,370
Toronto $2,599

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,414 in Oshawa versus $3,700 in Toronto.

Oshawa $3,414
Toronto $3,700

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Oshawa versus $4,801 in Toronto.

Oshawa $4,457
Toronto $4,801

Living in Oshawa costs roughly 9% less than in Toronto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oshawa 75% above, Toronto 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.25 CA$19.92

$17.98 CA$25.12

-20.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.6 CA$88.8

$72.3 CA$101

-12.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.33 CA$11.64

$10.83 CA$15.13

-23.08%

Cappuccino

$3.54 CA$4.95

$4.34 CA$6.07

-18.43%

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

$1.77 CA$2.47

$2.16 CA$3.02

-18.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 CA$1.90

$1.66 CA$2.32

-18.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.86 CA$6.79

$6.35 CA$8.87

-23.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.04 CA$8.44

$7.34 CA$10.26

-17.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.91 CA$4.07

$2.57 CA$3.59

13.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.91 CA$4.06

$2.71 CA$3.78

7.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.12 CA$5.76

$2.28 CA$3.18

80.70%

Eggs

$2.97 CA$4.15

$3.60 CA$5.04

-17.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.14 CA$14.16

$8.94 CA$12.50

13.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.74 CA$19.20

$11.19 CA$15.63

22.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.60 CA$23.19

$15.23 CA$21.27

9.00%

Apples (1kg)

$4.20 CA$5.87

$3.74 CA$5.23

12.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 CA$1.71

$1.23 CA$1.71

-0.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 CA$4.11

$3.58 CA$5.00

-17.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 CA$5.37

$4.25 CA$5.94

-9.65%

Potato (1kg)

$3.36 CA$4.69

$1.94 CA$2.71

73.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.57 CA$3.59

$1.67 CA$2.33

53.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 CA$3.28

$2.30 CA$3.21

2.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 CA$2.42

$1.26 CA$1.76

37.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.29 CA$19.97

$14.19 CA$19.83

0.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.63 CA$17.65

$14.25 CA$19.91

-11.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.53 CA$4.93

$2.28 CA$3.19

54.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 CA$4.87

$2.58 CA$3.61

35.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 CA$3.94

$2.35 CA$3.29

20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.1 CA$122

$111 CA$155

-21.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.74 CA$3.83

$3.01 CA$4.21

-8.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 CA$2.01

$1.22 CA$1.71

18.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.58 CA$27.35

$21.82 CA$30.49

-10.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 CA$1.74

$1.23 CA$1.72

0.81%

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

$28.8K CA$40.2K

$27.0K CA$37.7K

6.75%

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

$22.9K CA$32.0K

$21.8K CA$30.5K

4.92%

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

$139 CA$194

$121 CA$169

15.04%

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

$37.94 CA$53.0

$33.10 CA$46.25

14.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.3 CA$75.9

$49.09 CA$68.6

10.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.91 CA$32.01

$36.65 CA$51.2

-37.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.28 CA$40.91

$25.01 CA$34.94

17.07%

Cinema Ticket

$10.86 CA$15.18

$12.78 CA$17.85

-15.02%

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

$922 CA$1,288

$754 CA$1,054

22.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,083 CA$11.3K

$33.7K CA$47.1K

-76.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 CA$81.5

$50.4 CA$70.4

15.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.7 CA$80.6

$41.43 CA$57.9

39.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 CA$150

$101 CA$141

5.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 CA$180

$130 CA$182

-1.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 CA$1,956

$1,590 CA$2,221

-11.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 CA$1,687

$1,424 CA$1,990

-15.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,003 CA$2,798

$2,641 CA$3,690

-24.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,824 CA$2,548

$2,090 CA$2,920

-12.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,158 CA$7,206

$7,730 CA$10.8K

-33.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.3K CA$14.4K

$6,892 CA$9,629

49.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,049 CA$4,260

$3,623 CA$5,062

-15.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.53

4.45

1.80%

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

Last update for Oshawa: October 31, 2026

Last update for Toronto: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Oshawa

$1.2K 50.9%

Toronto

$1.4K 54.8% 18% $217

Groceries & Markets

Oshawa

$390 16.5%

Toronto

$345 13.3% 11.5% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Oshawa

$231 9.8%

Toronto

$203 7.8% 12.2% $28

Eating Out

Oshawa

$230 9.7%

Toronto

$290 11.2% 25.9% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Oshawa

$158 6.7%

Toronto

$145 5.6% 8.2% $13

Getting Around

Oshawa

$108 4.6%

Toronto

$130 5% 19.6% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Oshawa

$45 1.9%

Toronto

$62 2.4% 39.3% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,400 in Oshawa and $1,590 in Toronto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toronto pays 19% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $64 in Oshawa vs $72 in Toronto. Groceries flip the comparison at $390 vs $345, with Toronto cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Oshawa

🇨🇦 Toronto

🕒 Local time

13:15 1:15 PM

Same time as Oshawa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

159,458

2,731,571

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.637 EUR

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.637 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Oshawa vs Toronto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Oshawa wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Toronto. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Oshawa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 16% lower in Oshawa. 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: $1,400 in Oshawa versus $1,590 in Toronto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Oshawa – a meal for two runs $64 versus $72 in Toronto. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,370 per month in Oshawa versus $2,599 in Toronto – Oshawa is about 9% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Oshawa 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.

It comes down to priorities – Oshawa wins on affordability, Toronto on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.