Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pickering, ON and Toronto

For one person, living costs are similar in Pickering, ON and in Toronto: $2,590 and $2,589 a month, rent and utilities included.

Pickering, ON, Canada
Toronto, Canada
Pickering, ON
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,590
/mo nomad
Toronto
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,589
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,590 per month in Pickering, ON vs $2,589 in Toronto, rent included.

  • Pickering, ON $2,590
  • Toronto $2,589

A couple spends around $3,662 per month in Pickering, ON vs $3,710 in Toronto, rent included.

  • Pickering, ON $3,662
  • Toronto $3,710

A family of three spends $4,733 per month in Pickering, ON vs $4,831 in Toronto, rent included.

  • Pickering, ON $4,733
  • Toronto $4,831

Pickering, ON and Toronto have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Pickering, ON and Toronto sit above the global median – Pickering, ON by 90%, Toronto by 90%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Pickering, ON
Toronto
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.17 CA$19.87
$17.60 CA$24.68
-19.49%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$57.9 CA$81.1
$77.8 CA$109
-25.64%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.80 CA$15.14
$10.59 CA$14.84
1.98%
Cappuccino
$1.97 CA$2.76
$4.16 CA$5.83
-52.64%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.69 CA$2.38
$2.04 CA$2.87
-17.16%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.58 CA$2.22
$1.75 CA$2.45
-9.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.72 CA$6.62
$6.58 CA$9.22
-28.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.56 CA$6.40
$7.11 CA$9.97
-35.86%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Pickering, ON
Toronto
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.14 CA$3.00
$2.53 CA$3.55
-15.42%
White Bread (500g)
$2.21 CA$3.10
$2.70 CA$3.79
-18.15%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.40 CA$6.17
$2.24 CA$3.14
96.43%
Eggs
$3.65 CA$5.12
$3.48 CA$4.88
4.89%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.81 CA$13.76
$9.38 CA$13.15
4.58%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.38 CA$15.96
$11.60 CA$16.26
-1.90%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.15 CA$19.84
$14.68 CA$20.59
-3.61%
Apples (1kg)
$3.12 CA$4.37
$3.74 CA$5.25
-16.58%
Banana (1kg)
$0.59 CA$0.82
$1.22 CA$1.72
-51.64%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.54 CA$3.57
$3.48 CA$4.88
-27.01%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 CA$2.91
$4.32 CA$6.06
-51.85%
Potato (1kg)
$2.20 CA$3.08
$1.85 CA$2.60
18.92%
Onion (1kg)
$2.72 CA$3.81
$1.69 CA$2.37
60.95%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.75 CA$3.86
$2.23 CA$3.12
23.32%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.26 CA$1.77
$1.28 CA$1.79
-1.56%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.49 CA$18.91
$14.04 CA$19.69
-3.92%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.98 CA$18.19
$14.43 CA$20.23
-10.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.75 CA$2.46
$2.16 CA$3.02
-18.98%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.39 CA$3.35
$2.52 CA$3.54
-5.16%
🚌 Getting Around
Pickering, ON
Toronto
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.74 CA$3.85
$2.37 CA$3.32
15.61%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$161 CA$226
$112 CA$158
43.54%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.89 CA$4.05
$3.04 CA$4.27
-4.93%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.25 CA$3.16
$1.24 CA$1.74
81.45%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$22.27 CA$31.23
$22.55 CA$31.62
-1.24%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.11 CA$1.56
$1.24 CA$1.74
-10.48%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$25.0K CA$35.0K
$26.9K CA$37.7K
-7.24%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.2K CA$31.2K
$21.4K CA$30.0K
3.91%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Pickering, ON
Toronto
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$107 CA$150
$125 CA$175
-14.39%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$34.45 CA$48.30
$33.05 CA$46.35
4.24%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$48.19 CA$67.6
$47.96 CA$67.3
0.48%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Pickering, ON
Toronto
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$59.9 CA$83.9
$36.69 CA$51.5
63.12%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.56 CA$37.24
$23.67 CA$33.19
12.21%
Cinema Ticket
$11.21 CA$15.72
$13.08 CA$18.34
-14.30%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Pickering, ON
Toronto
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$503 CA$706
$759 CA$1,064
-33.70%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$28.4K CA$39.9K
$23.8K CA$33.3K
19.53%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Pickering, ON
Toronto
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$74.4 CA$104
$53.5 CA$75.1
38.91%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.1 CA$75.8
$40.44 CA$56.7
33.65%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$82.6 CA$116
$100 CA$141
-17.82%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$77.2 CA$108
$125 CA$176
-38.32%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Pickering, ON
Toronto
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,658 CA$2,324
$1,630 CA$2,285
1.71%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,465 CA$2,054
$1,416 CA$1,985
3.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,504 CA$3,512
$2,694 CA$3,778
-7.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,194 CA$3,076
$2,101 CA$2,946
4.43%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,334 CA$6,077
$7,551 CA$10.6K
-42.60%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,903 CA$5,473
$6,674 CA$9,358
-41.51%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Pickering, ON
Toronto
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,072 CA$4,307
$3,543 CA$4,968
-13.30%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.22
4.45
-5.17%

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

Last update for Pickering, ON: October 25, 2026

Last update for Toronto: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Pickering, ON
$1.5K
Toronto
$1.4K 3.4% $49
Groceries & Markets
Pickering, ON
$322
Toronto
$345 7.2% $23
Eating Out
Pickering, ON
$215
Toronto
$285 32.3% $70
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Pickering, ON
$189
Toronto
$206 8.6% $16
Getting Around
Pickering, ON
$187
Toronto
$131 29.7% $55
Clothing & Footwear
Pickering, ON
$130
Toronto
$144 10.9% $14
Sport & Entertainment
Pickering, ON
$82
Toronto
$63 23.6% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,658 in Pickering, ON versus $1,630 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 15% higher in Toronto. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $58 in Pickering, ON versus $78 in Toronto. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $322 vs $345 – making Pickering, ON the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Pickering, ON
🇨🇦 Toronto
🕒 Local time
23:05 11:05 PM
23:05 11:05 PM
Same time as Pickering, ON
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
91,771
2,731,571
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.64 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Pickering, ON Toronto 31 km
From you
  • Pickering, ON
  • 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
Pickering, ON vs Toronto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What salary covers living expenses in Pickering, ON compared to Toronto?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,885 per month in Pickering, ON and $3,883 in Toronto. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do apartment prices compare in Pickering, ON and in Toronto?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,658 in Pickering, ON and $1,630 in Toronto. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Interestingly, groceries are about 7% cheaper in Pickering, ON – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Pickering, ON and Toronto?
Kindergarten costs $503 per month in Pickering, ON and $759 in Toronto. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is feasible on a $2,500 budget?
$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,590 in Pickering, ON and $2,589 in Toronto. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
How does quality of life compare between Pickering, ON and Toronto?
It depends on your priorities. Pickering, ON has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,589 in Toronto to $2,590 in Pickering, ON. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Pickering, ON vs other spots: cost of living compared

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