Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quebec City and Toronto

For one person, living is cheaper in Quebec City: $1,935 a month against $2,589 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

93

Cost of Living Index in Quebec City
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Quebec City Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index

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Quebec City

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,935

/mo nomad

Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,589

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,935 in Quebec City versus $2,589 in Toronto.

Quebec City $1,935
Toronto $2,589

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,912 in Quebec City versus $3,710 in Toronto.

Quebec City $2,912
Toronto $3,710

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,889 in Quebec City versus $4,831 in Toronto.

Quebec City $3,889
Toronto $4,831

Living in Quebec City costs roughly 25% less than in Toronto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Quebec City 42% above, Toronto 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.22 CA$29.64

$17.60 CA$24.59

20.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.9 CA$89.2

$77.8 CA$109

-17.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 CA$15.02

$10.59 CA$14.79

1.51%

Cappuccino

$3.83 CA$5.35

$4.16 CA$5.81

-7.93%

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

$2.13 CA$2.97

$2.04 CA$2.86

4.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.09

$1.75 CA$2.45

-14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.68 CA$7.94

$6.58 CA$9.19

-13.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 CA$8.21

$7.11 CA$9.94

-17.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 CA$2.88

$2.53 CA$3.54

-18.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 CA$4.04

$2.70 CA$3.78

7.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.14 CA$5.78

$2.24 CA$3.13

84.82%

Eggs

$3.15 CA$4.40

$3.48 CA$4.87

-9.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.13 CA$12.76

$9.38 CA$13.10

-2.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.99 CA$15.35

$11.60 CA$16.20

-5.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.62 CA$14.84

$14.68 CA$20.51

-27.66%

Apples (1kg)

$4.17 CA$5.82

$3.74 CA$5.23

11.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 CA$2.17

$1.22 CA$1.71

27.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.71 CA$5.18

$3.48 CA$4.86

6.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.04 CA$5.64

$4.32 CA$6.04

-6.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.93 CA$4.10

$1.85 CA$2.59

58.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 CA$3.99

$1.69 CA$2.36

69.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.73 CA$3.81

$2.23 CA$3.11

22.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CA$2.12

$1.28 CA$1.78

18.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.78 CA$20.65

$14.04 CA$19.62

5.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.35 CA$15.86

$14.43 CA$20.16

-21.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.24 CA$4.52

$2.16 CA$3.01

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 CA$4.81

$2.52 CA$3.53

36.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 CA$4.06

$2.37 CA$3.31

22.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.6 CA$98.7

$112 CA$157

-37.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.89 CA$4.04

$3.04 CA$4.25

-4.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.07

$1.24 CA$1.73

19.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.46 CA$49.54

$22.55 CA$31.51

57.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 CA$1.81

$1.24 CA$1.74

4.84%

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

$28.7K CA$40.1K

$26.9K CA$37.6K

6.71%

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

$22.2K CA$31.0K

$21.4K CA$29.9K

3.66%

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

$100 CA$140

$125 CA$174

-19.62%

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

$32.19 CA$44.97

$33.05 CA$46.18

-2.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.61 CA$63.7

$47.96 CA$67.0

-4.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.12 CA$46.27

$36.69 CA$51.3

-9.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.66 CA$17.68

$23.67 CA$33.07

-46.51%

Cinema Ticket

$10.56 CA$14.75

$13.08 CA$18.27

-19.27%

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

$676 CA$945

$759 CA$1,060

-10.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,492 CA$13.3K

$23.8K CA$33.2K

-60.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 CA$82.9

$53.5 CA$74.8

10.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.9 CA$71.2

$40.44 CA$56.5

25.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 CA$126

$100 CA$140

-10.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$152

$125 CA$175

-13.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,029 CA$1,437

$1,630 CA$2,277

-36.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$821 CA$1,147

$1,416 CA$1,978

-42.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 CA$2,281

$2,694 CA$3,764

-39.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,333 CA$1,862

$2,101 CA$2,935

-36.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,733 CA$6,613

$7,551 CA$10.5K

-37.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,728 CA$3,811

$6,674 CA$9,324

-59.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,906 CA$4,060

$3,543 CA$4,950

-17.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.44

4.45

-0.22%

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

Last update for Quebec City: 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

Quebec City

$821 42.4%

Toronto

$1.4K 54.7% 72.5% $595

Groceries & Markets

Quebec City

$347 18%

Toronto

$345 13.3% 0.7% $2.6

Eating Out

Quebec City

$303 15.6%

Toronto

$285 11% 5.9% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quebec City

$178 9.2%

Toronto

$206 7.9% 15.5% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Quebec City

$139 7.2%

Toronto

$144 5.6% 3.5% $4.9

Getting Around

Quebec City

$93 4.8%

Toronto

$131 5.1% 41.8% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Quebec City

$54 2.8%

Toronto

$63 2.4% 15.9% $8.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,029 in Quebec City and $1,630 in Toronto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toronto pays 22% 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: $64 in Quebec City vs $78 in Toronto. Groceries flip the comparison at $347 vs $345, with Toronto cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Quebec City

🇨🇦 Toronto

🕒 Local time

21:06 9:06 PM

Same time as Quebec City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

530,168

2,731,571

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Quebec City Toronto 730 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Quebec City
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

Quebec City vs Toronto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Quebec City wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Toronto. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Quebec City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 18% lower in Quebec City. 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: $1,029 in Quebec City versus $1,630 in Toronto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Quebec City runs roughly 37% less than in Toronto. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $1,935 per month in Quebec City versus $2,589 in Toronto – Quebec City is about 25% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

For families, Quebec City is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Toronto, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

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