Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sacramento, CA and Toronto

For one person, living is cheaper in Toronto: $2,530 a month against $3,026 in Sacramento, CA, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

149

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

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index

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Sacramento, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,026

/mo nomad

Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,530

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,026 per month in Sacramento, CA vs $2,530 in Toronto, rent included.

Sacramento, CA $3,026
Toronto $2,530

A couple spends around $4,529 per month in Sacramento, CA vs $3,646 in Toronto, rent included.

Sacramento, CA $4,529
Toronto $3,646

A family of three spends $6,031 per month in Sacramento, CA vs $4,761 in Toronto, rent included.

Sacramento, CA $6,031
Toronto $4,761

Sacramento, CA costs about 20% more than Toronto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Sacramento, CA and Toronto sit above the global median – Sacramento, CA by 126%, Toronto by 89%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.34 $21.34

$17.67 CA$25.19

20.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$77.4 CA$110

30.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$10.47 CA$14.93

17.96%

Cappuccino

$5.24 $5.24

$4.08 CA$5.81

28.43%

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

$2.83 $2.83

$2.12 CA$3.02

33.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 $3.00

$1.76 CA$2.51

70.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.96 $7.96

$6.17 CA$8.80

29.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.12 $8.12

$6.89 CA$9.82

17.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 $1.29

$2.43 CA$3.46

-46.91%

White Bread (500g)

$4.05 $4.05

$2.75 CA$3.92

47.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.49 $4.49

$2.23 CA$3.18

101.35%

Eggs

$5.84 $5.84

$3.45 CA$4.91

69.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.05 $15.05

$8.93 CA$12.73

68.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.15 $15.15

$11.44 CA$16.31

32.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.60 $18.60

$14.61 CA$20.83

27.31%

Apples (1kg)

$5.17 $5.17

$3.75 CA$5.34

37.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.15 CA$1.64

77.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.55 CA$5.06

22.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.57 $5.57

$4.28 CA$6.10

30.14%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 $3.80

$1.85 CA$2.63

105.41%

Onion (1kg)

$3.21 $3.21

$1.67 CA$2.38

92.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.22 CA$3.16

13.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 $2.72

$1.21 CA$1.72

124.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.81 $11.81

$13.88 CA$19.78

-14.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.74 $13.74

$14.25 CA$20.31

-3.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 $2.61

$2.20 CA$3.13

18.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 $3.56

$2.42 CA$3.45

47.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.42 CA$3.44

5.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.8 $99.8

$111 CA$158

-9.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 $3.89

$2.90 CA$4.13

34.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.26 CA$1.80

47.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.27 $25.27

$22.03 CA$31.40

14.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.22 CA$1.74

27.87%

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

$37.2K $37.2K

$27.6K CA$39.4K

34.70%

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

$27.4K $27.4K

$19.8K CA$28.3K

38.06%

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

$231 $231

$122 CA$174

89.15%

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

$58.8 $58.8

$32.03 CA$45.66

83.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$47.92 CA$68.3

46.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.81 $41.81

$38.90 CA$55.5

7.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.35 $41.35

$23.24 CA$33.12

77.93%

Cinema Ticket

$16.79 $16.79

$12.61 CA$17.97

33.15%

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

$1,527 $1,527

$834 CA$1,189

83.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.6K $19.6K

$23.3K CA$33.3K

-16.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 $60.0

$52.6 CA$75.0

13.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.39 $46.39

$40.26 CA$57.4

15.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 $94.3

$96.2 CA$137

-2.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 $128

$123 CA$175

3.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,075 $2,075

$1,598 CA$2,278

29.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,567 $1,567

$1,435 CA$2,045

9.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,264 $3,264

$2,657 CA$3,787

22.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,614 $2,614

$2,096 CA$2,988

24.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,881 $4,881

$8,033 CA$11.5K

-39.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,459 $3,459

$6,557 CA$9,347

-47.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,604 $4,604

$3,743 CA$5,335

23.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

4.47

47.43%

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

Last update for Sacramento, CA: October 4, 2026

Last update for Toronto: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sacramento, CA

$1.6K 50.8%

Toronto

$1.4K 55.4% 8.5% $133

Groceries & Markets

Sacramento, CA

$463 15%

Toronto

$340 13.1% 26.5% $123

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sacramento, CA

$360 11.7%

Toronto

$202 7.8% 43.9% $158

Eating Out

Sacramento, CA

$350 11.3%

Toronto

$282 10.9% 19.5% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Sacramento, CA

$148 4.8%

Toronto

$140 5.4% 5% $7.3

Getting Around

Sacramento, CA

$123 4%

Toronto

$130 5% 5.2% $6.5

Sport & Entertainment

Sacramento, CA

$75 2.4%

Toronto

$64 2.5% 14.9% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,075 in Sacramento, CA versus $1,598 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 23% higher in Sacramento, CA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Sacramento, CA versus $77.0 in Toronto. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $463 vs $340 – making Toronto the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Sacramento, CA

🇨🇦 Toronto

🕒 Local time

00:35 12:35 AM

03:35 3:35 AM

3 h ahead of Sacramento, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

524,943

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 →

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Between locations

Sacramento, CA Toronto 3,540 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Sacramento, 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

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

Yes – Sacramento, CA is pricier by about 20%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,539 per month in Sacramento, CA and $3,795 in Toronto. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Toronto, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 11% less in Toronto. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,527 per month in Sacramento, CA and $834 in Toronto. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,026 in Sacramento, CA and $2,530 in Toronto. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Toronto – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Toronto. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sacramento, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.