Cost of Living Comparison Between Saguenay and Toronto Cost of Living Comparison Between Saguenay and Toronto

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,310 in Saguenay versus $2,811 in Toronto.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,332 in Saguenay versus $4,130 in Toronto.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,353 in Saguenay versus $5,449 in Toronto.

Living in Saguenay costs roughly 53% less than in Toronto, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Saguenay is 2% below, Toronto is 110% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 CA$18.34

$18.71 CA$26.02

-29.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.32 CA$60.3

$81.9 CA$114

-47.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 CA$15.16

$10.83 CA$15.06

0.65%

Cappuccino

$3.76 CA$5.23

$3.89 CA$5.41

-3.34%

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

$1.59 CA$2.21

$2.22 CA$3.09

-28.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 CA$1.76

$1.65 CA$2.29

-23.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.49 CA$7.63

$6.05 CA$8.41

-9.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.00 CA$6.96

$6.58 CA$9.15

-24.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 CA$3.04

$2.73 CA$3.79

-20.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 CA$4.02

$2.72 CA$3.78

6.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.46 CA$6.20

$3.54 CA$4.92

25.99%

Eggs

$2.62 CA$3.65

$3.50 CA$4.87

-25.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.89 CA$17.93

$13.53 CA$18.81

-4.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.94 CA$12.43

$13.09 CA$18.20

-31.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.89 CA$19.32

$16.96 CA$23.59

-18.10%

Apples (1kg)

$4.02 CA$5.60

$4.16 CA$5.79

-3.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 CA$1.85

$1.18 CA$1.64

12.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.12 CA$5.73

$3.25 CA$4.52

26.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 CA$5.49

$4.12 CA$5.73

-4.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 CA$2.70

$2.50 CA$3.48

-22.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 CA$2.21

$2.88 CA$4.00

-44.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.64 CA$3.67

$2.35 CA$3.27

12.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 CA$1.23

$2.00 CA$2.78

-56.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.23 CA$17.01

$14.58 CA$20.28

-16.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.77 CA$16.36

$14.18 CA$19.71

-17.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.04 CA$4.22

$2.80 CA$3.89

8.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 CA$2.83

$3.25 CA$4.53

-37.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.70 CA$3.75

$2.40 CA$3.34

12.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.3 CA$76.9

$114 CA$159

-51.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.76 CA$5.23

$3.76 CA$5.22

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.03 CA$2.82

$1.41 CA$1.96

43.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.36 CA$42.22

$25.53 CA$35.50

18.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 CA$1.62

$1.10 CA$1.53

5.45%

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

$25.0K CA$34.7K

$25.2K CA$35.1K

-1.08%

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

$20.2K CA$28.1K

$21.1K CA$29.3K

-3.98%

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

$87.2 CA$121

$120 CA$166

-27.10%

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

$37.92 CA$52.7

$37.54 CA$52.2

1.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.61 CA$62.0

$54.5 CA$75.8

-18.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.58 CA$45.31

$55.5 CA$77.2

-41.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.82 CA$19.22

$21.15 CA$29.41

-34.66%

Cinema Ticket

$9.75 CA$13.56

$11.56 CA$16.07

-15.66%

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

$599 CA$832

$1,129 CA$1,571

-46.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,200 CA$8,623

$18.0K CA$25.0K

-65.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.5 CA$85.5

$56.9 CA$79.2

7.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.4 CA$72.9

$39.96 CA$55.6

31.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.9 CA$133

$89.7 CA$125

6.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 CA$175

$114 CA$159

10.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$609 CA$847

$1,849 CA$2,572

-67.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$300 CA$418

$1,560 CA$2,169

-80.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,315 CA$1,829

$2,925 CA$4,068

-55.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 CA$1,504

$2,470 CA$3,435

-56.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,913 CA$8,223

$9,085 CA$12.6K

-34.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,562 CA$4,954

$7,036 CA$9,785

-49.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,634 CA$3,663

$3,572 CA$4,967

-26.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.87

5.16

33.14%

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

Last update for Saguenay: May 30, 2026

Last update for Toronto: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $609 in Saguenay and $1,849 in Toronto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toronto pays 36% 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: $43.00 in Saguenay vs $82.0 in Toronto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $341 vs $396 per month, with Saguenay cheaper across the board.

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

Saguenay vs Toronto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saguenay and Toronto differ by about 115% in total monthly costs ($1,310 vs $2,811 including rent). Saguenay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Toronto earns 36% less. 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: $609 in Saguenay versus $1,849 in Toronto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $599 in Saguenay versus $1,129 in Toronto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Toronto. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,310 in Saguenay versus $2,811 in Toronto, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Saguenay but tight or insufficient in Toronto. The gap between the two cities makes Saguenay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Saguenay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 115% less than in Toronto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.