Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint John, New Brunswick and Toronto

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint John, New Brunswick: $1,954 a month against $2,610 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

95

Cost of Living Index in Saint John, New Brunswick
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Saint John, New Brunswick Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index

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Saint John, New Brunswick

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,954

/mo nomad

Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,610

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,954 in Saint John, New Brunswick versus $2,610 in Toronto.

Saint John, New Brunswick $1,954
Toronto $2,610

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,938 in Saint John, New Brunswick versus $3,727 in Toronto.

Saint John, New Brunswick $2,938
Toronto $3,727

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,922 in Saint John, New Brunswick versus $4,844 in Toronto.

Saint John, New Brunswick $3,922
Toronto $4,844

Living in Saint John, New Brunswick 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: Saint John, New Brunswick 44% above, Toronto 93% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.44 CA$26.08

$17.59 CA$24.87

4.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.0 CA$86.2

$78.8 CA$111

-22.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.83 CA$15.31

$10.73 CA$15.16

0.93%

Cappuccino

$2.96 CA$4.18

$4.09 CA$5.78

-27.63%

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

$1.77 CA$2.50

$2.10 CA$2.97

-15.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 CA$1.52

$1.72 CA$2.43

-37.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.49 CA$6.35

$6.36 CA$8.99

-29.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.00 CA$7.06

$7.08 CA$10.01

-29.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.16

$2.54 CA$3.59

-12.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 CA$3.97

$2.72 CA$3.85

3.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 CA$4.23

$2.18 CA$3.09

37.16%

Eggs

$3.56 CA$5.03

$3.63 CA$5.13

-1.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.47 CA$19.05

$9.46 CA$13.37

42.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.04 CA$17.02

$11.54 CA$16.32

4.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.83 CA$18.14

$14.37 CA$20.32

-10.72%

Apples (1kg)

$5.00 CA$7.07

$3.70 CA$5.23

35.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 CA$2.10

$1.19 CA$1.68

24.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.16 CA$5.88

$3.46 CA$4.90

20.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 CA$5.70

$4.22 CA$5.97

-4.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 CA$2.86

$1.79 CA$2.52

13.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 CA$3.12

$1.65 CA$2.33

33.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 CA$3.50

$2.20 CA$3.11

12.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 CA$1.95

$1.26 CA$1.78

9.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.23 CA$20.12

$13.97 CA$19.75

1.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.67 CA$13.67

$14.20 CA$20.07

-31.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 CA$2.52

$2.25 CA$3.18

-20.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 CA$2.93

$2.53 CA$3.58

-17.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.09 CA$2.95

$2.32 CA$3.28

-9.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.4 CA$79.8

$112 CA$158

-49.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.81 CA$3.97

$3.06 CA$4.33

-8.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 CA$1.48

$1.22 CA$1.72

-13.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.60 CA$24.89

$21.69 CA$30.66

-18.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 CA$1.80

$1.21 CA$1.72

5.79%

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

$26.4K CA$37.3K

$26.1K CA$37.0K

0.88%

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

$21.4K CA$30.3K

$21.1K CA$29.9K

1.44%

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

$122 CA$173

$120 CA$169

2.06%

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

$42.20 CA$59.7

$32.21 CA$45.54

31.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.5 CA$91.2

$48.88 CA$69.1

31.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 CA$75.4

$39.34 CA$55.6

35.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.52 CA$50.2

$23.58 CA$33.34

50.64%

Cinema Ticket

$12.61 CA$17.83

$12.58 CA$17.79

0.24%

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

$372 CA$526

$832 CA$1,176

-55.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K CA$16.0K

$23.6K CA$33.4K

-52.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.5 CA$71.4

$52.3 CA$73.9

-3.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.95 CA$50.8

$39.44 CA$55.8

-8.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 CA$143

$99.0 CA$140

1.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 CA$151

$122 CA$172

-12.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$966 CA$1,366

$1,631 CA$2,306

-40.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$826 CA$1,168

$1,448 CA$2,048

-42.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,609 CA$2,275

$2,737 CA$3,869

-41.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,353 CA$1,913

$2,129 CA$3,010

-36.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,035 CA$2,876

$8,206 CA$11.6K

-75.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,131 CA$3,013

$6,838 CA$9,666

-68.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,596 CA$3,670

$3,520 CA$4,976

-26.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.69

4.47

4.92%

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

Last update for Saint John, New Brunswick: October 17, 2026

Last update for Toronto: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Saint John, New Brunswick

$826 42.3%

Toronto

$1.4K 55.5% 75.3% $622

Groceries & Markets

Saint John, New Brunswick

$356 18.2%

Toronto

$343 13.1% 3.6% $13

Eating Out

Saint John, New Brunswick

$259 13.3%

Toronto

$283 10.9% 9.2% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint John, New Brunswick

$229 11.7%

Toronto

$201 7.7% 12.3% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Saint John, New Brunswick

$132 6.8%

Toronto

$141 5.4% 6.4% $8.4

Sport & Entertainment

Saint John, New Brunswick

$79 4%

Toronto

$65 2.5% 17.9% $14

Getting Around

Saint John, New Brunswick

$73 3.7%

Toronto

$130 5% 78.6% $57

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $966 in Saint John, New Brunswick and $1,631 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: $61.0 in Saint John, New Brunswick vs $79.0 in Toronto. Groceries flip the comparison at $356 vs $343, with Toronto cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Saint John, New Brunswick

🇨🇦 Toronto

🕒 Local time

07:51 7:51 AM

06:51 6:51 AM

1 h behind Saint John, New Brunswick

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

70,063

2,731,571

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Saint John, New Brunswick Toronto 1,070 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Saint John, New Brunswick
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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

Saint John, New Brunswick vs Toronto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saint John, New Brunswick wins on cost – living expenses run 34% lower than in Toronto. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Saint John, New Brunswick the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 36% lower in Toronto. 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: $966 in Saint John, New Brunswick versus $1,631 in Toronto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Saint John, New Brunswick – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $79.0 in Toronto. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,954 per month in Saint John, New Brunswick versus $2,610 in Toronto – a 34% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,954 in Saint John, New Brunswick versus $2,610 in Toronto, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Saint John, New Brunswick but tight or insufficient in Toronto. The gap between the two cities makes Saint John, New Brunswick 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 Saint John, New Brunswick gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Toronto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.