Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Paul, MN and Toronto

For one person, living costs are similar in Saint Paul, MN and in Toronto: $2,438 and $2,530 a month, rent and utilities included.

116

Cost of Living Index in Saint Paul, MN
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Saint Paul, MN Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index

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Saint Paul, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,438

/mo nomad

Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,530

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,438 per month in Saint Paul, MN vs $2,530 in Toronto, rent included.

Saint Paul, MN $2,438
Toronto $2,530

A couple spends around $3,743 per month in Saint Paul, MN vs $3,646 in Toronto, rent included.

Saint Paul, MN $3,743
Toronto $3,646

A family of three spends $5,048 per month in Saint Paul, MN vs $4,761 in Toronto, rent included.

Saint Paul, MN $5,048
Toronto $4,761

Saint Paul, MN is about 4% cheaper than Toronto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Saint Paul, MN and Toronto sit above the global median – Saint Paul, MN by 82%, Toronto by 89%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 $15.75

$17.67 CA$25.19

-10.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.6 $68.6

$77.4 CA$110

-11.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.11 $10.11

$10.47 CA$14.93

-3.44%

Cappuccino

$5.26 $5.26

$4.08 CA$5.81

28.92%

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

$2.98 $2.98

$2.12 CA$3.02

40.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 $2.68

$1.76 CA$2.51

52.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.14 $6.14

$6.17 CA$8.80

-0.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.65 $7.65

$6.89 CA$9.82

11.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$2.43 CA$3.46

-60.08%

White Bread (500g)

$3.95 $3.95

$2.75 CA$3.92

43.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.30 $3.30

$2.23 CA$3.18

47.98%

Eggs

$3.06 $3.06

$3.45 CA$4.91

-11.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.41 $9.41

$8.93 CA$12.73

5.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.71 $9.71

$11.44 CA$16.31

-15.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.16 $13.16

$14.61 CA$20.83

-9.92%

Apples (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$3.75 CA$5.34

30.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.15 CA$1.64

0.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.94 $5.94

$3.55 CA$5.06

67.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.89 $4.89

$4.28 CA$6.10

14.25%

Potato (1kg)

$3.90 $3.90

$1.85 CA$2.63

110.81%

Onion (1kg)

$3.56 $3.56

$1.67 CA$2.38

113.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.22 CA$3.16

-6.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.21 CA$1.72

44.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.21 $12.21

$13.88 CA$19.78

-12.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.34 $14.34

$14.25 CA$20.31

0.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$2.20 CA$3.13

-23.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 $3.43

$2.42 CA$3.45

41.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.19 $2.19

$2.42 CA$3.44

-9.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$122 $122

$111 CA$158

10.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.90 CA$4.13

-13.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.26 CA$1.80

26.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.97 $30.97

$22.03 CA$31.40

40.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.22 CA$1.74

-19.67%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$27.6K CA$39.4K

30.94%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$19.8K CA$28.3K

28.77%

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

$226 $226

$122 CA$174

85.17%

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

$51.4 $51.4

$32.03 CA$45.66

60.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.9 $65.9

$47.92 CA$68.3

37.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.79 $33.79

$38.90 CA$55.5

-13.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.29 $8.29

$23.24 CA$33.12

-64.33%

Cinema Ticket

$12.96 $12.96

$12.61 CA$17.97

2.78%

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

$1,499 $1,499

$834 CA$1,189

79.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.1K $28.1K

$23.3K CA$33.3K

20.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.97 $40.97

$52.6 CA$75.0

-22.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.24 $40.24

$40.26 CA$57.4

-0.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.5 $79.5

$96.2 CA$137

-17.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 $109

$123 CA$175

-10.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 $1,355

$1,598 CA$2,278

-15.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,100 $1,100

$1,435 CA$2,045

-23.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,529 $2,529

$2,657 CA$3,787

-4.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,265 $2,265

$2,096 CA$2,988

8.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,903 $2,903

$8,033 CA$11.5K

-63.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 $2,195

$6,557 CA$9,347

-66.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,120 $4,120

$3,743 CA$5,335

10.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.31

4.47

41.16%

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

Last update for Saint Paul, MN: 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

Saint Paul, MN

$1.1K 45.5%

Toronto

$1.4K 55.4% 30.4% $335

Groceries & Markets

Saint Paul, MN

$363 15%

Toronto

$340 13.1% 6.2% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint Paul, MN

$343 14.2%

Toronto

$202 7.8% 41.2% $141

Eating Out

Saint Paul, MN

$288 11.9%

Toronto

$282 10.9% 2.2% $6.2

Getting Around

Saint Paul, MN

$141 5.9%

Toronto

$130 5% 8.3% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Saint Paul, MN

$122 5%

Toronto

$140 5.4% 15.5% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Saint Paul, MN

$60 2.5%

Toronto

$64 2.5% 7.4% $4.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,355 in Saint Paul, MN 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 10% higher in Saint Paul, MN, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Saint Paul, MN versus $77.0 in Toronto. Groceries tell a different story – $363 in Saint Paul, MN vs $340 in Toronto – so Toronto wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Saint Paul, MN

🇨🇦 Toronto

🕒 Local time

02:36 2:36 AM

03:36 3:36 AM

1 h ahead of Saint Paul, MN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

285,068

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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Saint Paul, MN Toronto 1,100 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Saint Paul, MN
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

Saint Paul, MN vs Toronto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Toronto is pricier by about 4%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,657 per month in Saint Paul, MN 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 Saint Paul, MN, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,499 per month in Saint Paul, MN and $834 in Toronto. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 7% cheaper in Toronto – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Saint Paul, MN, where all-in costs run around $2,438, than in Toronto at $2,530. In Saint Paul, MN it covers expenses comfortably, while in Toronto it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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