Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Francisco and Toronto

For one person, living is cheaper in San Francisco: $1,672 a month against $2,561 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in San Francisco
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San Francisco Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
Learn more

Toronto Living Index

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San Francisco

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,672

/mo nomad

Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,561

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,672 in San Francisco versus $2,561 in Toronto.

San Francisco $1,672
Toronto $2,561

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,668 in San Francisco versus $3,694 in Toronto.

San Francisco $2,668
Toronto $3,694

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,664 in San Francisco versus $4,826 in Toronto.

San Francisco $3,664
Toronto $4,826

Living in San Francisco costs roughly 35% less than in Toronto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Francisco 24% above, Toronto 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.08 ₡4,520

$17.18 CA$24.29

-41.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.8 ₡27.7K

$76.0 CA$107

-18.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.03 ₡4,947

$10.54 CA$14.89

4.65%

Cappuccino

$4.33 ₡1,941

$4.02 CA$5.68

7.71%

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

$1.30 ₡582

$2.12 CA$3.00

-38.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 ₡810

$1.75 CA$2.48

3.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,504

$6.24 CA$8.83

-46.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.31 ₡1,932

$7.09 CA$10.02

-39.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 ₡1,039

$2.44 CA$3.45

-4.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 ₡1,360

$2.68 CA$3.78

13.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.44 ₡1,095

$2.24 CA$3.17

8.93%

Eggs

$3.51 ₡1,575

$3.56 CA$5.03

-1.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.83 ₡4,859

$9.09 CA$12.85

19.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 ₡4,677

$11.33 CA$16.01

-7.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 ₡6,192

$14.53 CA$20.55

-4.96%

Apples (1kg)

$5.00 ₡2,241

$3.62 CA$5.12

38.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$1.21 CA$1.72

35.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.85 ₡2,177

$3.60 CA$5.09

34.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.96 ₡1,777

$4.21 CA$5.96

-5.94%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,683

$1.79 CA$2.53

109.50%

Onion (1kg)

$3.59 ₡1,609

$1.59 CA$2.25

125.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₡483

$2.27 CA$3.21

-52.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.20 ₡1,435

$1.25 CA$1.77

156.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.80 ₡2,601

$13.82 CA$19.53

-58.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.33 ₡9,119

$14.27 CA$20.18

42.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,262

$2.20 CA$3.10

27.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ₡1,642

$2.43 CA$3.44

50.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.34 ₡602

$2.39 CA$3.38

-43.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

$111 CA$157

-41.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.78 ₡800

$2.91 CA$4.12

-38.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡732

$1.20 CA$1.69

35.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.91 ₡3,994

$21.38 CA$30.23

-58.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ₡667

$1.21 CA$1.71

23.14%

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

$22.0K ₡9.9M

$28.2K CA$39.8K

-21.99%

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

$35.0K ₡15.7M

$20.3K CA$28.6K

72.95%

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

$76.3 ₡34.2K

$120 CA$170

-36.60%

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

$33.48 ₡15.0K

$32.26 CA$45.60

3.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.18 ₡21.6K

$47.93 CA$67.8

0.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.2 ₡33.3K

$38.48 CA$54.4

92.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.96 CA$32.46

Cinema Ticket

$7.52 ₡3,373

$12.38 CA$17.50

-39.26%

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

$973 ₡436.4K

$830 CA$1,173

17.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K ₡7.5M

$23.1K CA$32.6K

-27.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.1 ₡31.9K

$50.7 CA$71.7

40.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.2 ₡24.8K

$40.02 CA$56.6

37.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.7 ₡29.9K

$98.0 CA$139

-31.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.8 ₡24.1K

$121 CA$171

-55.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$808 ₡362.4K

$1,592 CA$2,251

-49.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₡282.0K

$1,410 CA$1,994

-55.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,914 ₡858.5K

$2,670 CA$3,775

-28.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,267 ₡568.0K

$2,152 CA$3,042

-41.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,945 CA$11.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,542 CA$9,249

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$892 ₡400.1K

$3,727 CA$5,269

-76.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.47

92.84%

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

Last update for San Francisco: October 11, 2026

Last update for Toronto: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Francisco

$629 37.6%

Toronto

$1.4K 55.1% 124% $782

Groceries & Markets

San Francisco

$401 24%

Toronto

$340 13.3% 15.2% $61

Eating Out

San Francisco

$203 12.2%

Toronto

$278 10.9% 36.7% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Francisco

$158 9.5%

Toronto

$201 7.8% 26.9% $43

Clothing & Footwear

San Francisco

$111 6.6%

Toronto

$139 5.4% 25.3% $28

Sport & Entertainment

San Francisco

$89 5.3%

Toronto

$63 2.5% 29.2% $26

Getting Around

San Francisco

$81 4.8%

Toronto

$129 5.1% 60.6% $49

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $808 in San Francisco and $1,592 in Toronto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toronto pays 318% 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: $62.0 in San Francisco vs $76.0 in Toronto. Groceries flip the comparison at $401 vs $340, with Toronto cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Francisco

🇨🇦 Toronto

🕒 Local time

06:28 6:28 AM

08:28 8:28 AM

2 h ahead of San Francisco

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

55,923

2,731,571

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

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Between locations

San Francisco Toronto 3,780 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

San Francisco
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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

San Francisco vs Toronto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Francisco wins on cost – living expenses run 53% lower than in Toronto. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making San Francisco the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 318% 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: $808 in San Francisco versus $1,592 in Toronto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in San Francisco runs roughly 70% less than in Toronto. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $973 in San Francisco versus $830 in Toronto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,672 in San Francisco versus $2,561 in Toronto, a $2,000 budget is realistic in San Francisco but tight or insufficient in Toronto. The gap between the two cities makes San Francisco 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.

Safety-wise, San Francisco and Toronto are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find San Francisco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Toronto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.