Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose, CA and Toronto

For one person, living is cheaper in Toronto: $2,530 a month against $4,305 in San Jose, CA, rent and utilities included – about $21,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

211

Cost of Living Index in San Jose, CA
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San Jose, CA Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index

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San Jose, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,305

/mo nomad

Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,530

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,305 in San Jose, CA versus $2,530 in Toronto.

San Jose, CA $4,305
Toronto $2,530

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,087 in San Jose, CA versus $3,646 in Toronto.

San Jose, CA $6,087
Toronto $3,646

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,869 in San Jose, CA versus $4,761 in Toronto.

San Jose, CA $7,869
Toronto $4,761

Living in San Jose, CA is roughly 70% more expensive than in Toronto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose, CA 221% above, Toronto 89% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.33 $22.33

$17.67 CA$25.19

26.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.5 $98.5

$77.4 CA$110

27.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 $11.78

$10.47 CA$14.93

12.51%

Cappuccino

$5.96 $5.96

$4.08 CA$5.81

46.08%

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

$3.15 $3.15

$2.12 CA$3.02

48.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.76 CA$2.51

32.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.15 $9.15

$6.17 CA$8.80

48.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.81 $9.81

$6.89 CA$9.82

42.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.43 CA$3.46

-29.22%

White Bread (500g)

$4.47 $4.47

$2.75 CA$3.92

62.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.13 $4.13

$2.23 CA$3.18

85.20%

Eggs

$5.86 $5.86

$3.45 CA$4.91

69.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.28 $19.28

$8.93 CA$12.73

115.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.00 $14.00

$11.44 CA$16.31

22.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.60 $21.60

$14.61 CA$20.83

47.84%

Apples (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.75 CA$5.34

37.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.15 CA$1.64

73.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.46 $5.46

$3.55 CA$5.06

53.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.64 $5.64

$4.28 CA$6.10

31.78%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$1.85 CA$2.63

88.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$1.67 CA$2.38

73.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 $2.42

$2.22 CA$3.16

9.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$1.21 CA$1.72

112.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.63 $11.63

$13.88 CA$19.78

-16.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.59 $15.59

$14.25 CA$20.31

9.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 $2.46

$2.20 CA$3.13

11.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 $3.32

$2.42 CA$3.45

37.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.45 $2.45

$2.42 CA$3.44

1.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.4 $89.4

$111 CA$158

-19.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 $3.42

$2.90 CA$4.13

17.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.03 $3.03

$1.26 CA$1.80

140.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.27 $30.27

$22.03 CA$31.40

37.40%

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)

$37.3K $37.3K

$27.6K CA$39.4K

34.98%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$19.8K CA$28.3K

30.78%

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

$273 $273

$122 CA$174

123.79%

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

$48.69 $48.69

$32.03 CA$45.66

52.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$83.7 $83.7

$47.92 CA$68.3

74.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$142 $142

$38.90 CA$55.5

264.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.77 $24.77

$23.24 CA$33.12

6.58%

Cinema Ticket

$16.86 $16.86

$12.61 CA$17.97

33.70%

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

$1,855 $1,855

$834 CA$1,189

122.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.4K $40.4K

$23.3K CA$33.3K

72.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 $59.3

$52.6 CA$75.0

12.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$40.26 CA$57.4

29.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.4 $99.4

$96.2 CA$137

3.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$123 CA$175

-1.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,065 $3,065

$1,598 CA$2,278

91.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,661 $2,661

$1,435 CA$2,045

85.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,805 $4,805

$2,657 CA$3,787

80.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,161 $4,161

$2,096 CA$2,988

98.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,956 $8,956

$8,033 CA$11.5K

11.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,098 $9,098

$6,557 CA$9,347

38.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,099 $6,099

$3,743 CA$5,335

62.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

4.47

49.22%

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

Last update for San Jose, CA: October 5, 2026

Last update for Toronto: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose, CA

$2.7K 60.9%

Toronto

$1.4K 55.4% 46.1% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

San Jose, CA

$489 11.2%

Toronto

$340 13.1% 30.4% $149

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose, CA

$405 9.3%

Toronto

$202 7.8% 50.2% $203

Eating Out

San Jose, CA

$373 8.5%

Toronto

$282 10.9% 24.4% $91

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose, CA

$176 4%

Toronto

$64 2.5% 63.5% $112

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose, CA

$150 3.4%

Toronto

$140 5.4% 6.1% $9.1

Getting Around

San Jose, CA

$118 2.7%

Toronto

$130 5% 10.1% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,065 in San Jose, CA and $1,598 in Toronto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Jose, CA pays 63% 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: $98.0 in San Jose, CA vs $77.0 in Toronto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $489 vs $340 per month, with Toronto cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Jose, CA

🇨🇦 Toronto

🕒 Local time

04:21 4:21 AM

07:21 7:21 AM

3 h ahead of San Jose, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,035,317

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

San Jose, CA Toronto 3,620 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose, 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

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

Toronto wins on cost – living expenses run 70% lower than in San Jose, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Toronto the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 63% higher in San Jose, CA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $3,065 in San Jose, CA versus $1,598 in Toronto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Toronto runs roughly 24% less than in San Jose, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,855 in San Jose, CA versus $834 in Toronto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Toronto is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Toronto delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,530 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Toronto hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, San Jose, CA 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 Toronto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in San Jose, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.