Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Mateo, CA and Toronto

For one person, living is cheaper in Toronto: $2,561 a month against $4,419 in San Mateo, CA, rent and utilities included – about $22,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

215

Cost of Living Index in San Mateo, CA
Learn more

San Mateo, CA Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
Learn more

Toronto Living Index

Jump to prices

San Mateo, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,419

/mo nomad

Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,561

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,419 per month in San Mateo, CA vs $2,561 in Toronto, rent included.

San Mateo, CA $4,419
Toronto $2,561

A couple spends around $6,644 per month in San Mateo, CA vs $3,694 in Toronto, rent included.

San Mateo, CA $6,644
Toronto $3,694

A family of three spends $8,868 per month in San Mateo, CA vs $4,826 in Toronto, rent included.

San Mateo, CA $8,868
Toronto $4,826

San Mateo, CA costs about 73% more than Toronto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both San Mateo, CA and Toronto sit above the global median – San Mateo, CA by 227%, Toronto by 90%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.81 $19.81

$17.18 CA$24.29

15.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$76.0 CA$107

29.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.87 $12.87

$10.54 CA$14.89

22.11%

Cappuccino

$5.54 $5.54

$4.02 CA$5.68

37.81%

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

$3.08 $3.08

$2.12 CA$3.00

45.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.75 CA$2.48

60.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.31 $8.31

$6.24 CA$8.83

33.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.86 $9.86

$7.09 CA$10.02

39.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 $1.61

$2.44 CA$3.45

-34.02%

White Bread (500g)

$5.96 $5.96

$2.68 CA$3.78

122.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.98 $5.98

$2.24 CA$3.17

166.96%

Eggs

$7.19 $7.19

$3.56 CA$5.03

101.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.35 $13.35

$9.09 CA$12.85

46.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.03 $19.03

$11.33 CA$16.01

67.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.87 $19.87

$14.53 CA$20.55

36.75%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$3.62 CA$5.12

67.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.21 CA$1.72

76.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.90 $3.90

$3.60 CA$5.09

8.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.86 $8.86

$4.21 CA$5.96

110.45%

Potato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.79 CA$2.53

142.46%

Onion (1kg)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.59 CA$2.25

91.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.27 CA$3.21

34.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.25 CA$1.77

57.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.94 $11.94

$13.82 CA$19.53

-13.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.53 $14.53

$14.27 CA$20.18

1.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.20 CA$3.10

-23.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 $1.93

$2.43 CA$3.44

-20.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.99 $3.99

$2.39 CA$3.38

66.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.1 $97.1

$111 CA$157

-12.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.05 $4.05

$2.91 CA$4.12

39.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.20 CA$1.69

69.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.38 CA$30.23

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.21 CA$1.71

28.93%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

30.73%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$20.3K CA$28.6K

28.39%

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

$267 $267

$120 CA$170

121.68%

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

$41.54 $41.54

$32.26 CA$45.60

28.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.4 $62.4

$47.93 CA$67.8

30.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$109 $109

$38.48 CA$54.4

183.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.40 $9.40

$22.96 CA$32.46

-59.06%

Cinema Ticket

$18.35 $18.35

$12.38 CA$17.50

48.22%

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

$2,947 $2,947

$830 CA$1,173

255.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.8K $28.8K

$23.1K CA$32.6K

24.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 $63.6

$50.7 CA$71.7

25.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.52 $47.52

$40.02 CA$56.6

18.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$98.0 CA$139

19.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$121 CA$171

11.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,421 $3,421

$1,592 CA$2,251

114.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,741 $2,741

$1,410 CA$1,994

94.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,944 $5,944

$2,670 CA$3,775

122.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,128 $5,128

$2,152 CA$3,042

138.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.8K $13.8K

$7,945 CA$11.2K

73.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,907 $8,907

$6,542 CA$9,249

36.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,501 $7,501

$3,727 CA$5,269

101.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

4.47

46.09%

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

Last update for San Mateo, CA: October 10, 2026

Last update for Toronto: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Mateo, CA

$2.7K 62%

Toronto

$1.4K 55.1% 48.5% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

San Mateo, CA

$523 11.8%

Toronto

$340 13.3% 35% $183

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Mateo, CA

$371 8.4%

Toronto

$201 7.8% 45.9% $170

Eating Out

San Mateo, CA

$348 7.9%

Toronto

$278 10.9% 20.2% $70

Clothing & Footwear

San Mateo, CA

$163 3.7%

Toronto

$139 5.4% 14.7% $24

Sport & Entertainment

San Mateo, CA

$146 3.3%

Toronto

$63 2.5% 56.6% $82

Getting Around

San Mateo, CA

$127 2.9%

Toronto

$129 5.1% 1.7% $2.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,421 in San Mateo, CA versus $1,592 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 101% higher in San Mateo, CA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98.0 in San Mateo, CA versus $76.0 in Toronto. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $523 vs $340 – making Toronto the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Mateo, CA

🇨🇦 Toronto

🕒 Local time

14:48 2:48 PM

17:48 5:48 PM

3 h ahead of San Mateo, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

103,536

2,731,571

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Mateo, CA Toronto 3,650 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $4,419 in San Mateo, CA, $2,561 in Toronto – roughly 73% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,628 per month in San Mateo, CA and $3,841 in Toronto. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Toronto, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 54% more in San Mateo, CA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98.0 in San Mateo, CA and $76.0 in Toronto. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,419 in San Mateo, CA and $2,561 in Toronto. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. San Mateo, CA has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,561 in Toronto to $4,419 in San Mateo, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Toronto. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, San Mateo, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.