Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Rafael, CA and Toronto

For one person, living is cheaper in Toronto: $2,530 a month against $4,955 in San Rafael, CA, rent and utilities included – about $29,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

237

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

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index

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San Rafael, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,955

/mo nomad

Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,530

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,955 in San Rafael, CA versus $2,530 in Toronto.

San Rafael, CA $4,955
Toronto $2,530

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,421 in San Rafael, CA versus $3,646 in Toronto.

San Rafael, CA $6,421
Toronto $3,646

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,886 in San Rafael, CA versus $4,761 in Toronto.

San Rafael, CA $7,886
Toronto $4,761

Living in San Rafael, CA is roughly 96% more expensive than in Toronto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Rafael, CA 270% above, Toronto 89% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.06 $25.06

$17.67 CA$25.19

41.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$77.4 CA$110

55.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$10.47 CA$14.93

15.28%

Cappuccino

$4.67 $4.67

$4.08 CA$5.82

14.46%

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

$2.97 $2.97

$2.12 CA$3.02

40.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.76 CA$2.51

69.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.40 $5.40

$6.17 CA$8.80

-12.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.96 $6.96

$6.89 CA$9.83

1.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 $1.50

$2.43 CA$3.47

-38.27%

White Bread (500g)

$4.43 $4.43

$2.75 CA$3.92

61.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$9.69 $9.69

$2.23 CA$3.18

334.53%

Eggs

$5.52 $5.52

$3.45 CA$4.91

60.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.55 $22.55

$8.93 CA$12.74

152.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.37 $15.37

$11.44 CA$16.31

34.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.20 $18.20

$14.61 CA$20.83

24.57%

Apples (1kg)

$7.34 $7.34

$3.75 CA$5.34

95.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$1.15 CA$1.64

154.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.65 $6.65

$3.55 CA$5.06

87.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.27 $8.27

$4.28 CA$6.11

93.22%

Potato (1kg)

$5.78 $5.78

$1.85 CA$2.63

212.43%

Onion (1kg)

$5.44 $5.44

$1.67 CA$2.38

225.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.20 $3.20

$2.22 CA$3.16

44.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.87 $3.87

$1.21 CA$1.72

219.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.79 $10.79

$13.88 CA$19.79

-22.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.81 $12.81

$14.25 CA$20.32

-10.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.20 CA$3.13

0.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.42 CA$3.45

27.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.42 CA$3.45

-17.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.5 $64.5

$111 CA$158

-41.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.10 $4.10

$2.90 CA$4.13

41.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.29 $4.29

$1.26 CA$1.80

240.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.62 $28.62

$22.03 CA$31.41

29.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.22 CA$1.74

18.03%

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

$32.2K $32.2K

$27.6K CA$39.4K

16.49%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$19.8K CA$28.3K

37.74%

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

$259 $259

$122 CA$174

112.68%

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

$84.3 $84.3

$32.03 CA$45.67

163.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.8 $61.8

$47.92 CA$68.3

28.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$124 $124

$38.90 CA$55.5

218.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.76 $29.76

$23.24 CA$33.13

28.06%

Cinema Ticket

$12.97 $12.97

$12.61 CA$17.98

2.85%

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

$2,128 $2,128

$834 CA$1,189

155.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.6K $24.6K

$23.3K CA$33.3K

5.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 $59.2

$52.6 CA$75.0

12.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.66 $42.66

$40.26 CA$57.4

5.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 $94.0

$96.2 CA$137

-2.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 $128

$123 CA$175

3.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,079 $3,079

$1,598 CA$2,279

92.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,143 $3,143

$1,435 CA$2,046

119.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,230 $4,230

$2,657 CA$3,788

59.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,789 $3,789

$2,096 CA$2,989

80.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,545 $7,545

$8,033 CA$11.5K

-6.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,372 $5,372

$6,557 CA$9,350

-18.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,047 $7,047

$3,743 CA$5,337

88.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

4.47

48.10%

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

Last update for San Rafael, CA: October 3, 2026

Last update for Toronto: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Rafael, CA

$3.1K 64.5%

Toronto

$1.4K 55.4% 54.3% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

San Rafael, CA

$572 11.7%

Toronto

$340 13.1% 40.5% $232

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Rafael, CA

$405 8.3%

Toronto

$202 7.8% 50.2% $203

Eating Out

San Rafael, CA

$357 7.3%

Toronto

$282 10.9% 21.1% $76

Sport & Entertainment

San Rafael, CA

$150 3.1%

Toronto

$64 2.5% 57.3% $86

Clothing & Footwear

San Rafael, CA

$146 3%

Toronto

$140 5.4% 3.6% $5.2

Getting Around

San Rafael, CA

$98 2%

Toronto

$130 5% 32.3% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,079 in San Rafael, CA and $1,598 in Toronto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Rafael, CA pays 88% 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: $120 in San Rafael, CA vs $77.0 in Toronto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $572 vs $340 per month, with Toronto cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Rafael, CA

🇨🇦 Toronto

🕒 Local time

20:42 8:42 PM

23:42 11:42 PM

3 h ahead of San Rafael, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

58,704

2,731,571

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 CAD = 0.701 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 12, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.701 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

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Between locations

San Rafael, CA Toronto 3,640 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Toronto wins on cost – living expenses run 96% lower than in San Rafael, 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 88% higher in San Rafael, 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: $3,079 in San Rafael, CA versus $1,598 in Toronto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $4,955 per month in San Rafael, CA versus $2,530 in Toronto – a 96% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Toronto runs roughly 72% less than in San Rafael, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

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 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 Rafael, 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 96% less than in San Rafael, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.