Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Cruz do Sul and Toronto

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Cruz do Sul: $949 a month against $2,610 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $19,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Santa Cruz do Sul
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Santa Cruz do Sul Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index

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Santa Cruz do Sul

🇧🇷 Brazil

$949

/mo nomad

Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,610

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santa Cruz do Sul 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 Santa Cruz do Sul and in Toronto actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $949 in Santa Cruz do Sul versus $2,610 in Toronto.

Santa Cruz do Sul $949
Toronto $2,610

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,519 in Santa Cruz do Sul versus $3,727 in Toronto.

Santa Cruz do Sul $1,519
Toronto $3,727

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,089 in Santa Cruz do Sul versus $4,844 in Toronto.

Santa Cruz do Sul $2,089
Toronto $4,844

Living in Santa Cruz do Sul costs roughly 64% less than in Toronto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santa Cruz do Sul is 30% below, Toronto is 93% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.96 R$30.23

$17.59 CA$24.87

-66.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.87 R$182

$78.8 CA$111

-54.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.10 R$35.99

$10.73 CA$15.16

-33.83%

Cappuccino

$2.24 R$11.36

$4.09 CA$5.78

-45.23%

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

$1.35 R$6.82

$2.10 CA$2.97

-35.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 R$4.46

$1.72 CA$2.43

-48.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 R$8.82

$6.36 CA$8.99

-72.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 R$13.70

$7.08 CA$10.01

-61.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 R$4.45

$2.54 CA$3.59

-65.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 R$9.15

$2.72 CA$3.85

-33.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 R$7.07

$2.18 CA$3.09

-36.24%

Eggs

$2.24 R$11.36

$3.63 CA$5.13

-38.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.97 R$45.45

$9.46 CA$13.37

-5.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.80 R$24.32

$11.54 CA$16.32

-58.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.87 R$39.91

$14.37 CA$20.32

-45.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 R$11.06

$3.70 CA$5.23

-41.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 R$5.63

$1.19 CA$1.68

-6.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.18 R$5.99

$3.46 CA$4.90

-65.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 R$7.73

$4.22 CA$5.97

-63.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.37

$1.79 CA$2.52

-29.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 R$6.12

$1.65 CA$2.33

-26.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 R$4.52

$2.20 CA$3.11

-59.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 R$4.42

$1.26 CA$1.78

-30.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 R$11.80

$13.97 CA$19.75

-83.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.22 R$36.60

$14.20 CA$20.07

-49.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 R$5.91

$2.25 CA$3.18

-48.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 R$10.11

$2.53 CA$3.58

-21.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 R$5.00

$2.32 CA$3.28

-57.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.92 R$248

$112 CA$158

-56.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 R$5.91

$3.06 CA$4.33

-61.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.66

$1.22 CA$1.72

-24.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.79 R$39.50

$21.69 CA$30.66

-64.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 R$5.64

$1.21 CA$1.72

-8.26%

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

$20.3K R$103.1K

$26.1K CA$37.0K

-22.18%

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

$33.4K R$169.4K

$21.1K CA$29.9K

58.20%

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

$86.3 R$438

$120 CA$169

-27.85%

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

$13.08 R$66.3

$32.21 CA$45.54

-59.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.04 R$117

$48.88 CA$69.1

-52.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.93 R$131

$39.34 CA$55.6

-34.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.49 R$124

$23.58 CA$33.34

3.86%

Cinema Ticket

$7.66 R$38.85

$12.58 CA$17.79

-39.11%

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

$288 R$1,462

$832 CA$1,176

-65.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,499 R$32.9K

$23.6K CA$33.4K

-72.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.59 R$251

$52.3 CA$73.9

-5.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 R$281

$39.44 CA$55.8

40.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.2 R$503

$99.0 CA$140

0.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.8 R$333

$122 CA$172

-46.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$533 R$2,702

$1,631 CA$2,306

-67.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$296 R$1,499

$1,448 CA$2,048

-79.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 R$4,697

$2,737 CA$3,869

-66.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$607 R$3,075

$2,129 CA$3,010

-71.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,850 R$9,380

$8,206 CA$11.6K

-77.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,188 R$6,021

$6,838 CA$9,666

-82.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$373 R$1,889

$3,520 CA$4,976

-89.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

146.09%

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

Last update for Santa Cruz do Sul: October 17, 2026

Last update for Toronto: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Cruz do Sul

$296 31.2%

Toronto

$1.4K 55.5% 390% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Santa Cruz do Sul

$190 20.1%

Toronto

$343 13.1% 80.2% $153

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Cruz do Sul

$122 12.9%

Toronto

$201 7.7% 63.9% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Cruz do Sul

$121 12.8%

Toronto

$141 5.4% 15.8% $19

Eating Out

Santa Cruz do Sul

$119 12.5%

Toronto

$283 10.9% 138% $164

Getting Around

Santa Cruz do Sul

$59 6.2%

Toronto

$130 5% 122% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Cruz do Sul

$41 4.4%

Toronto

$65 2.5% 56.4% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $533 in Santa Cruz do Sul and $1,631 in Toronto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toronto pays 845% 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: $36.00 in Santa Cruz do Sul vs $79.0 in Toronto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $343 per month, with Santa Cruz do Sul cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Santa Cruz do Sul

🇨🇦 Toronto

🕒 Local time

21:20 9:20 PM

20:20 8:20 PM

1 h behind Santa Cruz do Sul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

133,246

2,731,571

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Santa Cruz do Sul Toronto 8,610 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Santa Cruz do Sul
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

Santa Cruz do Sul vs Toronto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Cruz do Sul and Toronto differ by about 175% in total monthly costs ($949 vs $2,610 including rent). Santa Cruz do Sul is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 845% 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: $533 in Santa Cruz do Sul versus $1,631 in Toronto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Santa Cruz do Sul – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $79.0 in Toronto. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $949 per month in Santa Cruz do Sul versus $2,610 in Toronto – a 175% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $949 in Santa Cruz do Sul versus $2,610 in Toronto, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santa Cruz do Sul but tight or insufficient in Toronto. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Cruz do Sul 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.

Expats usually find Santa Cruz do Sul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 175% less than in Toronto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.