Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Monica, CA and Toronto

For one person, living is cheaper in Toronto: $2,561 a month against $4,430 in Santa Monica, CA, rent and utilities included – about $22,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

214

Cost of Living Index in Santa Monica, CA
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Santa Monica, CA Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index

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Santa Monica, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,430

/mo nomad

Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,561

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,430 per month in Santa Monica, CA vs $2,561 in Toronto, rent included.

Santa Monica, CA $4,430
Toronto $2,561

A couple spends around $6,581 per month in Santa Monica, CA vs $3,694 in Toronto, rent included.

Santa Monica, CA $6,581
Toronto $3,694

A family of three spends $8,732 per month in Santa Monica, CA vs $4,826 in Toronto, rent included.

Santa Monica, CA $8,732
Toronto $4,826

Santa Monica, CA costs about 73% more than Toronto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Santa Monica, CA and Toronto sit above the global median – Santa Monica, CA by 228%, Toronto by 90%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.77 $26.77

$17.18 CA$24.29

55.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$76.0 CA$107

55.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.88 $14.88

$10.54 CA$14.89

41.18%

Cappuccino

$5.93 $5.93

$4.02 CA$5.68

47.51%

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

$3.26 $3.26

$2.12 CA$3.00

53.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.75 CA$2.48

37.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.13 $8.13

$6.24 CA$8.83

30.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.95 $9.95

$7.09 CA$10.02

40.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 $1.34

$2.44 CA$3.45

-45.08%

White Bread (500g)

$4.57 $4.57

$2.68 CA$3.78

70.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$2.24 CA$3.17

107.59%

Eggs

$5.73 $5.73

$3.56 CA$5.03

60.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.77 $15.77

$9.09 CA$12.85

73.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.21 $14.21

$11.33 CA$16.01

25.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.80 $19.80

$14.53 CA$20.55

36.27%

Apples (1kg)

$4.76 $4.76

$3.62 CA$5.12

31.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.21 CA$1.72

89.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.95 $3.95

$3.60 CA$5.09

9.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$4.21 CA$5.96

29.45%

Potato (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$1.79 CA$2.53

84.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.83 $2.83

$1.59 CA$2.25

77.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.27 CA$3.21

-5.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.25 CA$1.77

98.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.56 $11.56

$13.82 CA$19.53

-16.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.25 $15.25

$14.27 CA$20.18

6.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.20 CA$3.10

10.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.43 CA$3.44

25.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.39 CA$3.38

5.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.0 $67.0

$111 CA$157

-39.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.91 CA$4.12

8.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.20 CA$1.69

58.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.68 $32.68

$21.38 CA$30.23

52.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.21 CA$1.71

19.83%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

30.61%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$20.3K CA$28.6K

26.24%

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

$218 $218

$120 CA$170

80.97%

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

$46.37 $46.37

$32.26 CA$45.60

43.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.1 $65.1

$47.93 CA$67.8

35.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.7 $70.7

$38.48 CA$54.4

83.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.11 $44.11

$22.96 CA$32.46

92.12%

Cinema Ticket

$19.36 $19.36

$12.38 CA$17.50

56.38%

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

$1,694 $1,694

$830 CA$1,173

104.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.5K $32.5K

$23.1K CA$32.6K

40.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.9 $88.9

$50.7 CA$71.7

75.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 $54.8

$40.02 CA$56.6

36.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 $104

$98.0 CA$139

6.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$121 CA$171

0.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,328 $3,328

$1,592 CA$2,251

109.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,860 $2,860

$1,410 CA$1,994

102.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,804 $5,804

$2,670 CA$3,775

117.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,048 $5,048

$2,152 CA$3,042

134.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.9K $10.9K

$7,945 CA$11.2K

36.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,924 $7,924

$6,542 CA$9,249

21.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,900 $6,900

$3,727 CA$5,269

85.15%

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 Santa Monica, 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

Santa Monica, CA

$2.9K 64.6%

Toronto

$1.4K 55.1% 50.7% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Santa Monica, CA

$462 10.4%

Toronto

$340 13.3% 26.4% $122

Eating Out

Santa Monica, CA

$413 9.3%

Toronto

$278 10.9% 32.7% $135

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Monica, CA

$329 7.4%

Toronto

$201 7.8% 39.1% $129

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Monica, CA

$166 3.8%

Toronto

$139 5.4% 16.2% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Monica, CA

$109 2.5%

Toronto

$63 2.5% 42.2% $46

Getting Around

Santa Monica, CA

$90 2%

Toronto

$129 5.1% 44.1% $40

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,328 in Santa Monica, 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 85% higher in Santa Monica, 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 $118 in Santa Monica, CA versus $76.0 in Toronto. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $462 vs $340 – making Toronto the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Santa Monica, CA

🇨🇦 Toronto

🕒 Local time

17:51 5:51 PM

20:51 8:51 PM

3 h ahead of Santa Monica, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

89,736

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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 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).

CAD to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Santa Monica, CA Toronto 3,520 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Santa Monica, CA
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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 Monica, CA vs Toronto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Santa Monica, CA is pricier by about 73%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,645 per month in Santa Monica, 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.

Kindergarten costs $1,694 per month in Santa Monica, CA and $830 in Toronto. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 36% more in Santa Monica, CA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,430 in Santa Monica, CA and $2,561 in Toronto. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Toronto – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Santa Monica, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.