Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Teresa and Toronto

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Teresa: $1,546 a month against $2,610 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Santa Teresa
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Santa Teresa Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index

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Santa Teresa

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,546

/mo nomad

Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,610

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,546 per month in Santa Teresa vs $2,610 in Toronto, rent included.

Santa Teresa $1,546
Toronto $2,610

A couple spends around $2,318 per month in Santa Teresa vs $3,727 in Toronto, rent included.

Santa Teresa $2,318
Toronto $3,727

A family of three spends $3,090 per month in Santa Teresa vs $4,844 in Toronto, rent included.

Santa Teresa $3,090
Toronto $4,844

Santa Teresa is about 41% cheaper than Toronto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Santa Teresa and Toronto sit above the global median – Santa Teresa by 14%, Toronto by 93%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.08 ₡4,519

$17.59 CA$24.87

-42.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.44 ₡19.5K

$78.8 CA$111

-44.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 ₡4,144

$10.73 CA$15.16

-13.89%

Cappuccino

$3.73 ₡1,673

$4.09 CA$5.78

-8.80%

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

$1.97 ₡883

$2.10 CA$2.97

-6.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 ₡745

$1.72 CA$2.43

-3.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.00 ₡1,344

$6.36 CA$8.99

-52.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 ₡2,055

$7.08 CA$10.01

-35.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.98 ₡887

$2.54 CA$3.59

-22.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.90 ₡1,301

$2.72 CA$3.85

6.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 ₡990

$2.18 CA$3.09

1.38%

Eggs

$2.93 ₡1,312

$3.63 CA$5.13

-19.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 ₡4,446

$9.46 CA$13.37

4.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.31 ₡4,173

$11.54 CA$16.32

-19.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.64 ₡6,116

$14.37 CA$20.32

-5.08%

Apples (1kg)

$4.61 ₡2,068

$3.70 CA$5.23

24.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 ₡681

$1.19 CA$1.68

27.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.23 ₡1,898

$3.46 CA$4.90

22.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 ₡1,377

$4.22 CA$5.97

-27.25%

Potato (1kg)

$3.20 ₡1,437

$1.79 CA$2.52

78.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.63 ₡1,180

$1.65 CA$2.33

59.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 ₡466

$2.20 CA$3.11

-52.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,258

$1.26 CA$1.78

123.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.08 ₡2,277

$13.97 CA$19.75

-63.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.20 ₡6,368

$14.20 CA$20.07

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₡1,058

$2.25 CA$3.18

4.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 ₡1,149

$2.53 CA$3.58

1.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 ₡449

$2.32 CA$3.28

-56.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 CA$158

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ₡810

$3.06 CA$4.33

-40.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 ₡837

$1.22 CA$1.72

53.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.00 ₡3,589

$21.69 CA$30.66

-63.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₡652

$1.21 CA$1.72

19.83%

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

$37.2K ₡16.7M

$26.1K CA$37.0K

42.20%

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

$32.8K ₡14.7M

$21.1K CA$29.9K

55.26%

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

$84.7 ₡38.0K

$120 CA$169

-29.23%

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

$26.18 ₡11.7K

$32.21 CA$45.54

-18.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.65 ₡22.3K

$48.88 CA$69.1

1.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.6 ₡22.7K

$39.34 CA$55.6

28.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.98 ₡10.8K

$23.58 CA$33.34

1.70%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ₡3,976

$12.58 CA$17.79

-29.49%

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

$573 ₡256.9K

$832 CA$1,176

-31.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K ₡5.6M

$23.6K CA$33.4K

-46.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ₡28.2K

$52.3 CA$73.9

20.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.1 ₡22.9K

$39.44 CA$55.8

29.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 ₡56.9K

$99.0 CA$140

28.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 ₡47.9K

$122 CA$172

-12.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$700 ₡314.1K

$1,631 CA$2,306

-57.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$605 ₡271.4K

$1,448 CA$2,048

-58.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,462 ₡655.5K

$2,737 CA$3,869

-46.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$970 ₡435.0K

$2,129 CA$3,010

-54.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,206 CA$11.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,838 CA$9,666

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,520 CA$4,976

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.17

4.47

127.52%

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

Last update for Santa Teresa: October 19, 2026

Last update for Toronto: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Teresa

$605 39.1%

Toronto

$1.4K 55.5% 139% $843

Groceries & Markets

Santa Teresa

$349 22.6%

Toronto

$343 13.1% 1.7% $6.1

Eating Out

Santa Teresa

$192 12.4%

Toronto

$283 10.9% 47.7% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Teresa

$160 10.4%

Toronto

$201 7.7% 25.1% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Teresa

$156 10.1%

Toronto

$141 5.4% 10.1% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Teresa

$68 4.4%

Toronto

$65 2.5% 5.6% $3.8

Getting Around

Santa Teresa

$15 * 1%

Toronto

$130 5% 759% $115

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $700 in Santa Teresa versus $1,631 in Toronto. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Santa Teresa versus $79.0 in Toronto. Groceries tell a different story – $349 in Santa Teresa vs $343 in Toronto – so Toronto wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Santa Teresa

🇨🇦 Toronto

🕒 Local time

11:44 11:44 AM

13:44 1:44 PM

2 h ahead of Santa Teresa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,099

2,731,571

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Santa Teresa Toronto 3,820 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Santa Teresa
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 Teresa vs Toronto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Toronto is pricier by about 69%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,319 per month in Santa Teresa and $3,916 in Toronto. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Santa Teresa and $79.0 in Toronto. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 2% cheaper in Toronto – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Santa Teresa, where all-in costs run around $1,546, than in Toronto at $2,610. In Santa Teresa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Toronto it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Santa Teresa – 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 Santa Teresa. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Toronto makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.