Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarnia and Toronto

For one person, living is cheaper in Sarnia: $2,002 a month against $2,561 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

96

Cost of Living Index in Sarnia
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Sarnia Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index

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Sarnia

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,002

/mo nomad

Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,561

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,002 per month in Sarnia vs $2,561 in Toronto, rent included.

Sarnia $2,002
Toronto $2,561

A couple spends around $2,788 per month in Sarnia vs $3,694 in Toronto, rent included.

Sarnia $2,788
Toronto $3,694

A family of three spends $3,574 per month in Sarnia vs $4,826 in Toronto, rent included.

Sarnia $3,574
Toronto $4,826

Sarnia is about 22% cheaper than Toronto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Sarnia and Toronto sit above the global median – Sarnia by 48%, Toronto by 90%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.54 CA$19.14

$17.18 CA$24.29

-21.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.30 CA$64.0

$76.0 CA$107

-40.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 CA$13.81

$10.54 CA$14.89

-7.31%

Cappuccino

$2.95 CA$4.17

$4.02 CA$5.68

-26.62%

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

$1.93 CA$2.73

$2.12 CA$3.00

-8.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 CA$1.93

$1.75 CA$2.48

-21.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.26 CA$6.02

$6.24 CA$8.83

-31.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.72 CA$8.09

$7.09 CA$10.02

-19.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 CA$1.76

$2.44 CA$3.45

-48.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 CA$3.38

$2.68 CA$3.78

-10.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 CA$3.43

$2.24 CA$3.17

8.04%

Eggs

$2.77 CA$3.91

$3.56 CA$5.03

-22.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.04 CA$15.61

$9.09 CA$12.85

21.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.18 CA$15.81

$11.33 CA$16.01

-1.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.68 CA$19.33

$14.53 CA$20.55

-5.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.51 CA$4.97

$3.62 CA$5.12

-3.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 CA$1.66

$1.21 CA$1.72

-3.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.48 CA$4.92

$3.60 CA$5.09

-3.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.46 CA$4.90

$4.21 CA$5.96

-17.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 CA$1.86

$1.79 CA$2.53

-26.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 CA$2.54

$1.59 CA$2.25

13.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.63 CA$2.31

$2.27 CA$3.21

-28.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 CA$1.78

$1.25 CA$1.77

0.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.21 CA$17.27

$13.82 CA$19.53

-11.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.98 CA$14.11

$14.27 CA$20.18

-30.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 CA$3.42

$2.20 CA$3.10

10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 CA$3.91

$2.43 CA$3.44

13.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 CA$3.25

$2.39 CA$3.38

-3.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 CA$80.2

$111 CA$157

-48.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.43 CA$3.44

$2.91 CA$4.12

-16.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 CA$2.41

$1.20 CA$1.69

41.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.85 CA$39.37

$21.38 CA$30.23

30.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.65

$1.21 CA$1.71

-3.31%

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

$27.4K CA$38.7K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

-2.78%

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

$18.8K CA$26.6K

$20.3K CA$28.6K

-7.06%

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

$138 CA$196

$120 CA$170

15.06%

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

$29.32 CA$41.45

$32.26 CA$45.60

-9.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.42 CA$64.2

$47.93 CA$67.8

-5.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.76 CA$33.59

$38.48 CA$54.4

-38.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.73 CA$25.06

$22.96 CA$32.46

-22.78%

Cinema Ticket

$11.50 CA$16.26

$12.38 CA$17.50

-7.11%

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

$349 CA$494

$830 CA$1,173

-57.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K CA$22.3K

$23.1K CA$32.6K

-31.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 CA$78.2

$50.7 CA$71.7

9.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.75 CA$42.05

$40.02 CA$56.6

-25.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.0 CA$105

$98.0 CA$139

-24.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.0 CA$103

$121 CA$171

-39.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,342 CA$1,897

$1,592 CA$2,251

-15.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,032 CA$1,459

$1,410 CA$1,994

-26.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,432 CA$3,438

$2,670 CA$3,775

-8.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,451 CA$2,052

$2,152 CA$3,042

-32.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,945 CA$11.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,542 CA$9,249

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,061 CA$4,327

$3,727 CA$5,269

-17.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.09

4.47

13.87%

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

Last update for Sarnia: October 12, 2026

Last update for Toronto: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sarnia

$1K 51.5%

Toronto

$1.4K 55.1% 36.7% $379

Groceries & Markets

Sarnia

$310 15.5%

Toronto

$340 13.3% 9.6% $30

Eating Out

Sarnia

$219 10.9%

Toronto

$278 10.9% 27% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sarnia

$213 10.7%

Toronto

$201 7.8% 5.9% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Sarnia

$104 5.2%

Toronto

$139 5.4% 33.3% $35

Getting Around

Sarnia

$77 3.8%

Toronto

$129 5.1% 68.3% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Sarnia

$47 2.3%

Toronto

$63 2.5% 35.2% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,342 in Sarnia 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 22% higher in Toronto, 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 $45.00 in Sarnia versus $76.0 in Toronto. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $310 vs $340 – making Sarnia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Sarnia

🇨🇦 Toronto

🕒 Local time

01:41 1:41 AM

Same time as Sarnia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

71,594

2,731,571

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Sarnia Toronto 260 km

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Sarnia
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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

Sarnia vs Toronto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,002 in Sarnia, $2,561 in Toronto – roughly 28% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,003 per month in Sarnia 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 Sarnia, 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 $45.00 in Sarnia and $76.0 in Toronto. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,002 in Sarnia and $2,561 in Toronto. That's a gap of about 28%.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Sarnia, where all-in costs run around $2,002, than in Toronto at $2,561. In Sarnia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Toronto it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with Sarnia. 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.