Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between St. Cloud, MN and Toronto

For one person, living is cheaper in St. Cloud, MN: $1,929 a month against $2,530 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

St. Cloud, MN
🇺🇸 United States
$1,929
/mo nomad
Toronto
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,530
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,929 in St. Cloud, MN versus $2,530 in Toronto.

  • St. Cloud, MN $1,929
  • Toronto $2,530

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,044 in St. Cloud, MN versus $3,646 in Toronto.

  • St. Cloud, MN $3,044
  • Toronto $3,646

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,158 in St. Cloud, MN versus $4,761 in Toronto.

  • St. Cloud, MN $4,158
  • Toronto $4,761

Living in St. Cloud, MN costs roughly 24% less than in Toronto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: St. Cloud, MN 44% above, Toronto 89% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
St. Cloud, MN
Toronto
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.17 $20.17
$17.67 CA$25.19
14.15%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$74.1 $74.1
$77.4 CA$110
-4.23%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.08 $11.08
$10.47 CA$14.93
5.83%
Cappuccino
$5.87 $5.87
$4.08 CA$5.82
43.87%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.81 $2.81
$2.12 CA$3.02
32.55%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.46 $2.46
$1.76 CA$2.51
39.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.86 $6.86
$6.17 CA$8.80
11.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.08 $8.08
$6.89 CA$9.83
17.27%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
St. Cloud, MN
Toronto
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.76 $0.76
$2.43 CA$3.47
-68.72%
White Bread (500g)
$2.79 $2.79
$2.75 CA$3.92
1.45%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.28 $3.28
$2.23 CA$3.18
47.09%
Eggs
$2.31 $2.31
$3.45 CA$4.91
-33.04%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$4.83 $4.83
$8.93 CA$12.74
-45.91%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.61 $9.61
$11.44 CA$16.31
-16.00%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.95 $17.95
$14.61 CA$20.83
22.86%
Apples (1kg)
$3.80 $3.80
$3.75 CA$5.34
1.33%
Banana (1kg)
$1.29 $1.29
$1.15 CA$1.64
12.17%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.39 $3.39
$3.55 CA$5.06
-4.51%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.16 $2.16
$4.28 CA$6.11
-49.53%
Potato (1kg)
$0.79 $0.79
$1.85 CA$2.63
-57.30%
Onion (1kg)
$1.67 $1.67
$1.67 CA$2.38
-
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.03 $2.03
$2.22 CA$3.16
-8.56%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.83 $1.83
$1.21 CA$1.72
51.24%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.97 $9.97
$13.88 CA$19.79
-28.17%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.87 $11.87
$14.25 CA$20.32
-16.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78 $1.78
$2.20 CA$3.13
-19.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.27 $3.27
$2.42 CA$3.45
35.12%
🚌 Getting Around
St. Cloud, MN
Toronto
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.07 $2.07
$2.42 CA$3.45
-14.46%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$111 CA$158
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.01 $3.01
$2.90 CA$4.13
3.79%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.93 $1.93
$1.26 CA$1.80
53.17%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.78 $32.78
$22.03 CA$31.41
48.80%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.88 $0.88
$1.22 CA$1.74
-27.87%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.4K $32.4K
$27.6K CA$39.4K
17.42%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.5K $22.5K
$19.8K CA$28.3K
13.70%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
St. Cloud, MN
Toronto
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$168 $168
$122 CA$174
38.08%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$45.83 $45.83
$32.03 CA$45.67
43.08%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$44.18 $44.18
$47.92 CA$68.3
-7.80%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
St. Cloud, MN
Toronto
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.54 $41.54
$38.90 CA$55.5
6.79%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$23.24 CA$33.13
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.03 $14.03
$12.61 CA$17.98
11.26%
🧸 Childcare & Education
St. Cloud, MN
Toronto
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,697 $1,697
$834 CA$1,189
103.50%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$24.3K $24.3K
$23.3K CA$33.3K
4.33%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
St. Cloud, MN
Toronto
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.6 $62.6
$52.6 CA$75.0
18.94%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$62.2 $62.2
$40.26 CA$57.4
54.50%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$73.9 $73.9
$96.2 CA$137
-23.21%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.4 $85.4
$123 CA$175
-30.58%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
St. Cloud, MN
Toronto
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$992 $992
$1,598 CA$2,279
-37.89%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$819 $819
$1,435 CA$2,046
-42.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,892 $1,892
$2,657 CA$3,788
-28.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,626 $1,626
$2,096 CA$2,989
-22.42%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,638 $2,638
$8,033 CA$11.5K
-67.16%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,594 $2,594
$6,557 CA$9,350
-60.44%
💵 Salaries & Financials
St. Cloud, MN
Toronto
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$6,096 $6,096
$3,743 CA$5,337
62.86%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.61
4.47
47.87%

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

Last update for St. Cloud, MN: October 5, 2026

Last update for Toronto: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
St. Cloud, MN
$819
Toronto
$1.4K 75.2% $616
Eating Out
St. Cloud, MN
$337
Toronto
$282 16.3% $55
Groceries & Markets
St. Cloud, MN
$300
Toronto
$340 13.3% $40
Monthly Utilities & Internet
St. Cloud, MN
$258
Toronto
$202 21.9% $56
Clothing & Footwear
St. Cloud, MN
$128
Toronto
$140 9.9% $13
Sport & Entertainment
St. Cloud, MN
$70
Toronto
$64 7.9% $5.5
Getting Around
St. Cloud, MN
$21 *
Toronto
$130 519% $109

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in St. Cloud, MN and $1,598 in Toronto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

St. Cloud, MN pays 63% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $74.0 in St. Cloud, MN vs $77.0 in Toronto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $340 per month, with St. Cloud, MN cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 St. Cloud, MN
🇨🇦 Toronto
🕒 Local time
02:41 2:41 AM
03:41 3:41 AM
1 h ahead of St. Cloud, MN
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
65,842
2,731,571
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • St. Cloud, MN Toronto 1,190 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • St. Cloud, MN
  • 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
St. Cloud, MN vs Toronto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Toronto cheaper than St. Cloud, MN?
St. Cloud, MN is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. The 31% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: St. Cloud, MN or Toronto?
Average pay runs 63% higher in St. Cloud, MN, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between St. Cloud, MN and Toronto?
Rent for a central apartment: $992 in St. Cloud, MN versus $1,598 in Toronto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $1,697 in St. Cloud, MN versus $834 in Toronto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in St. Cloud, MN or in Toronto?
Dining out is cheaper in St. Cloud, MN – a meal for two runs $74.0 versus $77.0 in Toronto. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in St. Cloud, MN or in Toronto?
At $1,929 in St. Cloud, MN versus $2,530 in Toronto, a $2,500 budget is realistic in St. Cloud, MN but tight or insufficient in Toronto. The gap between the two cities makes St. Cloud, MN the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in St. Cloud, MN or in Toronto?
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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find St. Cloud, MN gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Toronto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

St. Cloud, MN vs other spots: cost of living compared

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