Cost of Living Comparison Between St. Thomas and Toronto Cost of Living Comparison Between St. Thomas and Toronto

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,281 in St. Thomas versus $2,756 in Toronto.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in St. Thomas versus $4,075 in Toronto.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,348 in St. Thomas versus $5,395 in Toronto.

Living in St. Thomas costs roughly 17% less than in Toronto, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: St. Thomas 71% above, Toronto 107% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.58 CA$28.80

$18.70 CA$26.17

10.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.6 CA$103

$83.8 CA$117

-12.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.55 CA$16.16

$11.09 CA$15.53

4.15%

Cappuccino

$3.60 CA$5.04

$3.83 CA$5.36

-6.01%

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

$1.76 CA$2.46

$2.20 CA$3.08

-20.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 CA$2.54

$1.68 CA$2.35

7.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.24 CA$7.33

$5.75 CA$8.05

-8.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.96 CA$8.35

$6.79 CA$9.50

-12.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 CA$2.89

$2.73 CA$3.82

-24.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 CA$3.71

$2.86 CA$4.00

-7.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.28 CA$4.59

$3.64 CA$5.10

-9.89%

Eggs

$3.06 CA$4.29

$3.48 CA$4.87

-12.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.52 CA$13.33

$13.37 CA$18.71

-28.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.24 CA$15.73

$13.01 CA$18.21

-13.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.90 CA$22.26

$16.86 CA$23.59

-5.69%

Apples (1kg)

$4.04 CA$5.65

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 CA$1.73

$1.14 CA$1.59

8.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.50

$3.25 CA$4.55

-1.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.83 CA$5.36

$4.12 CA$5.77

-7.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 CA$4.16

$2.42 CA$3.38

22.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 CA$3.64

$2.88 CA$4.03

-9.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 CA$3.21

$2.46 CA$3.45

-6.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 CA$2.01

$2.00 CA$2.79

-28.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.15 CA$15.60

$14.50 CA$20.29

-23.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.81 CA$17.93

$13.86 CA$19.39

-7.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 CA$2.87

$2.75 CA$3.85

-25.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 CA$3.63

$3.18 CA$4.45

-18.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 CA$3.24

$2.53 CA$3.54

-8.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.1 CA$89.7

$115 CA$160

-44.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.29 CA$3.21

$3.79 CA$5.30

-39.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 CA$2.37

$1.34 CA$1.87

26.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.75 CA$44.43

$25.72 CA$35.99

23.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 CA$1.63

$1.10 CA$1.55

5.45%

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

$24.8K CA$34.7K

$25.2K CA$35.3K

-1.75%

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

$20.3K CA$28.4K

$21.4K CA$29.9K

-5.09%

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

$135 CA$189

$116 CA$163

16.16%

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

$54.8 CA$76.7

$38.09 CA$53.3

43.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.8 CA$79.5

$54.8 CA$76.7

3.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.71 CA$58.4

$57.3 CA$80.1

-27.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.43 CA$28.60

Cinema Ticket

$11.12 CA$15.56

$11.97 CA$16.75

-7.10%

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

$561 CA$785

$1,111 CA$1,556

-49.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K CA$15.7K

$18.2K CA$25.4K

-38.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 CA$76.5

$58.6 CA$82.0

-6.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.10 CA$53.3

$39.90 CA$55.8

-4.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.7 CA$121

$88.9 CA$124

-2.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.3 CA$114

$114 CA$159

-28.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,196 CA$1,675

$1,787 CA$2,502

-33.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,195 CA$1,673

$1,533 CA$2,146

-22.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,982 CA$2,775

$2,938 CA$4,113

-32.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,803 CA$2,523

$2,468 CA$3,454

-26.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,417 CA$6,183

$9,003 CA$12.6K

-50.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,633 CA$5,085

$6,997 CA$9,793

-48.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,943 CA$4,119

$3,444 CA$4,821

-14.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

5.16

26.94%

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

Last update for St. Thomas: June 13, 2026

Last update for Toronto: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,196 in St. Thomas and $1,787 in Toronto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toronto pays 17% 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: $74.0 in St. Thomas vs $84.0 in Toronto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $346 vs $395 per month, with St. Thomas cheaper across the board.

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. Thomas vs Toronto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

St. Thomas and Toronto differ by about 21% in total monthly costs ($2,281 vs $2,756 including rent). St. Thomas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Toronto earns 17% less. 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: $1,196 in St. Thomas versus $1,787 in Toronto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in St. Thomas versus $1,111 in Toronto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Toronto. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,281 in St. Thomas versus $2,756 in Toronto, a $3,000 budget is realistic in St. Thomas but tight or insufficient in Toronto. The gap between the two cities makes St. Thomas 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 St. Thomas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Toronto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.