Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tempe, AZ and Toronto

For one person, living is cheaper in Toronto: $2,561 a month against $2,880 in Tempe, AZ, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

140

Cost of Living Index in Tempe, AZ
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Tempe, AZ Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index

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Tempe, AZ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,880

/mo nomad

Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,561

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,880 in Tempe, AZ versus $2,561 in Toronto.

Tempe, AZ $2,880
Toronto $2,561

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,836 in Tempe, AZ versus $3,694 in Toronto.

Tempe, AZ $3,836
Toronto $3,694

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,792 in Tempe, AZ versus $4,826 in Toronto.

Tempe, AZ $4,792
Toronto $4,826

Living in Tempe, AZ is roughly 12% more expensive than in Toronto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Tempe, AZ 113% above, Toronto 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.77 $19.77

$17.18 CA$24.29

15.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.6 $81.6

$76.0 CA$107

7.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.17 $13.17

$10.54 CA$14.89

24.95%

Cappuccino

$5.25 $5.25

$4.02 CA$5.68

30.60%

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

$3.10 $3.10

$2.12 CA$3.00

46.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.75 CA$2.48

39.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.01 $6.01

$6.24 CA$8.83

-3.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.17 $7.17

$7.09 CA$10.02

1.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$2.44 CA$3.45

-60.25%

White Bread (500g)

$4.20 $4.20

$2.68 CA$3.78

56.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.19 $6.19

$2.24 CA$3.17

176.34%

Eggs

$4.68 $4.68

$3.56 CA$5.03

31.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$9.09 CA$12.85

50.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.44 $13.44

$11.33 CA$16.01

18.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.38 $17.38

$14.53 CA$20.55

19.61%

Apples (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$3.62 CA$5.12

47.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.21 CA$1.72

62.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.12 $4.12

$3.60 CA$5.09

14.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$4.21 CA$5.96

17.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 $2.53

$1.79 CA$2.53

41.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$1.59 CA$2.25

88.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.27 CA$3.21

-2.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.25 CA$1.77

81.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.89 $10.89

$13.82 CA$19.53

-21.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.65 $13.65

$14.27 CA$20.18

-4.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 $2.41

$2.20 CA$3.10

9.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.43 CA$3.44

29.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.39 CA$3.38

-18.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.4 $64.4

$111 CA$157

-41.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.83 $2.83

$2.91 CA$4.12

-2.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.20 CA$1.69

14.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.42 $35.42

$21.38 CA$30.23

65.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.21 CA$1.71

-3.31%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

30.40%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$20.3K CA$28.6K

27.24%

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

$240 $240

$120 CA$170

99.74%

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

$61.4 $61.4

$32.26 CA$45.60

90.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.0 $78.0

$47.93 CA$67.8

62.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.16 $30.16

$38.48 CA$54.4

-21.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.16 $15.16

$22.96 CA$32.46

-33.97%

Cinema Ticket

$13.80 $13.80

$12.38 CA$17.50

11.47%

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

$1,107 $1,107

$830 CA$1,173

33.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.4K $15.4K

$23.1K CA$32.6K

-33.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.6 $62.6

$50.7 CA$71.7

23.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.61 $44.61

$40.02 CA$56.6

11.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.4 $98.4

$98.0 CA$139

0.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$121 CA$171

-6.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,894 $1,894

$1,592 CA$2,251

18.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,460 $1,460

$1,410 CA$1,994

3.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,543 $2,543

$2,670 CA$3,775

-4.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,683 $1,683

$2,152 CA$3,042

-21.80%

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)

$3,960 $3,960

$3,727 CA$5,269

6.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

4.47

45.41%

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

Last update for Tempe, AZ: 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

Tempe, AZ

$1.5K 50.7%

Toronto

$1.4K 55.1% 3.4% $49

Groceries & Markets

Tempe, AZ

$431 15%

Toronto

$340 13.3% 21.1% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tempe, AZ

$380 13.2%

Toronto

$201 7.8% 47.2% $179

Eating Out

Tempe, AZ

$327 11.4%

Toronto

$278 10.9% 15% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Tempe, AZ

$143 5%

Toronto

$139 5.4% 2.8% $4

Getting Around

Tempe, AZ

$82 2.8%

Toronto

$129 5.1% 58.2% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Tempe, AZ

$58 2%

Toronto

$63 2.5% 9.5% $5.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,894 in Tempe, AZ and $1,592 in Toronto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tempe, AZ pays 6% 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: $82.0 in Tempe, AZ vs $76.0 in Toronto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $431 vs $340 per month, with Toronto cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Tempe, AZ

🇨🇦 Toronto

🕒 Local time

11:08 11:08 AM

14:08 2:08 PM

3 h ahead of Tempe, AZ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

161,719

2,731,571

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Tempe, AZ Toronto 3,030 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Tempe, AZ
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

Tempe, AZ vs Toronto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Toronto is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 6% higher in Tempe, AZ, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,894 in Tempe, AZ versus $1,592 in Toronto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Toronto runs roughly 72% less than in Tempe, AZ. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,107 in Tempe, AZ versus $830 in Toronto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Toronto is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Toronto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Tempe, AZ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.