Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Ames, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Ames, IA: $2,142 a month against $2,561 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Toronto outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index
104

Cost of Living Index in Ames, IA
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Ames, IA Living Index

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,561

/mo nomad

Ames, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,142

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toronto and in Ames, IA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Toronto and in Ames, IA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,561 in Toronto versus $2,142 in Ames, IA.

Toronto $2,561
Ames, IA $2,142

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,694 in Toronto versus $3,242 in Ames, IA.

Toronto $3,694
Ames, IA $3,242

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,826 in Toronto versus $4,342 in Ames, IA.

Toronto $4,826
Ames, IA $4,342

Living in Toronto is roughly 20% more expensive than in Ames, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toronto 90% above, Ames, IA 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.18 CA$24.29

$18.13 $18.13

-5.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 CA$107

$52.0 $52.0

46.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.89

$12.18 $12.18

-13.46%

Cappuccino

$4.02 CA$5.68

$4.87 $4.87

-17.45%

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

$2.12 CA$3.00

$2.60 $2.60

-18.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 CA$2.48

$2.25 $2.25

-22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.24 CA$8.83

$4.05 $4.05

54.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.09 CA$10.02

$6.81 $6.81

4.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 CA$3.45

$0.89 $0.89

174.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 CA$3.78

$3.55 $3.55

-24.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 CA$3.17

$3.26 $3.26

-31.29%

Eggs

$3.56 CA$5.03

$3.34 $3.34

6.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.09 CA$12.85

$10.08 $10.08

-9.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.33 CA$16.01

$13.62 $13.62

-16.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.53 CA$20.55

$19.05 $19.05

-23.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 CA$5.12

$5.88 $5.88

-38.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$1.82 $1.82

-33.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.60 CA$5.09

$6.69 $6.69

-46.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.96

$5.22 $5.22

-19.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.53

$4.54 $4.54

-60.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 CA$2.25

$4.07 $4.07

-60.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$2.32 $2.32

-2.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 CA$1.77

$2.44 $2.44

-48.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 CA$19.53

$13.03 $13.03

6.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.27 CA$20.18

$16.11 $16.11

-11.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 CA$3.10

$2.87 $2.87

-23.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 CA$3.44

$4.98 $4.98

-51.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.39 CA$3.38

$0.99 $0.99

141.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 CA$157

$35.57 $35.57

211.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 CA$4.12

$5.09 $5.09

-42.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 CA$1.69

$1.69 $1.69

-28.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.38 CA$30.23

$24.13 $24.13

-11.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.71

$0.96 $0.96

26.04%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$24.7K $24.7K

13.91%

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

$20.3K CA$28.6K

$25.1K $25.1K

-19.22%

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

$120 CA$170

$176 $176

-31.74%

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

$32.26 CA$45.60

$54.3 $54.3

-40.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.93 CA$67.8

$71.2 $71.2

-32.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.48 CA$54.4

$69.0 $69.0

-44.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.96 CA$32.46

$19.74 $19.74

16.31%

Cinema Ticket

$12.38 CA$17.50

$15.97 $15.97

-22.48%

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

$830 CA$1,173

$1,370 $1,370

-39.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K CA$32.6K

$36.1K $36.1K

-36.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.7 CA$71.7

$58.4 $58.4

-13.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.02 CA$56.6

$44.68 $44.68

-10.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 CA$139

$90.1 $90.1

8.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 CA$171

$105 $105

15.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,592 CA$2,251

$1,005 $1,005

58.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,410 CA$1,994

$822 $822

71.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,670 CA$3,775

$1,860 $1,860

43.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,152 CA$3,042

$1,505 $1,505

43.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,945 CA$11.2K

$2,432 $2,432

226.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,542 CA$9,249

$2,185 $2,185

199.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,727 CA$5,269

$3,597 $3,597

3.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

6.41

-30.27%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ames, IA: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 55.1%

Ames, IA

$822 38.4% 41.7% $588

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$340 13.3%

Ames, IA

$436 20.4% 28.5% $97

Eating Out

Toronto

$278 10.9%

Ames, IA

$293 13.7% 5.5% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$201 7.8%

Ames, IA

$302 14.1% 50.5% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$139 5.4%

Ames, IA

$134 6.3% 3.7% $5.2

Getting Around

Toronto

$129 5.1%

Ames, IA

$53 2.5% 59% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$63 2.5%

Ames, IA

$101 4.7% 59.7% $38

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,592 in Toronto and $1,005 in Ames, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toronto pays 4% 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: $76.0 in Toronto vs $52.0 in Ames, IA. Groceries flip the comparison at $340 vs $436, with Toronto cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇺🇸 Ames, IA

🕒 Local time

16:13 4:13 PM

15:13 3:13 PM

1 h behind Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

66,427

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Toronto Ames, IA 1,170 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Toronto
Ames, IA

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

Toronto vs Ames, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ames, IA wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Toronto. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ames, IA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 4% higher in Toronto, 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: $1,592 in Toronto versus $1,005 in Ames, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ames, IA runs roughly 212% less than in Toronto. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $830 in Toronto versus $1,370 in Ames, IA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,142 in Ames, IA versus $2,561 in Toronto, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ames, IA but tight or insufficient in Toronto. The gap between the two cities makes Ames, IA 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 Ames, IA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Toronto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.