Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Ankeny, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Ankeny, IA: $2,326 a month against $2,530 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 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
113

Cost of Living Index in Ankeny, IA
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Ankeny, IA Living Index

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,530

/mo nomad

Ankeny, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,326

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,530 in Toronto versus $2,326 in Ankeny, IA.

Toronto $2,530
Ankeny, IA $2,326

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,646 in Toronto versus $3,298 in Ankeny, IA.

Toronto $3,646
Ankeny, IA $3,298

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,761 in Toronto versus $4,270 in Ankeny, IA.

Toronto $4,761
Ankeny, IA $4,270

Living in Toronto is roughly 9% more expensive than in Ankeny, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toronto 89% above, Ankeny, IA 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.67 CA$25.19

$19.62 $19.62

-9.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.4 CA$110

$79.1 $79.1

-2.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.47 CA$14.93

$11.80 $11.80

-11.27%

Cappuccino

$4.08 CA$5.81

$5.46 $5.46

-25.27%

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

$2.12 CA$3.02

$2.97 $2.97

-28.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 CA$2.51

$1.74 $1.74

1.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.17 CA$8.80

$5.06 $5.06

21.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.89 CA$9.82

$5.79 $5.79

19.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.43 CA$3.46

$0.91 $0.91

167.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 CA$3.92

$2.91 $2.91

-5.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 CA$3.18

$3.27 $3.27

-31.80%

Eggs

$3.45 CA$4.91

$3.96 $3.96

-12.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.93 CA$12.73

$9.65 $9.65

-7.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.44 CA$16.31

$8.65 $8.65

32.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.61 CA$20.83

$14.96 $14.96

-2.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 CA$5.34

$5.24 $5.24

-28.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 CA$1.64

$1.52 $1.52

-24.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.55 CA$5.06

$4.89 $4.89

-27.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.28 CA$6.10

$3.67 $3.67

16.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 CA$2.63

$2.22 $2.22

-16.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 CA$2.38

$3.33 $3.33

-49.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 CA$3.16

$1.88 $1.88

18.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$2.65 $2.65

-54.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.88 CA$19.78

$8.80 $8.80

57.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 CA$20.31

$14.79 $14.79

-3.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 CA$3.13

$1.69 $1.69

30.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 CA$3.45

$2.47 $2.47

-2.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 CA$3.44

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 CA$158

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.90 CA$4.13

$2.05 $2.05

41.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 CA$1.80

$1.27 $1.27

-0.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.03 CA$31.40

$19.71 $19.71

11.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.74

$0.99 $0.99

23.23%

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

$27.6K CA$39.4K

$35.7K $35.7K

-22.55%

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

$19.8K CA$28.3K

$25.4K $25.4K

-21.92%

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

$122 CA$174

$159 $159

-23.52%

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

$32.03 CA$45.66

$53.2 $53.2

-39.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.92 CA$68.3

$64.2 $64.2

-25.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.90 CA$55.5

$74.0 $74.0

-47.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.24 CA$33.12

Cinema Ticket

$12.61 CA$17.97

$14.95 $14.95

-15.65%

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

$834 CA$1,189

$1,101 $1,101

-24.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K CA$33.3K

$11.9K $11.9K

95.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 CA$75.0

$48.27 $48.27

8.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.26 CA$57.4

$34.89 $34.89

15.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 CA$137

$90.1 $90.1

6.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 CA$175

$117 $117

5.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 CA$2,278

$1,109 $1,109

44.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,435 CA$2,045

$1,141 $1,141

25.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,657 CA$3,787

$1,971 $1,971

34.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 CA$2,988

$1,599 $1,599

31.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,033 CA$11.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,557 CA$9,347

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,743 CA$5,335

$5,289 $5,289

-29.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

6.37

-29.83%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 4, 2026

Last update for Ankeny, IA: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 55.4%

Ankeny, IA

$1.1K 49% 20.5% $294

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$340 13.1%

Ankeny, IA

$353 15.2% 3.8% $13

Eating Out

Toronto

$282 10.9%

Ankeny, IA

$314 13.5% 11.3% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$202 7.8%

Ankeny, IA

$277 11.9% 37.1% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$140 5.4%

Ankeny, IA

$130 5.6% 7.1% $9.9

Getting Around

Toronto

$130 5%

Ankeny, IA

$8.4 * 0.4% 93.5% $121

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$64 2.5%

Ankeny, IA

$104 4.5% 62.1% $40

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 $1,598 in Toronto and $1,109 in Ankeny, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ankeny, IA pays 41% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $77.0 in Toronto vs $79.0 in Ankeny, IA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 vs $353 per month, with Toronto cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇺🇸 Ankeny, IA

🕒 Local time

06:11 6:11 AM

05:11 5:11 AM

1 h behind Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

67,887

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Toronto Ankeny, IA 1,180 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Toronto
Ankeny, 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 Ankeny, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Toronto and Ankeny, IA differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($2,530 vs $2,326 including rent). Ankeny, IA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 41% lower in Ankeny, IA. 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: $1,598 in Toronto versus $1,109 in Ankeny, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Toronto pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,530 per month in Toronto versus $2,326 in Ankeny, IA – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,326 in Ankeny, IA versus $2,530 in Toronto, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Ankeny, IA but tight or insufficient in Toronto. The gap between the two cities makes Ankeny, 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.

Safety-wise, Toronto and Ankeny, IA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Ankeny, IA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Toronto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.