Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Bakersfield, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Toronto: $2,530 a month against $3,146 in Bakersfield, CA, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index
152

Cost of Living Index in Bakersfield, CA
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Bakersfield, CA Living Index

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,530

/mo nomad

Bakersfield, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,146

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toronto and in Bakersfield, CA

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 Bakersfield, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,530 in Toronto versus $3,146 in Bakersfield, CA.

Toronto $2,530
Bakersfield, CA $3,146

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,646 in Toronto versus $4,361 in Bakersfield, CA.

Toronto $3,646
Bakersfield, CA $4,361

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,761 in Toronto versus $5,575 in Bakersfield, CA.

Toronto $4,761
Bakersfield, CA $5,575

Living in Toronto costs roughly 20% less than in Bakersfield, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toronto 89% above, Bakersfield, CA 135% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.67 CA$25.19

$18.87 $18.87

-6.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.4 CA$110

$64.2 $64.2

20.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.47 CA$14.93

$13.91 $13.91

-24.73%

Cappuccino

$4.08 CA$5.81

$6.05 $6.05

-32.56%

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

$2.12 CA$3.02

$2.67 $2.67

-20.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 CA$2.51

$2.04 $2.04

-13.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.17 CA$8.80

$6.14 $6.14

0.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.89 CA$9.82

$5.89 $5.89

16.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.43 CA$3.46

$1.08 $1.08

125.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 CA$3.92

$4.16 $4.16

-33.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 CA$3.18

$5.30 $5.30

-57.92%

Eggs

$3.45 CA$4.91

$3.42 $3.42

0.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.93 CA$12.73

$12.83 $12.83

-30.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.44 CA$16.31

$13.26 $13.26

-13.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.61 CA$20.83

$15.95 $15.95

-8.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 CA$5.34

$4.14 $4.14

-9.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 CA$1.64

$2.07 $2.07

-44.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.55 CA$5.06

$3.96 $3.96

-10.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.28 CA$6.10

$3.82 $3.82

12.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 CA$2.63

$2.19 $2.19

-15.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 CA$2.38

$2.41 $2.41

-30.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 CA$3.16

$2.13 $2.13

4.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$2.36 $2.36

-48.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.88 CA$19.78

$9.95 $9.95

39.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 CA$20.31

$17.72 $17.72

-19.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 CA$3.13

$1.90 $1.90

15.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 CA$3.45

$4.76 $4.76

-49.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 CA$3.44

$1.75 $1.75

38.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 CA$158

$57.5 $57.5

92.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.90 CA$4.13

$3.01 $3.01

-3.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 CA$1.80

$2.08 $2.08

-39.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.03 CA$31.40

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.74

$1.51 $1.51

-19.21%

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

$27.6K CA$39.4K

$37.4K $37.4K

-26.06%

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

$19.8K CA$28.3K

$26.3K $26.3K

-24.69%

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

$122 CA$174

$400 $400

-69.56%

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

$32.03 CA$45.66

$60.0 $60.0

-46.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.92 CA$68.3

$74.3 $74.3

-35.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.90 CA$55.5

$38.76 $38.76

0.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.24 CA$33.12

$24.77 $24.77

-6.18%

Cinema Ticket

$12.61 CA$17.97

$15.05 $15.05

-16.21%

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

$834 CA$1,189

$1,482 $1,482

-43.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K CA$33.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 CA$75.0

$61.5 $61.5

-14.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.26 CA$57.4

$48.13 $48.13

-16.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 CA$137

$99.7 $99.7

-3.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 CA$175

$123 $123

-0.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 CA$2,278

$1,694 $1,694

-5.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,435 CA$2,045

$1,567 $1,567

-8.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,657 CA$3,787

$2,401 $2,401

10.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 CA$2,988

$2,511 $2,511

-16.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,033 CA$11.5K

$2,496 $2,496

221.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,557 CA$9,347

$2,464 $2,464

166.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,743 CA$5,335

$3,646 $3,646

2.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

6.43

-30.48%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 4, 2026

Last update for Bakersfield, CA: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 55.4%

Bakersfield, CA

$1.6K 50% 9.2% $133

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$340 13.1%

Bakersfield, CA

$411 13.1% 20.8% $71

Eating Out

Toronto

$282 10.9%

Bakersfield, CA

$327 10.4% 15.8% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$202 7.8%

Bakersfield, CA

$535 17.1% 165% $333

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$140 5.4%

Bakersfield, CA

$150 4.8% 6.5% $9.2

Getting Around

Toronto

$130 5%

Bakersfield, CA

$78 2.5% 39.9% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$64 2.5%

Bakersfield, CA

$69 2.2% 7.4% $4.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,598 in Toronto and $1,694 in Bakersfield, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toronto pays 3% 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 $64.0 in Bakersfield, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $340 vs $411, with Toronto cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇺🇸 Bakersfield, CA

🕒 Local time

01:08 1:08 AM

22:08 10:08 PM

3 h behind Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

373,640

💱 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 Bakersfield, CA 3,490 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Toronto
Bakersfield, CA

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 Bakersfield, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Toronto is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 24% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 3% 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: $1,598 in Toronto versus $1,694 in Bakersfield, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Toronto – a meal for two runs $77.0 versus $64.0 in Bakersfield, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,530 per month in Toronto versus $3,146 in Bakersfield, CA – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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 24% less than in Bakersfield, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.