Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Brea, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Toronto: $2,610 a month against $3,716 in Brea, CA, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index
180

Cost of Living Index in Brea, CA
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Brea, CA Living Index

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,610

/mo nomad

Brea, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,716

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,610 in Toronto versus $3,716 in Brea, CA.

Toronto $2,610
Brea, CA $3,716

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,727 in Toronto versus $5,124 in Brea, CA.

Toronto $3,727
Brea, CA $5,124

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,844 in Toronto versus $6,532 in Brea, CA.

Toronto $4,844
Brea, CA $6,532

Living in Toronto costs roughly 30% less than in Brea, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toronto 93% above, Brea, CA 174% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 CA$24.87

$25.18 $25.18

-30.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.8 CA$111

$78.5 $78.5

0.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 CA$15.16

$12.18 $12.18

-11.90%

Cappuccino

$4.09 CA$5.78

$5.59 $5.59

-26.83%

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

$2.10 CA$2.97

$2.69 $2.69

-21.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 CA$2.43

$1.98 $1.98

-13.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.36 CA$8.99

$7.34 $7.34

-13.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.08 CA$10.01

$9.46 $9.46

-25.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.54 CA$3.59

$1.18 $1.18

115.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 CA$3.85

$5.29 $5.29

-48.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 CA$3.09

$4.41 $4.41

-50.57%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.13

$4.86 $4.86

-25.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.46 CA$13.37

$15.38 $15.38

-38.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 CA$16.32

$8.87 $8.87

30.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.37 CA$20.32

$13.91 $13.91

3.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 CA$5.23

$4.66 $4.66

-20.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 CA$1.68

$1.80 $1.80

-33.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.46 CA$4.90

$4.30 $4.30

-19.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.22 CA$5.97

$5.77 $5.77

-26.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.52

$3.61 $3.61

-50.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 CA$2.33

$3.07 $3.07

-46.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 CA$3.11

$2.14 $2.14

2.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 CA$1.78

$2.18 $2.18

-42.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.97 CA$19.75

$11.95 $11.95

16.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.20 CA$20.07

$15.14 $15.14

-6.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 CA$3.18

$1.77 $1.77

27.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 CA$3.58

$3.21 $3.21

-21.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 CA$3.28

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 CA$158

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 CA$4.33

$4.58 $4.58

-33.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 CA$1.72

$1.81 $1.81

-32.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.69 CA$30.66

$36.28 $36.28

-40.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$1.57 $1.57

-22.93%

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

$26.1K CA$37.0K

$27.8K $27.8K

-5.92%

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

$21.1K CA$29.9K

$26.0K $26.0K

-18.82%

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

$120 CA$169

$218 $218

-45.08%

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

$32.21 CA$45.54

$70.8 $70.8

-54.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.88 CA$69.1

$69.1 $69.1

-29.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.34 CA$55.6

$30.08 $30.08

30.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.58 CA$33.34

$20.02 $20.02

17.78%

Cinema Ticket

$12.58 CA$17.79

$19.98 $19.98

-37.04%

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

$832 CA$1,176

$1,162 $1,162

-28.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K CA$33.4K

$42.8K $42.8K

-44.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 CA$73.9

$62.2 $62.2

-15.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.44 CA$55.8

$41.12 $41.12

-4.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.0 CA$140

$80.9 $80.9

22.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 CA$172

$104 $104

16.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,631 CA$2,306

$2,241 $2,241

-27.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,448 CA$2,048

$2,354 $2,354

-38.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,737 CA$3,869

$3,133 $3,133

-12.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,129 CA$3,010

$3,521 $3,521

-39.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,206 CA$11.6K

$5,884 $5,884

39.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,838 CA$9,666

$6,172 $6,172

10.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,520 CA$4,976

$9,939 $9,939

-64.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

6.31

-29.16%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 18, 2026

Last update for Brea, CA: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 55.5%

Brea, CA

$2.4K 63.4% 62.5% $906

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$343 13.1%

Brea, CA

$411 11.1% 20% $69

Eating Out

Toronto

$283 10.9%

Brea, CA

$379 10.2% 34% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$201 7.7%

Brea, CA

$358 9.6% 78.2% $157

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$141 5.4%

Brea, CA

$130 3.5% 7.7% $11

Getting Around

Toronto

$130 5%

Brea, CA

$14 * 0.4% 89.5% $116

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$65 2.5%

Brea, CA

$70 1.9% 8.6% $5.5

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 $1,631 in Toronto and $2,241 in Brea, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brea, CA pays 182% 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: $79.0 in Toronto vs $79.0 in Brea, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $343 vs $411 per month, with Toronto cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇺🇸 Brea, CA

🕒 Local time

18:35 6:35 PM

15:35 3:35 PM

3 h behind Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

38,585

💱 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 21, 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 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Toronto Brea, CA 3,470 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Toronto
Brea, 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 Brea, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Toronto wins on cost – living expenses run 42% lower than in Brea, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Toronto the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 182% lower in Brea, CA. 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: $1,631 in Toronto versus $2,241 in Brea, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $832 in Toronto versus $1,162 in Brea, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Toronto – a meal for two runs $79.0 versus $79.0 in Brea, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 work as nomad bases, but Toronto delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,610 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Toronto hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Toronto and Brea, CA 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 Toronto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Brea, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.