Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Brookings, SD

For one person, living costs are similar in Toronto and in Brookings, SD: $2,610 and $2,592 a month, rent and utilities included.

Toronto
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,610
/mo nomad
Brookings, SD
🇺🇸 United States
$2,592
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toronto and in Brookings, SD

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 Brookings, SD actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,610 per month in Toronto vs $2,592 in Brookings, SD, rent included.

  • Toronto $2,610
  • Brookings, SD $2,592

A couple spends around $3,727 per month in Toronto vs $3,536 in Brookings, SD, rent included.

  • Toronto $3,727
  • Brookings, SD $3,536

A family of three spends $4,844 per month in Toronto vs $4,480 in Brookings, SD, rent included.

  • Toronto $4,844
  • Brookings, SD $4,480

Toronto costs about 1% more than Brookings, SD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Toronto and Brookings, SD sit above the global median – Toronto by 93%, Brookings, SD by 91%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Toronto
Brookings, SD
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.59 CA$24.87
$17.52 $17.52
0.40%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$78.8 CA$111
$39.50 $39.50
99.54%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.73 CA$15.16
$11.37 $11.37
-5.63%
Cappuccino
$4.09 CA$5.78
$4.59 $4.59
-10.89%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.10 CA$2.97
$2.52 $2.52
-16.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.72 CA$2.43
$1.96 $1.96
-12.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.36 CA$8.99
$6.08 $6.08
4.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.08 CA$10.01
$7.03 $7.03
0.71%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Toronto
Brookings, SD
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.54 CA$3.59
$0.84 $0.84
202.38%
White Bread (500g)
$2.72 CA$3.85
$3.49 $3.49
-22.06%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.18 CA$3.09
$6.54 $6.54
-66.67%
Eggs
$3.63 CA$5.13
$3.56 $3.56
1.97%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.46 CA$13.37
$10.38 $10.38
-8.86%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.54 CA$16.32
$13.83 $13.83
-16.56%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.37 CA$20.32
$13.02 $13.02
10.37%
Apples (1kg)
$3.70 CA$5.23
$5.92 $5.92
-37.50%
Banana (1kg)
$1.19 CA$1.68
$1.83 $1.83
-34.97%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.46 CA$4.90
$6.55 $6.55
-47.18%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.22 CA$5.97
$5.21 $5.21
-19.00%
Potato (1kg)
$1.79 CA$2.52
$4.39 $4.39
-59.23%
Onion (1kg)
$1.65 CA$2.33
$4.11 $4.11
-59.85%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.20 CA$3.11
$2.36 $2.36
-6.78%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.26 CA$1.78
$1.95 $1.95
-35.38%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.97 CA$19.75
$13.03 $13.03
7.21%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.20 CA$20.07
$11.88 $11.88
19.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.25 CA$3.18
$2.86 $2.86
-21.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.53 CA$3.58
$5.76 $5.76
-56.08%
🚌 Getting Around
Toronto
Brookings, SD
Difference
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
$5.03 $5.03
-39.17%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.22 CA$1.72
$1.68 $1.68
-27.38%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$21.69 CA$30.66
$23.76 $23.76
-8.71%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.21 CA$1.72
$1.03 $1.03
17.48%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.1K CA$37.0K
$30.2K $30.2K
-13.39%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.1K CA$29.9K
$26.3K $26.3K
-19.75%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Toronto
Brookings, SD
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$120 CA$169
$178 $178
-32.86%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$32.21 CA$45.54
$54.1 $54.1
-40.51%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$48.88 CA$69.1
$70.7 $70.7
-30.90%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Toronto
Brookings, SD
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.34 CA$55.6
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.58 CA$33.34
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.58 CA$17.79
$11.83 $11.83
6.34%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Toronto
Brookings, SD
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$832 CA$1,176
$1,338 $1,338
-37.84%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.6K CA$33.4K
$36.3K $36.3K
-34.87%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Toronto
Brookings, SD
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.3 CA$73.9
$42.60 $42.60
22.72%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.44 CA$55.8
$34.98 $34.98
12.75%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.0 CA$140
$88.0 $88.0
12.45%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 CA$172
$104 $104
17.06%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Toronto
Brookings, SD
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,631 CA$2,306
$1,663 $1,663
-1.92%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,448 CA$2,048
$1,419 $1,419
2.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,737 CA$3,869
$2,083 $2,083
31.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,129 CA$3,010
$2,037 $2,037
4.50%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,206 CA$11.6K
$2,622 $2,622
213.00%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,838 CA$9,666
$2,872 $2,872
138.05%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Toronto
Brookings, SD
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,520 CA$4,976
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.47
5.5
-18.73%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 18, 2026

Last update for Brookings, SD: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Toronto
$1.4K
Brookings, SD
$1.4K 2% $29
Groceries & Markets
Toronto
$343
Brookings, SD
$420 22.4% $77
Eating Out
Toronto
$283
Brookings, SD
$292 3% $8.6
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Toronto
$201
Brookings, SD
$303 51% $102
Clothing & Footwear
Toronto
$141
Brookings, SD
$121 13.7% $19
Getting Around
Toronto
$130
Brookings, SD
$13 * 89.7% $117
Sport & Entertainment
Toronto
$65
Brookings, SD
$24 * 63.3% $41

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,631 in Toronto versus $1,663 in Brookings, SD. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Toronto versus $39.00 in Brookings, SD. Groceries tell a different story – $343 in Toronto vs $420 in Brookings, SD – so Toronto wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Toronto
🇺🇸 Brookings, SD
🕒 Local time
04:03 4:03 AM
03:03 3:03 AM
1 h behind Toronto
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,731,571
18,802
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Toronto Brookings, SD 1,390 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Toronto
  • Brookings, SD

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 Brookings, SD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Toronto or Brookings, SD?
Toronto costs about 1% more than Brookings, SD, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Toronto and in Brookings, SD?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,916 per month in Toronto and $3,888 in Brookings, SD. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Toronto or Brookings, SD?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Brookings, SD, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do dining costs compare in Toronto and in Brookings, SD?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Toronto and $39.00 in Brookings, SD. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Toronto or in Brookings, SD?
Interestingly, groceries are about 22% cheaper in Toronto – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Toronto or in Brookings, SD?
$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,610 in Toronto and $2,592 in Brookings, SD. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Brookings, SD – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Should I move to Toronto or to Brookings, SD?
If budget matters most, go with Brookings, SD. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Toronto makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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