Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Burnaby Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Burnaby

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,620 in Toronto versus $2,869 in Burnaby.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,866 in Toronto versus $4,015 in Burnaby.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,111 in Toronto versus $5,160 in Burnaby.

Living in Toronto costs roughly 9% less than in Burnaby, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toronto 90% above, Burnaby 108% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.85 CA$24.75

$21.82 CA$30.27

-18.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.8 CA$120

$87.5 CA$121

-0.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.94 CA$15.17

$9.54 CA$13.24

14.68%

Cappuccino

$4.01 CA$5.57

$4.81 CA$6.67

-16.63%

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

$2.19 CA$3.04

$2.35 CA$3.27

-6.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 CA$2.34

$1.80 CA$2.50

-6.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.45 CA$8.94

$7.19 CA$9.98

-10.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.05 CA$9.77

$6.10 CA$8.46

15.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.71 CA$3.77

$2.40 CA$3.33

12.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.92 CA$4.05

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.48 CA$3.44

$3.60 CA$4.99

-31.11%

Eggs

$3.85 CA$5.34

$3.30 CA$4.58

16.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.10 CA$14.01

$14.34 CA$19.89

-29.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.02 CA$16.66

$14.01 CA$19.43

-14.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.61 CA$21.65

$25.31 CA$35.10

-38.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.90 CA$5.41

$4.56 CA$6.33

-14.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 CA$1.72

$1.30 CA$1.81

-4.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.78 CA$5.24

$4.65 CA$6.45

-18.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.38 CA$6.08

$4.59 CA$6.36

-4.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 CA$2.67

$2.90 CA$4.02

-33.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 CA$2.08

$3.60 CA$4.99

-58.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 CA$3.17

$2.83 CA$3.93

-19.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 CA$2.02

$2.17 CA$3.01

-32.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.52 CA$20.14

$14.60 CA$20.25

-0.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.42 CA$20.00

$13.78 CA$19.11

4.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 CA$3.14

$2.10 CA$2.91

7.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 CA$3.60

$2.38 CA$3.30

8.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 CA$3.28

$2.46 CA$3.42

-4.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$114 CA$159

$80.9 CA$112

41.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 CA$4.38

$2.98 CA$4.13

6.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 CA$1.74

$1.47 CA$2.04

-14.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.57 CA$31.30

$26.88 CA$37.28

-16.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 CA$1.72

$1.33 CA$1.84

-6.77%

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

$27.3K CA$37.9K

$28.3K CA$39.2K

-3.30%

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

$20.7K CA$28.8K

$19.7K CA$27.3K

5.42%

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

$124 CA$172

$125 CA$173

-0.71%

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

$32.72 CA$45.38

$44.12 CA$61.2

-25.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.79 CA$67.7

$54.1 CA$75.0

-9.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.27 CA$55.9

$31.15 CA$43.20

29.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.84 CA$33.06

$10.89 CA$15.11

118.92%

Cinema Ticket

$12.82 CA$17.77

$14.55 CA$20.18

-11.89%

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

$787 CA$1,092

$667 CA$925

18.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K CA$34.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 CA$75.2

$53.3 CA$73.9

1.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.10 CA$59.8

$52.5 CA$72.8

-17.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.9 CA$136

$105 CA$146

-7.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 CA$175

$80.1 CA$111

57.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,660 CA$2,303

$1,690 CA$2,344

-1.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,483 CA$2,057

$1,550 CA$2,149

-4.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,800 CA$3,883

$2,476 CA$3,434

13.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,157 CA$2,991

$2,189 CA$3,036

-1.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,381 CA$11.6K

$6,866 CA$9,523

22.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,842 CA$9,489

$5,585 CA$7,746

22.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,799 CA$5,269

$3,162 CA$4,386

20.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

4.76

-6.09%

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

Last update for Toronto: September 6, 2026

Last update for Burnaby: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,660 in Toronto and $1,690 in Burnaby. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toronto pays 20% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $87.0 in Toronto vs $88.0 in Burnaby for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $364 vs $438 per month, with Toronto cheaper across the board.

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 Burnaby: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Toronto and Burnaby differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($2,620 vs $2,869 including rent). Toronto is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 20% 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: $1,660 in Toronto versus $1,690 in Burnaby. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $787 in Toronto versus $667 in Burnaby. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Burnaby. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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 10% less than in Burnaby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.