Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Burns Lake Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Burns Lake

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,620 per month in Toronto vs $2,315 in Burns Lake, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,866 per month in Toronto vs $3,340 in Burns Lake, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,111 per month in Toronto vs $4,365 in Burns Lake, rent included.

Toronto costs about 13% more than Burns Lake, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Toronto and Burns Lake sit above the global median – Toronto by 90%, Burns Lake by 68%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.85 CA$24.75

$18.30 CA$25.38

-2.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.8 CA$120

$66.7 CA$92.5

30.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.94 CA$15.17

$10.98 CA$15.22

-0.36%

Cappuccino

$4.01 CA$5.57

$3.75 CA$5.21

6.93%

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

$2.19 CA$3.04

$2.11 CA$2.92

3.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 CA$2.34

$1.63 CA$2.27

3.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.45 CA$8.94

$5.46 CA$7.57

18.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.05 CA$9.77

$5.69 CA$7.89

23.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.71 CA$3.77

$2.07 CA$2.87

30.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.92 CA$4.05

$2.61 CA$3.62

11.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.48 CA$3.44

$3.31 CA$4.59

-25.08%

Eggs

$3.85 CA$5.34

$3.40 CA$4.71

13.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.10 CA$14.01

$10.30 CA$14.29

-1.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.02 CA$16.66

$11.49 CA$15.94

4.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.61 CA$21.65

$14.76 CA$20.47

5.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.90 CA$5.41

$3.76 CA$5.22

3.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 CA$1.72

$1.32 CA$1.82

-6.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.78 CA$5.24

$3.72 CA$5.15

1.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.38 CA$6.08

$3.86 CA$5.35

13.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 CA$2.67

$2.61 CA$3.63

-26.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 CA$2.08

$2.27 CA$3.15

-33.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 CA$3.17

$2.54 CA$3.52

-10.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 CA$2.02

$1.67 CA$2.32

-12.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.52 CA$20.14

$14.34 CA$19.89

1.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.42 CA$20.00

$12.46 CA$17.29

15.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 CA$3.14

$2.64 CA$3.66

-14.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 CA$3.60

$3.11 CA$4.32

-16.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 CA$3.28

$2.41 CA$3.34

-2.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$114 CA$159

$64.2 CA$89.0

78.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 CA$4.38

$3.04 CA$4.22

3.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 CA$1.74

$1.50 CA$2.08

-16.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.57 CA$31.30

$23.79 CA$33.00

-5.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 CA$1.72

$1.19 CA$1.65

4.20%

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

$27.3K CA$37.9K

$28.2K CA$39.1K

-3.13%

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

$20.7K CA$28.8K

$19.6K CA$27.1K

6.05%

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

$124 CA$172

$142 CA$197

-12.70%

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

$32.72 CA$45.38

$38.84 CA$53.9

-15.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.79 CA$67.7

$55.8 CA$77.4

-12.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.27 CA$55.9

$42.42 CA$58.8

-5.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.84 CA$33.06

$18.31 CA$25.40

30.20%

Cinema Ticket

$12.82 CA$17.77

$11.39 CA$15.79

12.55%

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

$787 CA$1,092

$764 CA$1,059

3.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K CA$34.0K

$13.6K CA$18.9K

80.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 CA$75.2

$52.9 CA$73.4

2.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.10 CA$59.8

$39.63 CA$55.0

8.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.9 CA$136

$84.8 CA$118

15.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 CA$175

$102 CA$142

23.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,660 CA$2,303

$1,300 CA$1,803

27.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,483 CA$2,057

$1,136 CA$1,576

30.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,800 CA$3,883

$1,960 CA$2,718

42.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,157 CA$2,991

$1,739 CA$2,412

23.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,381 CA$11.6K

$4,319 CA$5,990

94.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,842 CA$9,489

$3,732 CA$5,176

83.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,799 CA$5,269

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

4.68

-4.49%

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

Last update for Toronto: September 6, 2026

Last update for Burns Lake: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,660 in Toronto versus $1,300 in Burns Lake. 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 $87.0 in Toronto versus $67.0 in Burns Lake. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $364 vs $354 – making Burns Lake the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Burns Lake: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Toronto costs about 13% more than Burns Lake, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,930 per month in Toronto and $3,472 in Burns Lake. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Burns Lake, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 3% more in Toronto, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $87.0 in Toronto and $67.0 in Burns Lake. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Burns Lake, where all-in costs run around $2,315, than in Toronto at $2,620. In Burns Lake it covers expenses comfortably, while in Toronto it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Burns Lake – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Burns Lake. 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.