Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Cali

For one person, living is cheaper in Cali: $1,054 a month against $2,530 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $17,700 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
51

Cost of Living Index in Cali
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Cali Living Index

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,530

/mo nomad

Cali

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,054

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toronto and in Cali

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,530 in Toronto versus $1,054 in Cali.

Toronto $2,530
Cali $1,054

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,646 in Toronto versus $1,614 in Cali.

Toronto $3,646
Cali $1,614

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,761 in Toronto versus $2,174 in Cali.

Toronto $4,761
Cali $2,174

Living in Toronto is roughly 140% more expensive than in Cali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Toronto is 89% above, Cali is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.67 CA$25.13

$7.26 COP 23.4K

143.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.4 CA$110

$37.04 COP 119.3K

108.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.47 CA$14.90

$8.05 COP 25.9K

30.06%

Cappuccino

$4.08 CA$5.80

$1.54 COP 4,972

164.94%

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

$2.12 CA$3.01

$1.25 COP 4,027

69.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 CA$2.50

$0.84 COP 2,702

109.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.17 CA$8.78

$3.16 COP 10.2K

95.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.89 CA$9.80

$3.58 COP 11.5K

92.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.43 CA$3.46

$1.55 COP 4,998

56.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 CA$3.91

$1.87 COP 6,026

47.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 CA$3.17

$1.50 COP 4,822

48.67%

Eggs

$3.45 CA$4.90

$2.77 COP 8,907

24.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.93 CA$12.71

$6.40 COP 20.6K

39.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.44 CA$16.27

$6.89 COP 22.2K

66.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.61 CA$20.78

$9.92 COP 31.9K

47.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 CA$5.33

$3.43 COP 11.0K

9.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 CA$1.63

$1.30 COP 4,186

-11.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.55 CA$5.05

$1.76 COP 5,659

101.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.28 CA$6.09

$1.68 COP 5,421

154.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 CA$2.62

$1.47 COP 4,730

25.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 CA$2.37

$1.47 COP 4,722

13.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 CA$3.15

$1.10 COP 3,551

101.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$0.93 COP 3,004

30.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.88 CA$19.74

$3.63 COP 11.7K

282.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 CA$20.27

$12.56 COP 40.5K

13.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 CA$3.12

$1.42 COP 4,565

54.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 CA$3.44

$2.40 COP 7,712

0.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 CA$3.44

$1.05 COP 3,370

130.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 CA$158

$29.00 COP 93.4K

281.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.90 CA$4.12

$0.83 COP 2,664

249.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 CA$1.79

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.03 CA$31.33

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.74

$1.25 COP 4,040

-2.40%

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

$27.6K CA$39.3K

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

$19.8K CA$28.2K

$33.7K COP 108.5M

-41.18%

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

$122 CA$173

$111 COP 358.1K

9.59%

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

$32.03 CA$45.56

$12.79 COP 41.2K

150.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.92 CA$68.2

$29.75 COP 95.8K

61.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.90 CA$55.3

$28.38 COP 91.4K

37.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.24 CA$33.05

Cinema Ticket

$12.61 CA$17.94

$8.24 COP 26.5K

53.03%

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

$834 CA$1,186

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K CA$33.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 CA$74.8

$75.8 COP 243.9K

-30.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.26 CA$57.3

$53.8 COP 173.3K

-25.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 CA$137

$122 COP 394.4K

-21.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 CA$175

$109 COP 350.7K

12.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 CA$2,273

$638 COP 2.1M

150.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,435 CA$2,041

$291 COP 937.4K

392.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,657 CA$3,779

$1,498 COP 4.8M

77.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 CA$2,981

$479 COP 1.5M

337.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,033 CA$11.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,557 CA$9,327

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,743 CA$5,324

$567 COP 1.8M

560.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

11.58

-61.40%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 4, 2026

Last update for Cali: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 55.4%

Cali

$291 27.6% 79.7% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$340 13.1%

Cali

$235 22.3% 30.9% $105

Eating Out

Toronto

$282 10.9%

Cali

$132 12.5% 53.1% $150

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$202 7.8%

Cali

$154 14.6% 23.8% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$140 5.4%

Cali

$162 15.4% 15.7% $22

Getting Around

Toronto

$130 5%

Cali

$34 * 3.2% 73.8% $96

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$64 2.5%

Cali

$45 4.3% 30.1% $19

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 $1,598 in Toronto and $638 in Cali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toronto pays 560% 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: $77.0 in Toronto vs $37.00 in Cali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 vs $235 per month, with Cali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇨🇴 Cali

🕒 Local time

00:53 12:53 AM

23:53 11:53 PM

1 h behind Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

2,568,609

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.627 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.11 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,220 COP (10,000 COP = 3.11 USD). 1 EUR = 3,611 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Toronto Cali 4,480 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Toronto
Cali

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 Cali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cali is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 140% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 560% 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 $638 in Cali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Cali – a meal for two runs $37.00 versus $77.0 in Toronto. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Cali runs roughly 282% less than in Toronto. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,054 in Cali versus $2,530 in Toronto, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cali but tight or insufficient in Toronto. The gap between the two cities makes Cali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cali is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Toronto, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Cali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 140% less than in Toronto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.