Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Cambridge, Canada

For one person, living costs are similar in Toronto and in Cambridge: $2,589 and $2,527 a month, rent and utilities included.

Toronto, Canada
Cambridge, Canada
Toronto
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,589
/mo nomad
Cambridge
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,527
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toronto and in Cambridge

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,589 in Toronto versus $2,527 in Cambridge.

  • Toronto $2,589
  • Cambridge $2,527

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,710 in Toronto versus $3,443 in Cambridge.

  • Toronto $3,710
  • Cambridge $3,443

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,831 in Toronto versus $4,359 in Cambridge.

  • Toronto $4,831
  • Cambridge $4,359

Monthly costs are close between Toronto and Cambridge; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toronto 90% above, Cambridge 86% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Toronto
Cambridge
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.60 CA$24.70
$17.69 CA$24.82
-0.51%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$77.8 CA$109
$56.7 CA$79.6
37.26%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.59 CA$14.86
$10.55 CA$14.81
0.38%
Cappuccino
$4.16 CA$5.83
$3.56 CA$5.00
16.85%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.04 CA$2.87
$1.99 CA$2.79
2.51%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 CA$2.46
$1.22 CA$1.72
43.44%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.58 CA$9.23
$5.19 CA$7.29
26.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.11 CA$9.98
$6.26 CA$8.78
13.58%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Toronto
Cambridge
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.53 CA$3.56
$1.99 CA$2.80
27.14%
White Bread (500g)
$2.70 CA$3.79
$2.41 CA$3.38
12.03%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.24 CA$3.14
$3.19 CA$4.48
-29.78%
Eggs
$3.48 CA$4.89
$3.32 CA$4.66
4.82%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.38 CA$13.16
$11.24 CA$15.77
-16.55%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.60 CA$16.28
$11.38 CA$15.97
1.93%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.68 CA$20.61
$14.43 CA$20.25
1.73%
Apples (1kg)
$3.74 CA$5.26
$4.07 CA$5.70
-8.11%
Banana (1kg)
$1.22 CA$1.72
$1.33 CA$1.86
-8.27%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.48 CA$4.88
$4.05 CA$5.68
-14.07%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.32 CA$6.07
$3.74 CA$5.25
15.51%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 CA$2.60
$2.76 CA$3.87
-32.97%
Onion (1kg)
$1.69 CA$2.37
$1.94 CA$2.72
-12.89%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.23 CA$3.13
$2.00 CA$2.81
11.50%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 CA$1.79
$1.29 CA$1.82
-0.78%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.04 CA$19.71
$12.93 CA$18.15
8.58%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.43 CA$20.25
$12.40 CA$17.41
16.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.16 CA$3.03
$2.63 CA$3.69
-17.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.52 CA$3.54
$4.04 CA$5.67
-37.62%
🚌 Getting Around
Toronto
Cambridge
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.37 CA$3.32
$2.80 CA$3.93
-15.36%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$112 CA$158
$69.4 CA$97.5
61.95%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.04 CA$4.27
$2.56 CA$3.59
18.75%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.24 CA$1.74
$1.80 CA$2.52
-31.11%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$22.55 CA$31.65
$23.32 CA$32.73
-3.30%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.24 CA$1.75
$1.22 CA$1.71
1.64%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.9K CA$37.8K
$26.5K CA$37.2K
1.52%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.4K CA$30.0K
$20.7K CA$29.0K
3.41%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Toronto
Cambridge
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$125 CA$175
$152 CA$214
-18.19%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.05 CA$46.39
$42.51 CA$59.7
-22.25%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$47.96 CA$67.3
$50.5 CA$70.9
-5.07%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Toronto
Cambridge
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.69 CA$51.5
$28.64 CA$40.20
28.11%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.67 CA$33.22
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.08 CA$18.35
$10.74 CA$15.07
21.79%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Toronto
Cambridge
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$759 CA$1,065
$497 CA$698
52.59%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.8K CA$33.4K
$15.8K CA$22.2K
50.15%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Toronto
Cambridge
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.5 CA$75.1
$63.5 CA$89.1
-15.62%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.44 CA$56.8
$33.07 CA$46.41
22.29%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$100 CA$141
$82.3 CA$115
22.12%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$125 CA$176
$106 CA$148
18.57%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Toronto
Cambridge
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,630 CA$2,287
$1,529 CA$2,146
6.59%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,416 CA$1,987
$1,395 CA$1,957
1.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,694 CA$3,781
$2,057 CA$2,887
30.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,101 CA$2,949
$1,870 CA$2,625
12.32%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,551 CA$10.6K
$4,450 CA$6,245
69.67%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,674 CA$9,366
$3,682 CA$5,168
81.24%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Toronto
Cambridge
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,543 CA$4,973
$3,028 CA$4,250
17.01%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.45
5.22
-14.75%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 26, 2026

Last update for Cambridge: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Toronto
$1.4K
Cambridge
$1.4K 1.5% $21
Groceries & Markets
Toronto
$345
Cambridge
$349 1.2% $4
Eating Out
Toronto
$285
Cambridge
$267 6.2% $18
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Toronto
$206
Cambridge
$245 19.3% $40
Clothing & Footwear
Toronto
$144
Cambridge
$128 11% $16
Getting Around
Toronto
$131
Cambridge
$92 29.7% $39
Sport & Entertainment
Toronto
$63
Cambridge
$50 20.3% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,630 in Toronto and $1,529 in Cambridge. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toronto pays 17% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $78 in Toronto vs $57 in Cambridge. Groceries flip the comparison at $345 vs $349, with Toronto cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Toronto
🇨🇦 Cambridge
🕒 Local time
16:32 4:32 PM
16:32 4:32 PM
Same time as Toronto
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,731,571
138,479
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.64 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Toronto Cambridge 82 km
From you
  • Toronto
  • Cambridge

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 Cambridge: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Where can you earn more: Toronto or Cambridge?
Average pay runs 17% higher in Toronto, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Toronto and Cambridge?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,630 in Toronto versus $1,529 in Cambridge. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Is eating out cheaper in Toronto or in Cambridge?
Dining out is cheaper in Cambridge – a meal for two runs $57 versus $78 in Toronto. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $759 in Toronto versus $497 in Cambridge. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is $2,500 enough to cover costs in Toronto or in Cambridge?
Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Cambridge is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Is Toronto or Cambridge more family-friendly?
For families, Cambridge 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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
It comes down to priorities – Cambridge wins on affordability, Toronto on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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