Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Castries

For one person, living is cheaper in Castries: $1,441 a month against $2,599 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $13,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Toronto, Canada
Castries, Saint Lucia
Toronto
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,599
/mo nomad
Castries
🇱🇨 Saint Lucia
$1,441
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toronto and in Castries

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

A single person spends $2,599 per month in Toronto vs $1,441 in Castries, rent included.

  • Toronto $2,599
  • Castries $1,441

A couple spends around $3,700 per month in Toronto vs $2,376 in Castries, rent included.

  • Toronto $3,700
  • Castries $2,376

A family of three spends $4,801 per month in Toronto vs $3,310 in Castries, rent included.

  • Toronto $4,801
  • Castries $3,310

Toronto costs about 80% more than Castries, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Toronto and Castries sit above the global median – Toronto by 92%, Castries by 7%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Toronto
Castries
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.98 CA$25.09
$9.42 EC$25.45
90.87%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$72.3 CA$101
$73.9 EC$200
-2.22%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.83 CA$15.11
$8.47 EC$22.86
27.86%
Cappuccino
$4.34 CA$6.06
$3.66 EC$9.89
18.58%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.16 CA$3.01
$1.96 EC$5.30
10.20%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.66 CA$2.31
$0.92 EC$2.49
80.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.35 CA$8.86
$2.77 EC$7.47
129.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.34 CA$10.25
$3.39 EC$9.17
116.52%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Toronto
Castries
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.57 CA$3.59
$2.06 EC$5.57
24.76%
White Bread (500g)
$2.71 CA$3.78
$1.87 EC$5.06
44.92%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.28 CA$3.18
$1.67 EC$4.51
36.53%
Eggs
$3.60 CA$5.03
$5.04 EC$13.61
-28.57%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.94 CA$12.48
$11.38 EC$30.72
-21.44%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.19 CA$15.62
$9.06 EC$24.46
23.51%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.23 CA$21.25
$14.93 EC$40.31
2.01%
Apples (1kg)
$3.74 CA$5.23
$8.67 EC$23.40
-56.86%
Banana (1kg)
$1.23 CA$1.71
$1.63 EC$4.40
-24.54%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.58 CA$5.00
$8.38 EC$22.64
-57.28%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.25 CA$5.93
$14.78 EC$39.90
-71.24%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 CA$2.71
$3.38 EC$9.12
-42.60%
Onion (1kg)
$1.67 CA$2.33
$1.99 EC$5.39
-16.08%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.30 CA$3.21
$2.24 EC$6.05
2.68%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.26 CA$1.76
$1.33 EC$3.60
-5.26%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.19 CA$19.81
$9.41 EC$25.40
50.80%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.25 CA$19.89
$11.14 EC$30.07
27.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.28 CA$3.18
$2.20 EC$5.93
3.64%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.58 CA$3.61
$5.61 EC$15.14
-54.01%
🚌 Getting Around
Toronto
Castries
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.35 CA$3.29
$1.14 EC$3.07
106.14%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$111 CA$155
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.01 CA$4.21
$9.37 EC$25.29
-67.88%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.22 CA$1.71
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$21.82 CA$30.47
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.23 CA$1.72
$1.57 EC$4.25
-21.66%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.0K CA$37.6K
$25.7K EC$69.5K
4.76%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.8K CA$30.5K
$36.6K EC$98.9K
-40.34%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Toronto
Castries
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$121 CA$169
$124 EC$334
-2.25%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.10 CA$46.21
$87.2 EC$235
-62.03%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$49.09 CA$68.5
$47.78 EC$129
2.74%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Toronto
Castries
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.65 CA$51.2
$41.45 EC$112
-11.58%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.01 CA$34.91
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.78 CA$17.84
$5.64 EC$15.22
126.60%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Toronto
Castries
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$754 CA$1,053
$210 EC$566
259.63%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$33.7K CA$47.0K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Toronto
Castries
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$50.4 CA$70.3
$83.0 EC$224
-39.29%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.43 CA$57.8
$51.2 EC$138
-19.10%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 CA$141
$113 EC$304
-10.11%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$130 CA$182
$113 EC$304
15.48%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Toronto
Castries
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,590 CA$2,219
$455 EC$1,229
249.15%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,424 CA$1,988
$343 EC$925
315.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,641 CA$3,687
$1,214 EC$3,279
117.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,090 CA$2,918
$723 EC$1,951
189.20%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,730 CA$10.8K
$101 EC$272
7572.46%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,892 CA$9,620
$65.0 EC$175
10510.96%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Toronto
Castries
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,623 CA$5,057
$1,101 EC$2,973
228.97%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.45
7.75
-42.58%

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

Last update for Toronto: November 2, 2026

Last update for Castries: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Toronto
$1.4K
Castries
$343 75.9% $1.1K
Groceries & Markets
Toronto
$345
Castries
$434 26% $90
Eating Out
Toronto
$290
Castries
$177 39% $113
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Toronto
$203
Castries
$259 27.4% $56
Clothing & Footwear
Toronto
$145
Castries
$162 11.2% $16
Getting Around
Toronto
$130
Castries
$14 * 89.3% $116
Sport & Entertainment
Toronto
$62
Castries
$53 15.2% $9.5

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,590 in Toronto versus $455 in Castries. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Toronto are about 3.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $72 in Toronto versus $74 in Castries. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $345 vs $434 – making Toronto the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Toronto
🇱🇨 Castries
🕒 Local time
19:49 7:49 PM
20:49 8:49 PM
1 h ahead of Toronto
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,731,571
22,000 Capital
Exchange rates and currency converter

XCD, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.638 EUR).

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.03 XCD (1 XCD = 0.33 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Toronto Castries 3,730 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Toronto
  • Castries

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 Castries: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Toronto or Castries?
Toronto costs about 80% more than Castries, 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 Castries?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,899 per month in Toronto and $2,162 in Castries. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Toronto or Castries?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Castries, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $455 there versus $1,590 in Toronto.
How much does it cost to live in Toronto compared to Castries?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,599 in Toronto and $1,441 in Castries. That makes Castries about 45% cheaper.
How do childcare costs compare in Toronto and in Castries?
Kindergarten costs $754 per month in Toronto and $210 in Castries. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Toronto or in Castries?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,599 in Toronto and $1,441 in Castries. 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 Castries – 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 Castries?
If budget matters most, go with Castries. If higher salaries 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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