Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Dartmouth

For one person, living is cheaper in Dartmouth: $1,993 a month against $2,561 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Toronto
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,561
/mo nomad
Dartmouth
🇨🇦 Canada
$1,993
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toronto and in Dartmouth

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

A single person spends $2,561 per month in Toronto vs $1,993 in Dartmouth, rent included.

  • Toronto $2,561
  • Dartmouth $1,993

A couple spends around $3,694 per month in Toronto vs $2,990 in Dartmouth, rent included.

  • Toronto $3,694
  • Dartmouth $2,990

A family of three spends $4,826 per month in Toronto vs $3,987 in Dartmouth, rent included.

  • Toronto $4,826
  • Dartmouth $3,987

Toronto costs about 29% more than Dartmouth, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Toronto and Dartmouth sit above the global median – Toronto by 90%, Dartmouth by 48%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Toronto
Dartmouth
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.18 CA$24.29
$10.55 CA$14.91
62.84%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$76.0 CA$107
$58.5 CA$82.7
29.91%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.54 CA$14.89
$6.96 CA$9.84
51.44%
Cappuccino
$4.02 CA$5.68
$3.56 CA$5.04
12.92%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.12 CA$3.00
$2.00 CA$2.82
6.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 CA$2.48
$1.88 CA$2.66
-6.91%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.24 CA$8.83
$4.45 CA$6.30
40.22%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.09 CA$10.02
$5.70 CA$8.05
24.39%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Toronto
Dartmouth
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.44 CA$3.45
$2.38 CA$3.36
2.52%
White Bread (500g)
$2.68 CA$3.78
$2.04 CA$2.89
31.37%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.24 CA$3.17
$3.31 CA$4.68
-32.33%
Eggs
$3.56 CA$5.03
$3.49 CA$4.93
2.01%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.09 CA$12.85
$7.64 CA$10.80
18.98%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.33 CA$16.01
$9.18 CA$12.98
23.42%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.53 CA$20.55
$10.37 CA$14.65
40.12%
Apples (1kg)
$3.62 CA$5.12
$3.38 CA$4.78
7.10%
Banana (1kg)
$1.21 CA$1.72
$1.52 CA$2.15
-20.39%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.60 CA$5.09
$4.47 CA$6.32
-19.46%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.21 CA$5.96
$5.75 CA$8.12
-26.78%
Potato (1kg)
$1.79 CA$2.53
$2.03 CA$2.86
-11.82%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 CA$2.25
$2.11 CA$2.98
-24.64%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.27 CA$3.21
$2.48 CA$3.51
-8.47%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.25 CA$1.77
$2.13 CA$3.01
-41.31%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.82 CA$19.53
$13.95 CA$19.72
-0.93%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.27 CA$20.18
$14.17 CA$20.03
0.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.20 CA$3.10
$3.35 CA$4.74
-34.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.43 CA$3.44
$3.87 CA$5.47
-37.21%
🚌 Getting Around
Toronto
Dartmouth
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.39 CA$3.38
$1.97 CA$2.78
21.32%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$111 CA$157
$59.6 CA$84.2
86.25%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.91 CA$4.12
$2.76 CA$3.90
5.43%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.20 CA$1.69
$1.32 CA$1.86
-9.09%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$21.38 CA$30.23
$21.34 CA$30.17
0.19%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.21 CA$1.71
$1.12 CA$1.58
8.04%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.2K CA$39.8K
$28.0K CA$39.5K
0.73%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.3K CA$28.6K
$18.9K CA$26.7K
7.37%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Toronto
Dartmouth
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$120 CA$170
$77.5 CA$109
55.39%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$32.26 CA$45.60
$41.92 CA$59.3
-23.04%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$47.93 CA$67.8
$63.3 CA$89.5
-24.28%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Toronto
Dartmouth
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$38.48 CA$54.4
$35.19 CA$49.75
9.35%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.96 CA$32.46
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.38 CA$17.50
$12.41 CA$17.54
-0.24%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Toronto
Dartmouth
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$830 CA$1,173
$373 CA$527
122.53%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.1K CA$32.6K
$13.2K CA$18.7K
74.86%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Toronto
Dartmouth
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$50.7 CA$71.7
$39.41 CA$55.7
28.67%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.02 CA$56.6
$33.13 CA$46.84
20.80%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.0 CA$139
$66.7 CA$94.3
46.90%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 CA$171
$74.6 CA$105
61.77%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Toronto
Dartmouth
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,592 CA$2,251
$1,215 CA$1,717
31.09%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,410 CA$1,994
$1,037 CA$1,466
35.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,670 CA$3,775
$1,956 CA$2,765
36.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,152 CA$3,042
$1,818 CA$2,570
18.35%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,945 CA$11.2K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,542 CA$9,249
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Toronto
Dartmouth
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,727 CA$5,269
$2,539 CA$3,589
46.80%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.47
4.6
-2.83%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 12, 2026

Last update for Dartmouth: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Toronto
$1.4K
Dartmouth
$1K 26.5% $373
Groceries & Markets
Toronto
$340
Dartmouth
$343 0.8% $2.8
Eating Out
Toronto
$278
Dartmouth
$197 29.1% $81
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Toronto
$201
Dartmouth
$183 8.9% $18
Clothing & Footwear
Toronto
$139
Dartmouth
$96 30.9% $43
Getting Around
Toronto
$129
Dartmouth
$77 40.7% $53
Sport & Entertainment
Toronto
$63
Dartmouth
$60 5.1% $3.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,592 in Toronto versus $1,215 in Dartmouth. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 47% higher in Toronto, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76.0 in Toronto versus $58.0 in Dartmouth. Groceries tell a different story – $340 in Toronto vs $343 in Dartmouth – so Toronto wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Toronto
🇨🇦 Dartmouth
🕒 Local time
05:33 5:33 AM
06:33 6:33 AM
1 h ahead of Toronto
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,731,571
70,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Toronto Dartmouth 1,260 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Toronto
  • Dartmouth

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 Dartmouth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Toronto and in Dartmouth compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,561 in Toronto, $1,993 in Dartmouth – roughly 29% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Toronto compared to Dartmouth?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,841 per month in Toronto and $2,989 in Dartmouth. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Toronto and Dartmouth?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Dartmouth, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Toronto or Dartmouth?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,561 in Toronto and $1,993 in Dartmouth. That's a gap of about 29%.
How do commuting costs compare in Toronto and in Dartmouth?
Public transport costs about 86% less in Dartmouth. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Dartmouth, where all-in costs run around $1,993, than in Toronto at $2,561. In Dartmouth it covers expenses comfortably, while in Toronto it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Toronto or Dartmouth?
Families tend to lean toward Dartmouth – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How do I decide between Toronto and Dartmouth?
If budget matters most, go with Dartmouth. 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.

Toronto vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?