Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Des Plaines, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Toronto: $2,530 a month against $3,073 in Des Plaines, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index
146

Cost of Living Index in Des Plaines, IL
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Des Plaines, IL Living Index

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,530

/mo nomad

Des Plaines, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,073

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toronto and in Des Plaines, IL

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 Des Plaines, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,530 in Toronto versus $3,073 in Des Plaines, IL.

Toronto $2,530
Des Plaines, IL $3,073

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,646 in Toronto versus $4,412 in Des Plaines, IL.

Toronto $3,646
Des Plaines, IL $4,412

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,761 in Toronto versus $5,750 in Des Plaines, IL.

Toronto $4,761
Des Plaines, IL $5,750

Living in Toronto costs roughly 18% less than in Des Plaines, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toronto 89% above, Des Plaines, IL 129% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.67 CA$25.19

$20.88 $20.88

-15.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.4 CA$110

$89.5 $89.5

-13.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.47 CA$14.93

$12.87 $12.87

-18.65%

Cappuccino

$4.08 CA$5.81

$5.65 $5.65

-27.79%

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

$2.12 CA$3.02

$2.59 $2.59

-18.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 CA$2.51

$2.32 $2.32

-24.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.17 CA$8.80

$6.95 $6.95

-11.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.89 CA$9.82

$8.02 $8.02

-14.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.43 CA$3.46

$0.95 $0.95

155.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 CA$3.92

$3.49 $3.49

-21.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 CA$3.18

$4.23 $4.23

-47.28%

Eggs

$3.45 CA$4.91

$4.16 $4.16

-17.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.93 CA$12.73

$14.67 $14.67

-39.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.44 CA$16.31

$13.02 $13.02

-12.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.61 CA$20.83

$18.95 $18.95

-22.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 CA$5.34

$4.75 $4.75

-21.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 CA$1.64

$1.63 $1.63

-29.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.55 CA$5.06

$4.16 $4.16

-14.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.28 CA$6.10

$4.82 $4.82

-11.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 CA$2.63

$2.66 $2.66

-30.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 CA$2.38

$2.74 $2.74

-39.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 CA$3.16

$2.15 $2.15

3.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$2.41 $2.41

-49.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.88 CA$19.78

$10.65 $10.65

30.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 CA$20.31

$14.86 $14.86

-4.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 CA$3.13

$2.55 $2.55

-13.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 CA$3.45

$3.53 $3.53

-31.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 CA$3.44

$2.02 $2.02

19.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 CA$158

$60.8 $60.8

82.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.90 CA$4.13

$3.17 $3.17

-8.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 CA$1.80

$1.37 $1.37

-8.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.03 CA$31.40

$24.93 $24.93

-11.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.74

$1.05 $1.05

16.19%

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

$27.6K CA$39.4K

$35.9K $35.9K

-23.08%

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

$19.8K CA$28.3K

$24.8K $24.8K

-20.16%

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

$122 CA$174

$195 $195

-37.47%

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

$32.03 CA$45.66

$60.5 $60.5

-47.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.92 CA$68.3

$77.2 $77.2

-37.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.90 CA$55.5

$125 $125

-68.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.24 CA$33.12

$40.72 $40.72

-42.93%

Cinema Ticket

$12.61 CA$17.97

$15.16 $15.16

-16.82%

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

$834 CA$1,189

$1,545 $1,545

-46.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K CA$33.3K

$23.5K $23.5K

-0.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 CA$75.0

$65.3 $65.3

-19.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.26 CA$57.4

$51.0 $51.0

-20.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 CA$137

$101 $101

-4.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 CA$175

$123 $123

0.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 CA$2,278

$2,093 $2,093

-23.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,435 CA$2,045

$1,521 $1,521

-5.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,657 CA$3,787

$3,861 $3,861

-31.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 CA$2,988

$2,536 $2,536

-17.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,033 CA$11.5K

$3,174 $3,174

153.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,557 CA$9,347

$2,521 $2,521

160.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,743 CA$5,335

$6,220 $6,220

-39.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

6.77

-33.97%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 4, 2026

Last update for Des Plaines, IL: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 55.4%

Des Plaines, IL

$1.5K 50.6% 6% $86

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$340 13.1%

Des Plaines, IL

$419 14% 23.1% $79

Eating Out

Toronto

$282 10.9%

Des Plaines, IL

$344 11.5% 22% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$202 7.8%

Des Plaines, IL

$333 11.1% 64.8% $131

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$140 5.4%

Des Plaines, IL

$153 5.1% 8.8% $12

Getting Around

Toronto

$130 5%

Des Plaines, IL

$79 2.6% 39.1% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$64 2.5%

Des Plaines, IL

$155 5.2% 142% $91

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,598 in Toronto and $2,093 in Des Plaines, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Des Plaines, IL pays 66% 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 $89.0 in Des Plaines, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 vs $419 per month, with Toronto cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇺🇸 Des Plaines, IL

🕒 Local time

19:51 7:51 PM

18:51 6:51 PM

1 h behind Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

60,675

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Toronto Des Plaines, IL 720 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Toronto
Des Plaines, IL

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 Des Plaines, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Toronto and Des Plaines, IL differ by about 21% in total monthly costs ($2,530 vs $3,073 including rent). Toronto is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 66% lower in Des Plaines, IL. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,598 in Toronto versus $2,093 in Des Plaines, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Des Plaines, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Toronto – a meal for two runs $77.0 versus $89.0 in Des Plaines, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Toronto is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Toronto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Des Plaines, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.