Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Downey, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Toronto: $2,561 a month against $3,035 in Downey, CA, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 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
148

Cost of Living Index in Downey, CA
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Downey, CA Living Index

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,561

/mo nomad

Downey, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,035

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toronto and in Downey, CA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,561 in Toronto versus $3,035 in Downey, CA.

Toronto $2,561
Downey, CA $3,035

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,694 in Toronto versus $4,713 in Downey, CA.

Toronto $3,694
Downey, CA $4,713

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,826 in Toronto versus $6,391 in Downey, CA.

Toronto $4,826
Downey, CA $6,391

Living in Toronto costs roughly 16% less than in Downey, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toronto 90% above, Downey, CA 125% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.18 CA$24.29

$24.83 $24.83

-30.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 CA$107

$80.2 $80.2

-5.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.89

$15.21 $15.21

-30.70%

Cappuccino

$4.02 CA$5.68

$5.66 $5.66

-28.98%

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

$2.12 CA$3.00

$3.16 $3.16

-32.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 CA$2.48

$2.34 $2.34

-25.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.24 CA$8.83

$7.38 $7.38

-15.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.09 CA$10.02

$9.36 $9.36

-24.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 CA$3.45

$1.12 $1.12

117.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 CA$3.78

$4.10 $4.10

-34.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 CA$3.17

$4.70 $4.70

-52.34%

Eggs

$3.56 CA$5.03

$4.67 $4.67

-23.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.09 CA$12.85

$12.90 $12.90

-29.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.33 CA$16.01

$13.40 $13.40

-15.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.53 CA$20.55

$15.25 $15.25

-4.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 CA$5.12

$4.70 $4.70

-22.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$1.65 $1.65

-26.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.60 CA$5.09

$4.13 $4.13

-12.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.96

$5.48 $5.48

-23.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.53

$3.71 $3.71

-51.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 CA$2.25

$3.08 $3.08

-48.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$2.03 $2.03

11.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 CA$1.77

$2.23 $2.23

-43.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 CA$19.53

$11.68 $11.68

18.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.27 CA$20.18

$14.98 $14.98

-4.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 CA$3.10

$2.01 $2.01

9.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 CA$3.44

$4.20 $4.20

-42.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.39 CA$3.38

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 CA$157

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 CA$4.12

$6.34 $6.34

-54.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 CA$1.69

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.38 CA$30.23

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.71

$1.47 $1.47

-17.69%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$37.7K $37.7K

-25.27%

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

$20.3K CA$28.6K

$25.7K $25.7K

-21.25%

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

$120 CA$170

$170 $170

-29.33%

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

$32.26 CA$45.60

$66.6 $66.6

-51.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.93 CA$67.8

$72.3 $72.3

-33.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.48 CA$54.4

$34.92 $34.92

10.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.96 CA$32.46

Cinema Ticket

$12.38 CA$17.50

$15.11 $15.11

-18.07%

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

$830 CA$1,173

$1,188 $1,188

-30.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K CA$32.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.7 CA$71.7

$58.6 $58.6

-13.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.02 CA$56.6

$45.89 $45.89

-12.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 CA$139

$92.0 $92.0

6.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 CA$171

$144 $144

-16.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,592 CA$2,251

$1,946 $1,946

-18.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,410 CA$1,994

$1,693 $1,693

-16.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,670 CA$3,775

$3,725 $3,725

-28.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,152 CA$3,042

$3,383 $3,383

-36.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,945 CA$11.2K

$5,755 $5,755

38.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,542 CA$9,249

$5,766 $5,766

13.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,727 CA$5,269

$4,178 $4,178

-10.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

6.39

-30.05%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 12, 2026

Last update for Downey, CA: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 55.1%

Downey, CA

$1.7K 55.8% 20% $282

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$340 13.3%

Downey, CA

$419 13.8% 23.3% $79

Eating Out

Toronto

$278 10.9%

Downey, CA

$390 12.8% 40.1% $112

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$201 7.8%

Downey, CA

$309 10.2% 54.2% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$139 5.4%

Downey, CA

$153 5.1% 10.1% $14

Getting Around

Toronto

$129 5.1%

Downey, CA

$6.3 * 0.2% 95.1% $123

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$63 2.5%

Downey, CA

$65 2.2% 3% $1.9

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 $1,592 in Toronto and $1,946 in Downey, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Downey, CA pays 12% 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: $76.0 in Toronto vs $80.0 in Downey, CA 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

🇺🇸 Downey, CA

🕒 Local time

18:42 6:42 PM

15:42 3:42 PM

3 h behind Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

114,355

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Toronto Downey, CA 3,490 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Toronto
Downey, CA

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 Downey, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Toronto is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 12% lower in Downey, CA. 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: $1,592 in Toronto versus $1,946 in Downey, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

All in, you'll spend $2,561 per month in Toronto versus $3,035 in Downey, CA – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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.

Safety-wise, Toronto and Downey, CA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Toronto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Downey, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.