Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Dubuque, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Dubuque, IA: $1,731 a month against $2,610 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in Dubuque, IA
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Dubuque, IA Living Index

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,610

/mo nomad

Dubuque, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,731

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toronto and in Dubuque, IA

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

A single person spends $2,610 per month in Toronto vs $1,731 in Dubuque, IA, rent included.

Toronto $2,610
Dubuque, IA $1,731

A couple spends around $3,727 per month in Toronto vs $2,538 in Dubuque, IA, rent included.

Toronto $3,727
Dubuque, IA $2,538

A family of three spends $4,844 per month in Toronto vs $3,345 in Dubuque, IA, rent included.

Toronto $4,844
Dubuque, IA $3,345

Toronto costs about 51% more than Dubuque, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Toronto and Dubuque, IA sit above the global median – Toronto by 93%, Dubuque, IA by 28%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 CA$24.87

$13.85 $13.85

27.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.8 CA$111

$49.71 $49.71

58.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 CA$15.16

$11.80 $11.80

-9.07%

Cappuccino

$4.09 CA$5.78

$4.99 $4.99

-18.04%

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

$2.10 CA$2.97

$2.02 $2.02

3.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 CA$2.43

$0.95 $0.95

81.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.36 CA$8.99

$3.01 $3.01

111.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.08 CA$10.01

$4.53 $4.53

56.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.54 CA$3.59

$0.78 $0.78

225.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 CA$3.85

$2.71 $2.71

0.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 CA$3.09

$2.82 $2.82

-22.70%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.13

$2.85 $2.85

27.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.46 CA$13.37

$14.05 $14.05

-32.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 CA$16.32

$10.38 $10.38

11.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.37 CA$20.32

$10.63 $10.63

35.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 CA$5.23

$3.32 $3.32

11.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 CA$1.68

$1.21 $1.21

-1.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.46 CA$4.90

$3.26 $3.26

6.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.22 CA$5.97

$2.45 $2.45

72.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.52

$1.36 $1.36

31.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 CA$2.33

$1.67 $1.67

-1.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 CA$3.11

$2.42 $2.42

-9.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 CA$1.78

$1.79 $1.79

-29.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.97 CA$19.75

$8.70 $8.70

60.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.20 CA$20.07

$13.36 $13.36

6.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 CA$3.18

$1.69 $1.69

33.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 CA$3.58

$2.82 $2.82

-10.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 CA$3.28

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 CA$158

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 CA$4.33

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 CA$1.72

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.69 CA$30.66

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$0.91 $0.91

32.97%

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

$26.1K CA$37.0K

$24.5K $24.5K

6.56%

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

$21.1K CA$29.9K

$25.0K $25.0K

-15.61%

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

$120 CA$169

$176 $176

-32.13%

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

$32.21 CA$45.54

$52.0 $52.0

-38.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.88 CA$69.1

$50.7 $50.7

-3.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.34 CA$55.6

$36.87 $36.87

6.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.58 CA$33.34

Cinema Ticket

$12.58 CA$17.79

$8.17 $8.17

53.98%

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

$832 CA$1,176

$812 $812

2.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K CA$33.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 CA$73.9

$55.6 $55.6

-5.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.44 CA$55.8

$35.65 $35.65

10.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.0 CA$140

$86.1 $86.1

14.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 CA$172

$88.7 $88.7

37.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,631 CA$2,306

$985 $985

65.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,448 CA$2,048

$725 $725

99.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,737 CA$3,869

$1,476 $1,476

85.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,129 CA$3,010

$1,201 $1,201

77.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,206 CA$11.6K

$1,732 $1,732

373.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,838 CA$9,666

$1,707 $1,707

300.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,520 CA$4,976

$3,768 $3,768

-6.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

5.25

-14.86%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 18, 2026

Last update for Dubuque, IA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 55.5%

Dubuque, IA

$725 41.9% 50% $724

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$343 13.1%

Dubuque, IA

$312 18% 9% $31

Eating Out

Toronto

$283 10.9%

Dubuque, IA

$242 14% 14.5% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$201 7.7%

Dubuque, IA

$279 16.1% 39% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$141 5.4%

Dubuque, IA

$120 6.9% 14.9% $21

Getting Around

Toronto

$130 5%

Dubuque, IA

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$65 2.5%

Dubuque, IA

$53 3.1% 17.5% $11

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,631 in Toronto versus $985 in Dubuque, IA. 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 7% higher in Dubuque, IA, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Toronto versus $50.0 in Dubuque, IA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $343 vs $312 – making Dubuque, IA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇺🇸 Dubuque, IA

🕒 Local time

23:51 11:51 PM

22:51 10:51 PM

1 h behind Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

59,667

💱 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 22, 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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Toronto Dubuque, IA 920 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Toronto
Dubuque, IA

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 Dubuque, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Toronto costs about 51% more than Dubuque, IA, 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,916 per month in Toronto and $2,596 in Dubuque, IA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dubuque, IA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,610 in Toronto and $1,731 in Dubuque, IA. That's a gap of about 51%.

Kindergarten costs $832 per month in Toronto and $812 in Dubuque, IA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Dubuque, IA, where all-in costs run around $1,731, than in Toronto at $2,610. In Dubuque, IA it covers expenses comfortably, while in Toronto it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Dubuque, IA – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Dubuque, IA. 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.