Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Escazu

For one person, living is cheaper in Escazu: $1,933 a month against $2,561 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 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
94

Cost of Living Index in Escazu
Learn more

Escazu Living Index

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,561

/mo nomad

Escazu

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,933

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toronto and in Escazu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,561 in Toronto versus $1,933 in Escazu.

Toronto $2,561
Escazu $1,933

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,694 in Toronto versus $2,966 in Escazu.

Toronto $3,694
Escazu $2,966

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,826 in Toronto versus $3,999 in Escazu.

Toronto $4,826
Escazu $3,999

Living in Toronto is roughly 32% more expensive than in Escazu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toronto 90% above, Escazu 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.18 CA$24.29

$12.23 ₡5,486

40.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 CA$107

$62.1 ₡27.9K

22.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.89

$11.48 ₡5,146

-8.19%

Cappuccino

$4.02 CA$5.68

$4.56 ₡2,045

-11.84%

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

$2.12 CA$3.00

$2.72 ₡1,218

-22.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 CA$2.48

$1.85 ₡828

-5.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.24 CA$8.83

$3.36 ₡1,505

85.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.09 CA$10.02

$4.47 ₡2,006

58.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 CA$3.45

$2.32 ₡1,040

5.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 CA$3.78

$3.12 ₡1,397

-14.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 CA$3.17

$2.49 ₡1,117

-10.04%

Eggs

$3.56 CA$5.03

$3.59 ₡1,611

-0.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.09 CA$12.85

$10.61 ₡4,757

-14.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.33 CA$16.01

$10.22 ₡4,581

10.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.53 CA$20.55

$13.94 ₡6,252

4.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 CA$5.12

$5.13 ₡2,301

-29.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$1.62 ₡726

-25.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.60 CA$5.09

$3.16 ₡1,416

13.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.96

$3.07 ₡1,378

37.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.53

$3.79 ₡1,698

-52.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 CA$2.25

$3.73 ₡1,674

-57.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$1.04 ₡465

118.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 CA$1.77

$1.70 ₡762

-26.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 CA$19.53

$5.53 ₡2,479

149.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.27 CA$20.18

$18.39 ₡8,249

-22.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 CA$3.10

$1.66 ₡745

32.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 CA$3.44

$2.68 ₡1,202

-9.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.39 CA$3.38

$1.09 ₡491

119.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 CA$157

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 CA$4.12

$2.06 ₡923

41.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 CA$1.69

$1.57 ₡704

-23.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.38 CA$30.23

$8.76 ₡3,927

144.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.71

$1.48 ₡664

-18.24%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$22.4K ₡10.1M

25.68%

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

$20.3K CA$28.6K

$35.2K ₡15.8M

-42.43%

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

$120 CA$170

$94.6 ₡42.4K

27.29%

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

$32.26 CA$45.60

$29.81 ₡13.4K

8.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.93 CA$67.8

$60.1 ₡27.0K

-20.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.48 CA$54.4

$108 ₡48.6K

-64.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.96 CA$32.46

$10.15 ₡4,550

126.21%

Cinema Ticket

$12.38 CA$17.50

$7.81 ₡3,502

58.51%

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

$830 CA$1,173

$457 ₡204.9K

81.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K CA$32.6K

$16.9K ₡7.6M

36.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.7 CA$71.7

$71.1 ₡31.9K

-28.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.02 CA$56.6

$55.7 ₡25.0K

-28.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 CA$139

$131 ₡58.6K

-25.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 CA$171

$130 ₡58.4K

-7.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,592 CA$2,251

$834 ₡373.9K

90.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,410 CA$1,994

$845 ₡378.8K

66.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,670 CA$3,775

$1,961 ₡879.3K

36.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,152 CA$3,042

$1,508 ₡676.4K

42.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,945 CA$11.2K

$1,407 ₡630.8K

464.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,542 CA$9,249

$972 ₡435.7K

573.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,727 CA$5,269

$1,746 ₡782.8K

113.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

8.62

-48.14%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 12, 2026

Last update for Escazu: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 55.1%

Escazu

$845 43.7% 40.1% $566

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$340 13.3%

Escazu

$361 18.7% 6.1% $21

Eating Out

Toronto

$278 10.9%

Escazu

$231 12% 17% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$201 7.8%

Escazu

$184 9.5% 8% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$139 5.4%

Escazu

$174 9% 25.3% $35

Getting Around

Toronto

$129 5.1%

Escazu

$14 * 0.7% 89% $115

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$63 2.5%

Escazu

$124 6.4% 96.1% $61

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 $834 in Escazu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toronto pays 114% 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 $62.0 in Escazu. Groceries flip the comparison at $340 vs $361, with Toronto cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇨🇷 Escazu

🕒 Local time

05:08 5:08 AM

03:08 3:08 AM

2 h behind Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

11,984

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

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).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Toronto Escazu 3,780 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Toronto
Escazu

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 Escazu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Escazu is cheaper overall, especially in eating out and transport. The 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 114% higher in Toronto, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,592 in Toronto versus $834 in Escazu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Toronto pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,561 per month in Toronto versus $1,933 in Escazu – a 32% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,933 in Escazu versus $2,561 in Toronto, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Escazu but tight or insufficient in Toronto. The gap between the two cities makes Escazu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Escazu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Toronto, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Toronto and Escazu 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 Escazu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Toronto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.