Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Evanston, IL

For one person, living costs are similar in Toronto and in Evanston, IL: $2,561 and $2,592 a month, rent and utilities included.

125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
Learn more

Toronto Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Evanston, IL
Learn more

Evanston, IL Living Index

Jump to prices

Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,561

/mo nomad

Evanston, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,592

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toronto and in Evanston, 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 Evanston, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,561 per month in Toronto vs $2,592 in Evanston, IL, rent included.

Toronto $2,561
Evanston, IL $2,592

A couple spends around $3,694 per month in Toronto vs $4,449 in Evanston, IL, rent included.

Toronto $3,694
Evanston, IL $4,449

A family of three spends $4,826 per month in Toronto vs $6,305 in Evanston, IL, rent included.

Toronto $4,826
Evanston, IL $6,305

Toronto is about 1% cheaper than Evanston, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Toronto and Evanston, IL sit above the global median – Toronto by 90%, Evanston, IL by 92%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.18 CA$24.29

$21.26 $21.26

-19.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 CA$107

$85.6 $85.6

-11.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.89

$12.75 $12.75

-17.33%

Cappuccino

$4.02 CA$5.68

$5.68 $5.68

-29.23%

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

$2.12 CA$3.00

$2.68 $2.68

-20.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 CA$2.48

$2.27 $2.27

-22.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.24 CA$8.83

$7.12 $7.12

-12.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.09 CA$10.02

$8.19 $8.19

-13.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 CA$3.45

$1.04 $1.04

134.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 CA$3.78

$3.93 $3.93

-31.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 CA$3.17

$4.32 $4.32

-48.15%

Eggs

$3.56 CA$5.03

$4.82 $4.82

-26.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.09 CA$12.85

$14.41 $14.41

-36.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.33 CA$16.01

$14.93 $14.93

-24.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.53 CA$20.55

$20.11 $20.11

-27.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 CA$5.12

$5.33 $5.33

-32.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$1.67 $1.67

-27.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.60 CA$5.09

$4.03 $4.03

-10.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.96

$4.78 $4.78

-11.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.53

$2.68 $2.68

-33.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 CA$2.25

$2.85 $2.85

-44.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$2.10 $2.10

8.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 CA$1.77

$2.35 $2.35

-46.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 CA$19.53

$10.66 $10.66

29.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.27 CA$20.18

$14.98 $14.98

-4.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 CA$3.10

$2.56 $2.56

-14.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 CA$3.44

$3.39 $3.39

-28.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.39 CA$3.38

$2.44 $2.44

-2.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 CA$157

$75.2 $75.2

47.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 CA$4.12

$4.10 $4.10

-29.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 CA$1.69

$1.43 $1.43

-16.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.38 CA$30.23

$43.26 $43.26

-50.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.71

$1.00 $1.00

21.00%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$35.4K $35.4K

-20.38%

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

$20.3K CA$28.6K

$25.0K $25.0K

-18.84%

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

$120 CA$170

$192 $192

-37.29%

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

$32.26 CA$45.60

$61.6 $61.6

-47.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.93 CA$67.8

$72.2 $72.2

-33.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.48 CA$54.4

$76.1 $76.1

-49.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.96 CA$32.46

$60.8 $60.8

-62.21%

Cinema Ticket

$12.38 CA$17.50

$14.83 $14.83

-16.52%

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

$830 CA$1,173

$1,516 $1,516

-45.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K CA$32.6K

$31.6K $31.6K

-26.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.7 CA$71.7

$64.7 $64.7

-21.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.02 CA$56.6

$50.8 $50.8

-21.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 CA$139

$108 $108

-9.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 CA$171

$126 $126

-4.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,592 CA$2,251

$1,645 $1,645

-3.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,410 CA$1,994

$1,118 $1,118

26.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,670 CA$3,775

$3,989 $3,989

-33.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,152 CA$3,042

$2,954 $2,954

-27.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,945 CA$11.2K

$14.6K $14.6K

-45.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,542 CA$9,249

$12.8K $12.8K

-48.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,727 CA$5,269

$5,335 $5,335

-30.14%

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 12, 2026

Last update for Evanston, IL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 55.1%

Evanston, IL

$1.1K 43.1% 20.8% $293

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$340 13.3%

Evanston, IL

$441 17% 29.8% $101

Eating Out

Toronto

$278 10.9%

Evanston, IL

$348 13.4% 25.2% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$201 7.8%

Evanston, IL

$326 12.6% 62.4% $125

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$139 5.4%

Evanston, IL

$157 6.1% 13.1% $18

Getting Around

Toronto

$129 5.1%

Evanston, IL

$96 3.7% 25.6% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$63 2.5%

Evanston, IL

$106 4.1% 67.2% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,592 in Toronto versus $1,645 in Evanston, IL. 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 43% higher in Evanston, IL, 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 $86.0 in Evanston, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $340 vs $441 – making Toronto the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇺🇸 Evanston, IL

🕒 Local time

03:56 3:56 AM

02:56 2:56 AM

1 h behind Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

74,486

💱 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 18, 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Toronto Evanston, IL 700 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Toronto
Evanston, 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 Evanston, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,561 in Toronto, $2,592 in Evanston, IL – roughly 1% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,841 per month in Toronto and $3,888 in Evanston, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 30% more in Evanston, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76.0 in Toronto and $86.0 in Evanston, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,561 in Toronto and $2,592 in Evanston, IL. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Toronto – 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 Toronto. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Evanston, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.