Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Fort Madison, IA

For one person, living costs are similar in Toronto and in Fort Madison, IA: $2,610 and $2,559 a month, rent and utilities included.

126

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Fort Madison, IA
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Fort Madison, IA Living Index

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,610

/mo nomad

Fort Madison, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,559

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,610 per month in Toronto vs $2,559 in Fort Madison, IA, rent included.

Toronto $2,610
Fort Madison, IA $2,559

A couple spends around $3,727 per month in Toronto vs $3,754 in Fort Madison, IA, rent included.

Toronto $3,727
Fort Madison, IA $3,754

A family of three spends $4,844 per month in Toronto vs $4,950 in Fort Madison, IA, rent included.

Toronto $4,844
Fort Madison, IA $4,950

Toronto costs about 2% more than Fort Madison, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Toronto and Fort Madison, IA sit above the global median – Toronto by 93%, Fort Madison, IA by 89%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 CA$24.87

$19.82 $19.82

-11.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.8 CA$111

$76.2 $76.2

3.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 CA$15.16

$11.40 $11.40

-5.88%

Cappuccino

$4.09 CA$5.78

$5.49 $5.49

-25.50%

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

$2.10 CA$2.97

$2.63 $2.63

-20.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 CA$2.43

$1.98 $1.98

-13.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.36 CA$8.99

$6.13 $6.13

3.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.08 CA$10.01

$7.37 $7.37

-3.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.54 CA$3.59

$1.05 $1.05

141.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 CA$3.85

$3.45 $3.45

-21.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 CA$3.09

$4.30 $4.30

-49.30%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.13

$4.15 $4.15

-12.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.46 CA$13.37

$12.60 $12.60

-24.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 CA$16.32

$11.33 $11.33

1.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.37 CA$20.32

$17.07 $17.07

-15.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 CA$5.23

$4.89 $4.89

-24.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 CA$1.68

$1.58 $1.58

-24.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.46 CA$4.90

$4.23 $4.23

-18.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.22 CA$5.97

$4.82 $4.82

-12.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.52

$2.84 $2.84

-36.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 CA$2.33

$2.94 $2.94

-43.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 CA$3.11

$2.14 $2.14

2.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 CA$1.78

$2.21 $2.21

-42.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.97 CA$19.75

$10.10 $10.10

38.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.20 CA$20.07

$15.04 $15.04

-5.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 CA$3.18

$1.68 $1.68

33.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 CA$3.58

$3.00 $3.00

-15.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$2.27 $2.27

2.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 CA$158

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 CA$4.33

$3.33 $3.33

-8.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 CA$1.72

$1.76 $1.76

-30.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.69 CA$30.66

$31.70 $31.70

-31.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$0.92 $0.92

31.52%

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

$26.1K CA$37.0K

$26.6K $26.6K

-1.56%

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

$21.1K CA$29.9K

$23.8K $23.8K

-11.30%

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

$120 CA$169

$201 $201

-40.62%

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

$32.21 CA$45.54

$59.0 $59.0

-45.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.88 CA$69.1

$71.0 $71.0

-31.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.34 CA$55.6

$41.05 $41.05

-4.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.58 CA$33.34

Cinema Ticket

$12.58 CA$17.79

$14.14 $14.14

-11.03%

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

$832 CA$1,176

$1,439 $1,439

-42.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K CA$33.4K

$23.7K $23.7K

-0.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 CA$73.9

$53.8 $53.8

-2.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.44 CA$55.8

$40.89 $40.89

-3.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.0 CA$140

$88.0 $88.0

12.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 CA$172

$115 $115

6.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,631 CA$2,306

$1,582 $1,582

3.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,448 CA$2,048

$1,287 $1,287

12.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,737 CA$3,869

$2,533 $2,533

8.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,129 CA$3,010

$2,141 $2,141

-0.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,206 CA$11.6K

$2,414 $2,414

239.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,838 CA$9,666

$2,589 $2,589

164.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,520 CA$4,976

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

6.57

-31.96%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 18, 2026

Last update for Fort Madison, IA: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 55.5%

Fort Madison, IA

$1.3K 50.3% 11.1% $161

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$343 13.1%

Fort Madison, IA

$393 15.4% 14.7% $50

Eating Out

Toronto

$283 10.9%

Fort Madison, IA

$322 12.6% 13.9% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$201 7.7%

Fort Madison, IA

$331 13% 65.1% $131

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$141 5.4%

Fort Madison, IA

$134 5.2% 4.9% $6.9

Getting Around

Toronto

$130 5%

Fort Madison, IA

$21 * 0.8% 83.7% $109

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$65 2.5%

Fort Madison, IA

$69 2.7% 7.5% $4.8

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 $1,582 in Fort Madison, IA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Toronto versus $76.0 in Fort Madison, IA. Groceries tell a different story – $343 in Toronto vs $393 in Fort Madison, IA – so Toronto wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇺🇸 Fort Madison, IA

🕒 Local time

14:52 2:52 PM

13:52 1:52 PM

1 h behind Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

10,270

💱 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 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Toronto Fort Madison, IA 1,040 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Toronto
Fort Madison, 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 Fort Madison, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,610 in Toronto, $2,559 in Fort Madison, IA – roughly 2% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,916 per month in Toronto and $3,838 in Fort Madison, IA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Toronto and $76.0 in Fort Madison, IA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 15% cheaper in Toronto – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,610 in Toronto and $2,559 in Fort Madison, IA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Fort Madison, 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 Fort Madison, 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.