Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Hays, KS

For one person, living is cheaper in Hays, KS: $1,737 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
85

Cost of Living Index in Hays, KS
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Hays, KS Living Index

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,610

/mo nomad

Hays, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$1,737

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toronto and in Hays, KS

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

A single person spends $2,610 per month in Toronto vs $1,737 in Hays, KS, rent included.

Toronto $2,610
Hays, KS $1,737

A couple spends around $3,727 per month in Toronto vs $2,467 in Hays, KS, rent included.

Toronto $3,727
Hays, KS $2,467

A family of three spends $4,844 per month in Toronto vs $3,198 in Hays, KS, rent included.

Toronto $4,844
Hays, KS $3,198

Toronto costs about 50% more than Hays, KS, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Toronto and Hays, KS sit above the global median – Toronto by 93%, Hays, KS by 28%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 CA$24.87

$13.33 $13.33

31.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.8 CA$111

$43.87 $43.87

79.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 CA$15.16

$8.11 $8.11

32.31%

Cappuccino

$4.09 CA$5.78

$3.98 $3.98

2.76%

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

$2.10 CA$2.97

$2.39 $2.39

-12.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 CA$2.43

$1.02 $1.02

68.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.36 CA$8.99

$3.85 $3.85

65.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.08 CA$10.01

$4.33 $4.33

63.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.54 CA$3.59

$0.76 $0.76

234.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 CA$3.85

$2.26 $2.26

20.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 CA$3.09

$4.46 $4.46

-51.12%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.13

$2.06 $2.06

76.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.46 CA$13.37

$4.46 $4.46

112.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 CA$16.32

$8.93 $8.93

29.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.37 CA$20.32

$13.33 $13.33

7.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 CA$5.23

$6.04 $6.04

-38.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 CA$1.68

$1.64 $1.64

-27.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.46 CA$4.90

$5.06 $5.06

-31.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.22 CA$5.97

$4.42 $4.42

-4.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.52

$2.93 $2.93

-38.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 CA$2.33

$2.17 $2.17

-23.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 CA$3.11

$1.97 $1.97

11.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 CA$1.78

$2.03 $2.03

-37.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.97 CA$19.75

$9.68 $9.68

44.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.20 CA$20.07

$12.15 $12.15

16.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 CA$3.18

$2.23 $2.23

0.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 CA$3.58

$3.85 $3.85

-34.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$2.01 $2.01

15.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 CA$158

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 CA$4.33

$2.43 $2.43

25.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 CA$1.72

$1.57 $1.57

-22.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.69 CA$30.66

$39.71 $39.71

-45.38%

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

$28.1K $28.1K

-6.89%

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

$21.1K CA$29.9K

$26.0K $26.0K

-18.60%

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

$120 CA$169

$269 $269

-55.48%

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

$32.21 CA$45.54

$34.85 $34.85

-7.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.88 CA$69.1

$68.8 $68.8

-28.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.34 CA$55.6

$45.17 $45.17

-12.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.58 CA$33.34

Cinema Ticket

$12.58 CA$17.79

$15.21 $15.21

-17.29%

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

$832 CA$1,176

$922 $922

-9.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K CA$33.4K

$15.7K $15.7K

50.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 CA$73.9

$23.68 $23.68

120.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.44 CA$55.8

$31.82 $31.82

23.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.0 CA$140

$110 $110

-9.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 CA$172

$138 $138

-11.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,631 CA$2,306

$793 $793

105.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,448 CA$2,048

$589 $589

145.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,737 CA$3,869

$1,034 $1,034

164.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,129 CA$3,010

$895 $895

138.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,206 CA$11.6K

$2,386 $2,386

243.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,838 CA$9,666

$2,615 $2,615

161.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,520 CA$4,976

$2,386 $2,386

47.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

6.65

-32.78%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 18, 2026

Last update for Hays, KS: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 55.5%

Hays, KS

$589 33.9% 59.3% $859

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$343 13.1%

Hays, KS

$325 18.7% 5.1% $18

Eating Out

Toronto

$283 10.9%

Hays, KS

$220 12.7% 22.2% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$201 7.7%

Hays, KS

$372 21.4% 85.5% $172

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$141 5.4%

Hays, KS

$136 7.9% 3.1% $4.3

Getting Around

Toronto

$130 5%

Hays, KS

$18 * 1.1% 85.9% $112

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$65 2.5%

Hays, KS

$76 4.4% 17.2% $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 $793 in Hays, KS. 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 48% higher in Toronto, 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 $79.0 in Toronto versus $44.00 in Hays, KS. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $343 vs $325 – making Hays, KS the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇺🇸 Hays, KS

🕒 Local time

04:04 4:04 AM

03:04 3:04 AM

1 h behind Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

19,726

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Toronto Hays, KS 1,740 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Toronto
Hays, KS

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 Hays, KS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Toronto is pricier by about 50%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,916 per month in Toronto and $2,605 in Hays, KS. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hays, KS, 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 $44.00 in Hays, KS. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Toronto, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Hays, KS, where all-in costs run around $1,737, than in Toronto at $2,610. In Hays, KS it covers expenses comfortably, while in Toronto it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Hays, KS – 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 Hays, KS. 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.