Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Hayward, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Toronto: $2,610 a month against $3,419 in Hayward, CA, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 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
166

Cost of Living Index in Hayward, CA
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Hayward, CA Living Index

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,610

/mo nomad

Hayward, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,419

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toronto and in Hayward, CA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,610 in Toronto versus $3,419 in Hayward, CA.

Toronto $2,610
Hayward, CA $3,419

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,727 in Toronto versus $4,664 in Hayward, CA.

Toronto $3,727
Hayward, CA $4,664

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,844 in Toronto versus $5,908 in Hayward, CA.

Toronto $4,844
Hayward, CA $5,908

Living in Toronto costs roughly 24% less than in Hayward, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toronto 93% above, Hayward, CA 152% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 CA$24.87

$19.98 $19.98

-11.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.8 CA$111

$75.6 $75.6

4.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 CA$15.16

$10.48 $10.48

2.39%

Cappuccino

$4.09 CA$5.78

$4.89 $4.89

-16.36%

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

$2.10 CA$2.97

$2.99 $2.99

-29.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 CA$2.43

$2.29 $2.29

-24.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.36 CA$8.99

$5.88 $5.88

8.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.08 CA$10.01

$7.34 $7.34

-3.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.54 CA$3.59

$1.26 $1.26

101.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 CA$3.85

$1.83 $1.83

48.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 CA$3.09

$5.82 $5.82

-62.54%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.13

$5.92 $5.92

-38.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.46 CA$13.37

$26.81 $26.81

-64.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 CA$16.32

$7.35 $7.35

57.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.37 CA$20.32

$22.45 $22.45

-35.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 CA$5.23

$6.99 $6.99

-47.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 CA$1.68

$2.51 $2.51

-52.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.46 CA$4.90

$6.13 $6.13

-43.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.22 CA$5.97

$10.20 $10.20

-58.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.52

$3.58 $3.58

-50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 CA$2.33

$4.85 $4.85

-65.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 CA$3.11

$2.52 $2.52

-12.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 CA$1.78

$3.22 $3.22

-60.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.97 CA$19.75

$11.87 $11.87

17.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.20 CA$20.07

$12.90 $12.90

10.08%

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

$2.80 $2.80

-9.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$2.25 $2.25

3.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 CA$158

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 CA$4.33

$3.47 $3.47

-11.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 CA$1.72

$1.88 $1.88

-35.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.69 CA$30.66

$40.22 $40.22

-46.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$1.42 $1.42

-14.79%

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

$26.1K CA$37.0K

$28.0K $28.0K

-6.75%

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

$21.1K CA$29.9K

$25.5K $25.5K

-17.16%

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

$120 CA$169

$183 $183

-34.49%

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

$32.21 CA$45.54

$42.35 $42.35

-23.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.88 CA$69.1

$77.2 $77.2

-36.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.34 CA$55.6

$55.9 $55.9

-29.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.58 CA$33.34

Cinema Ticket

$12.58 CA$17.79

$14.92 $14.92

-15.68%

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

$832 CA$1,176

$1,236 $1,236

-32.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K CA$33.4K

$34.7K $34.7K

-31.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 CA$73.9

$50.6 $50.6

3.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.44 CA$55.8

$71.0 $71.0

-44.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.0 CA$140

$73.8 $73.8

34.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 CA$172

$119 $119

2.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,631 CA$2,306

$1,870 $1,870

-12.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,448 CA$2,048

$2,056 $2,056

-29.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,737 CA$3,869

$3,440 $3,440

-20.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,129 CA$3,010

$2,853 $2,853

-25.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,206 CA$11.6K

$7,446 $7,446

10.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,838 CA$9,666

$6,826 $6,826

0.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,520 CA$4,976

$4,559 $4,559

-22.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

6.15

-27.32%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 18, 2026

Last update for Hayward, CA: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 55.5%

Hayward, CA

$2.1K 60.1% 42% $608

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$343 13.1%

Hayward, CA

$497 14.5% 44.9% $154

Eating Out

Toronto

$283 10.9%

Hayward, CA

$315 9.2% 11.3% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$201 7.7%

Hayward, CA

$302 8.8% 50.5% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$141 5.4%

Hayward, CA

$141 4.1% 0.4% $0.6

Getting Around

Toronto

$130 5%

Hayward, CA

$22 * 0.6% 83.2% $108

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$65 2.5%

Hayward, CA

$86 2.5% 32.9% $21

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 $1,631 in Toronto and $1,870 in Hayward, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hayward, CA pays 30% 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: $79.0 in Toronto vs $76.0 in Hayward, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $343 vs $497, with Toronto cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇺🇸 Hayward, CA

🕒 Local time

03:32 3:32 AM

00:32 12:32 AM

3 h behind Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

159,203

💱 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 Hayward, CA 3,620 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Toronto
Hayward, CA

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 Hayward, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Toronto wins on cost – living expenses run 31% lower than in Hayward, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Toronto the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 30% lower in Hayward, CA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,631 in Toronto versus $1,870 in Hayward, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Hayward, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,610 per month in Toronto versus $3,419 in Hayward, CA – a 31% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Toronto is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Toronto delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,610 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Toronto hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Toronto and Hayward, CA 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 Toronto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Hayward, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.