Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Hearst Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Hearst

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,788 in Toronto versus $2,350 in Hearst.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,110 in Toronto versus $3,368 in Hearst.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,432 in Toronto versus $4,387 in Hearst.

Living in Toronto is roughly 19% more expensive than in Hearst, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toronto 109% above, Hearst 76% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.51 CA$26.05

$17.14 CA$24.12

7.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.8 CA$118

$69.8 CA$98.2

20.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.97 CA$15.44

$11.08 CA$15.59

-0.99%

Cappuccino

$3.99 CA$5.61

$3.70 CA$5.21

7.84%

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

$2.11 CA$2.98

$1.98 CA$2.78

6.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 CA$2.38

$1.71 CA$2.41

-1.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.92 CA$8.33

$5.64 CA$7.94

4.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.48 CA$9.11

$5.77 CA$8.12

12.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.71 CA$3.82

$2.10 CA$2.95

29.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 CA$4.02

$2.71 CA$3.82

5.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.56 CA$5.01

$3.61 CA$5.08

-1.39%

Eggs

$3.54 CA$4.98

$3.41 CA$4.80

3.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.26 CA$18.66

$10.96 CA$15.42

20.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.05 CA$18.36

$11.67 CA$16.42

11.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.77 CA$23.59

$14.81 CA$20.84

13.23%

Apples (1kg)

$4.11 CA$5.79

$4.07 CA$5.73

0.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.14 CA$1.60

$1.41 CA$1.98

-19.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.78

$3.64 CA$5.12

-6.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 CA$5.66

$3.69 CA$5.20

8.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 CA$3.42

$2.38 CA$3.36

2.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 CA$4.13

$2.47 CA$3.48

19.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CA$3.48

$2.55 CA$3.59

-3.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 CA$2.70

$1.70 CA$2.40

12.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.99 CA$21.09

$14.16 CA$19.92

5.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.34 CA$20.17

$13.64 CA$19.19

5.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 CA$3.81

$2.89 CA$4.06

-6.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 CA$4.39

$3.02 CA$4.25

3.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.45 CA$3.45

$2.35 CA$3.31

4.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$113 CA$159

$63.3 CA$89.1

78.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.63 CA$5.10

$3.20 CA$4.50

13.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 CA$1.89

$1.50 CA$2.11

-10.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.55 CA$35.95

$25.44 CA$35.79

0.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 CA$1.56

$1.13 CA$1.59

-1.77%

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

$25.3K CA$35.6K

$25.1K CA$35.4K

0.55%

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

$21.8K CA$30.6K

$20.9K CA$29.4K

4.12%

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

$117 CA$164

$145 CA$204

-19.41%

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

$37.60 CA$52.9

$44.42 CA$62.5

-15.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 CA$75.6

$63.4 CA$89.2

-15.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 CA$80.3

$42.74 CA$60.1

33.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.86 CA$29.35

$14.87 CA$20.93

40.28%

Cinema Ticket

$11.56 CA$16.26

$11.47 CA$16.13

0.78%

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

$1,125 CA$1,583

$747 CA$1,050

50.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.4K CA$25.9K

$11.9K CA$16.7K

55.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 CA$80.7

$55.4 CA$77.9

3.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.05 CA$55.0

$38.83 CA$54.6

0.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.6 CA$123

$85.7 CA$121

2.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 CA$160

$108 CA$151

5.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,842 CA$2,591

$1,314 CA$1,849

40.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,531 CA$2,154

$1,191 CA$1,676

28.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,925 CA$4,116

$2,019 CA$2,841

44.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,502 CA$3,521

$1,824 CA$2,567

37.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,725 CA$12.3K

$4,587 CA$6,454

90.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,867 CA$9,663

$3,157 CA$4,442

117.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,454 CA$4,860

$3,161 CA$4,448

9.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.16

6.46

-20.12%

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

Last update for Toronto: July 11, 2026

Last update for Hearst: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,842 in Toronto and $1,314 in Hearst. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toronto pays 9% 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: $84.0 in Toronto vs $70.0 in Hearst for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $395 vs $364 per month, with Hearst cheaper across the board.

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 Hearst: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Toronto and Hearst differ by about 19% in total monthly costs ($2,788 vs $2,350 including rent). Hearst is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 9% 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: $1,842 in Toronto versus $1,314 in Hearst. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,125 in Toronto versus $747 in Hearst. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Toronto. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,350 in Hearst versus $2,788 in Toronto, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Hearst but tight or insufficient in Toronto. The gap between the two cities makes Hearst the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Hearst gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Toronto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.