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: $2,628 in Toronto versus $2,322 in Hearst.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,848 in Toronto versus $3,303 in Hearst.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,067 in Toronto versus $4,283 in Hearst.

Living in Toronto is roughly 13% more expensive than in Hearst, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toronto 91% above, Hearst 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.88 CA$24.75

$19.51 CA$26.99

-8.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.9 CA$122

$61.7 CA$85.4

42.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.93 CA$15.13

$12.04 CA$16.66

-9.22%

Cappuccino

$4.06 CA$5.62

$3.44 CA$4.76

18.02%

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

$2.18 CA$3.02

$2.12 CA$2.93

2.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 CA$2.35

$1.88 CA$2.60

-9.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.69 CA$9.25

$5.13 CA$7.09

30.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.35 CA$10.16

$5.91 CA$8.18

24.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.78 CA$3.85

$2.13 CA$2.95

30.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 CA$4.00

$2.63 CA$3.63

9.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.56 CA$3.55

$2.91 CA$4.03

-12.03%

Eggs

$3.79 CA$5.24

$3.40 CA$4.71

11.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.17 CA$14.07

$9.92 CA$13.73

2.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.95 CA$16.53

$11.76 CA$16.27

1.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.12 CA$22.31

$14.64 CA$20.26

10.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.89 CA$5.39

$3.95 CA$5.46

-1.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 CA$1.76

$1.18 CA$1.64

7.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 CA$5.37

$3.72 CA$5.15

4.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.33 CA$5.99

$3.87 CA$5.36

11.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 CA$2.53

$2.56 CA$3.55

-28.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 CA$2.07

$2.08 CA$2.87

-27.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 CA$3.15

$2.59 CA$3.58

-11.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 CA$1.99

$1.67 CA$2.31

-13.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.20 CA$19.64

$14.63 CA$20.24

-2.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.24 CA$19.71

$11.82 CA$16.36

20.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 CA$3.11

$2.52 CA$3.49

-10.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 CA$3.50

$3.56 CA$4.93

-28.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 CA$3.42

$2.28 CA$3.15

8.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 CA$155

$63.1 CA$87.3

77.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 CA$4.22

$2.90 CA$4.01

5.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 CA$1.71

$1.41 CA$1.95

-12.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.44 CA$31.05

$24.90 CA$34.45

-9.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 CA$1.71

$1.06 CA$1.47

16.98%

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

$27.5K CA$38.1K

$29.0K CA$40.1K

-5.03%

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

$21.1K CA$29.3K

$19.9K CA$27.5K

6.30%

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

$128 CA$177

$141 CA$195

-9.51%

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

$33.79 CA$46.75

$34.52 CA$47.77

-2.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.25 CA$68.2

$56.8 CA$78.6

-13.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.93 CA$56.6

$41.21 CA$57.0

-0.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.62 CA$34.07

$18.68 CA$25.85

31.80%

Cinema Ticket

$13.16 CA$18.21

$11.18 CA$15.48

17.71%

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

$792 CA$1,097

$876 CA$1,212

-9.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.1K CA$33.4K

$13.5K CA$18.6K

79.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.5 CA$75.4

$53.3 CA$73.7

2.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.11 CA$59.7

$38.44 CA$53.2

12.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 CA$140

$86.1 CA$119

17.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 CA$171

$104 CA$143

18.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 CA$2,287

$1,303 CA$1,803

26.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,452 CA$2,009

$1,325 CA$1,833

9.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,694 CA$3,728

$2,284 CA$3,160

17.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 CA$2,974

$1,688 CA$2,336

27.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,347 CA$11.6K

$4,566 CA$6,319

82.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,816 CA$9,431

$3,638 CA$5,034

87.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,614 CA$5,001

$3,221 CA$4,457

12.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.49

4.68

-4.06%

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

Last update for Toronto: August 30, 2026

Last update for Hearst: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Toronto and $1,303 in Hearst. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toronto pays 12% 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: $88.0 in Toronto vs $62.0 in Hearst for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $365 vs $352 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 13% in total monthly costs ($2,628 vs $2,322 including rent). Hearst is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 12% 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: $1,653 in Toronto versus $1,303 in Hearst. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $792 in Toronto versus $876 in Hearst. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Toronto. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,322 in Hearst versus $2,628 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 13% less than in Toronto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.