Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Herat

For one person, living is cheaper in Herat: $390 a month against $2,561 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $26,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Toronto
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,561
/mo nomad
Herat
🇦🇫 Afghanistan
$390
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toronto and in Herat

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

A single person spends $2,561 per month in Toronto vs $390 in Herat, rent included.

  • Toronto $2,561
  • Herat $390

A couple spends around $3,694 per month in Toronto vs $467 in Herat, rent included.

  • Toronto $3,694
  • Herat $467

A family of three spends $4,826 per month in Toronto vs $544 in Herat, rent included.

  • Toronto $4,826
  • Herat $544

Toronto costs about 557% more than Herat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Toronto sits 90% above the global median, while Herat is 71% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Toronto
Herat
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.18 CA$24.29
-
-
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$76.0 CA$107
$9.11 ؋591
733.92%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.54 CA$14.89
$3.81 ؋247
176.64%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$1.56 ؋101
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$7.48 ؋485
-
Cappuccino
$4.02 CA$5.68
$0.80 ؋51.9
402.50%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.12 CA$3.00
$0.47 ؋30.48
351.06%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 CA$2.48
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.24 CA$8.83
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.09 CA$10.02
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Toronto
Herat
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.44 CA$3.45
$0.59 ؋38.29
313.56%
White Bread (500g)
$2.68 CA$3.78
-
-
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.24 CA$3.17
-
-
Eggs
$3.56 CA$5.03
$1.80 ؋117
97.78%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.09 CA$12.85
-
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.33 CA$16.01
-
-
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.53 CA$20.55
$5.97 ؋387
143.38%
Apples (1kg)
$3.62 CA$5.12
$0.60 ؋39.20
503.33%
Banana (1kg)
$1.21 CA$1.72
$0.75 ؋48.69
61.33%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.60 CA$5.09
-
-
Tomato (1kg)
$4.21 CA$5.96
$0.64 ؋41.37
557.81%
Potato (1kg)
$1.79 CA$2.53
$0.30 ؋19.23
496.67%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 CA$2.25
$0.30 ؋19.17
430.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.27 CA$3.21
-
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.25 CA$1.77
$0.30 ؋19.25
316.67%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$0.45 ؋28.95
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.82 CA$19.53
$3.13 ؋203
341.53%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.27 CA$20.18
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.20 CA$3.10
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.43 CA$3.44
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Toronto
Herat
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.39 CA$3.38
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$111 CA$157
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.91 CA$4.12
-
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.20 CA$1.69
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$21.38 CA$30.23
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.21 CA$1.71
-
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.2K CA$39.8K
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.3K CA$28.6K
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Toronto
Herat
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$120 CA$170
$305 ؋19.8K
-60.54%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$32.26 CA$45.60
-
-
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$47.93 CA$67.8
-
-
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Toronto
Herat
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$38.48 CA$54.4
$15.17 ؋983
153.66%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.96 CA$32.46
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.38 CA$17.50
-
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Toronto
Herat
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$830 CA$1,173
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.1K CA$32.6K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Toronto
Herat
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$50.7 CA$71.7
-
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.02 CA$56.6
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.0 CA$139
-
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 CA$171
-
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Toronto
Herat
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,592 CA$2,251
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,410 CA$1,994
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,670 CA$3,775
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,152 CA$3,042
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,945 CA$11.2K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,542 CA$9,249
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Toronto
Herat
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,727 CA$5,269
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.47
20
-77.65%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 12, 2026

Last update for Herat: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Toronto
$1.4K
Herat
–
Groceries & Markets
Toronto
$340
Herat
–
Eating Out
Toronto
$278
Herat
–
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Toronto
$201
Herat
–
Clothing & Footwear
Toronto
$139
Herat
–
Getting Around
Toronto
$129
Herat
–
Sport & Entertainment
Toronto
$63
Herat
–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76.0 in Toronto versus $9.00 in Herat. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $340 vs $47.00 – making Herat the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Toronto
🇦🇫 Herat
🕒 Local time
09:06 9:06 AM
17:36 5:36 PM
8 h 30 min ahead of Toronto
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,731,571
349,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

AFN, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Afghanistan Afghani exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 64.83 AFN (100 AFN = 1.54 USD). 1 EUR = 72.88 AFN (100 AFN = 1.37 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Toronto Herat 10,510 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Toronto
  • Herat

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 Herat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Herat cheaper than Toronto?
Yes – Toronto is pricier by about 557%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,841 per month in Toronto and $585 in Herat. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do food prices compare in Toronto and in Herat?
Groceries cost about 626% more in Toronto, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is eating out cheaper in Toronto or in Herat?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $76.0 in Toronto and $9.00 in Herat. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Toronto or in Herat?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Herat, where all-in costs run around $390, than in Toronto at $2,561. In Herat it covers expenses comfortably, while in Toronto it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Toronto or Herat more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Herat – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Herat. 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.

Toronto vs other spots: cost of living compared

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