Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Highland, CA

For one person, living costs are similar in Toronto and in Highland, CA: $2,610 and $2,680 a month, rent and utilities included.

Toronto
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,610
/mo nomad
Highland, CA
🇺🇸 United States
$2,680
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toronto and in Highland, 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 Highland, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,610 per month in Toronto vs $2,680 in Highland, CA, rent included.

  • Toronto $2,610
  • Highland, CA $2,680

A couple spends around $3,727 per month in Toronto vs $4,015 in Highland, CA, rent included.

  • Toronto $3,727
  • Highland, CA $4,015

A family of three spends $4,844 per month in Toronto vs $5,349 in Highland, CA, rent included.

  • Toronto $4,844
  • Highland, CA $5,349

Toronto is about 3% cheaper than Highland, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Toronto and Highland, CA sit above the global median – Toronto by 93%, Highland, CA by 98%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Toronto
Highland, CA
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.59 CA$24.87
$25.04 $25.04
-29.75%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$78.8 CA$111
$78.1 $78.1
0.91%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.73 CA$15.16
$15.14 $15.14
-29.13%
Cappuccino
$4.09 CA$5.78
$5.65 $5.65
-27.61%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.10 CA$2.97
$3.08 $3.08
-31.82%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.72 CA$2.43
$2.45 $2.45
-29.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.36 CA$8.99
$7.19 $7.19
-11.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.08 CA$10.01
$10.03 $10.03
-29.41%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Toronto
Highland, CA
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.54 CA$3.59
$1.34 $1.34
89.55%
White Bread (500g)
$2.72 CA$3.85
$4.69 $4.69
-42.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.18 CA$3.09
$4.55 $4.55
-52.09%
Eggs
$3.63 CA$5.13
$5.29 $5.29
-31.38%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.46 CA$13.37
$11.57 $11.57
-18.24%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.54 CA$16.32
$9.05 $9.05
27.51%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.37 CA$20.32
$19.55 $19.55
-26.50%
Apples (1kg)
$3.70 CA$5.23
$4.71 $4.71
-21.44%
Banana (1kg)
$1.19 CA$1.68
$2.23 $2.23
-46.64%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.46 CA$4.90
$4.02 $4.02
-13.93%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.22 CA$5.97
$5.45 $5.45
-22.57%
Potato (1kg)
$1.79 CA$2.52
$3.40 $3.40
-47.35%
Onion (1kg)
$1.65 CA$2.33
$2.91 $2.91
-43.30%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.20 CA$3.11
$1.94 $1.94
13.40%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.26 CA$1.78
$2.49 $2.49
-49.40%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.97 CA$19.75
$11.72 $11.72
19.20%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.20 CA$20.07
$14.79 $14.79
-3.99%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.25 CA$3.18
$2.49 $2.49
-9.64%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.53 CA$3.58
$2.78 $2.78
-8.99%
🚌 Getting Around
Toronto
Highland, CA
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.32 CA$3.28
$2.02 $2.02
14.85%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$112 CA$158
$29.83 $29.83
274.29%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.06 CA$4.33
$3.05 $3.05
0.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.22 CA$1.72
$1.89 $1.89
-35.45%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$21.69 CA$30.66
$31.72 $31.72
-31.62%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.21 CA$1.72
$1.56 $1.56
-22.44%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.1K CA$37.0K
$28.4K $28.4K
-7.96%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.1K CA$29.9K
$26.3K $26.3K
-19.53%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Toronto
Highland, CA
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$120 CA$169
$221 $221
-45.93%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$32.21 CA$45.54
$77.6 $77.6
-58.47%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$48.88 CA$69.1
$78.7 $78.7
-37.89%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Toronto
Highland, CA
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.34 CA$55.6
$40.95 $40.95
-3.93%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.58 CA$33.34
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.58 CA$17.79
$18.20 $18.20
-30.88%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Toronto
Highland, CA
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$832 CA$1,176
$1,162 $1,162
-28.38%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.6K CA$33.4K
$31.8K $31.8K
-25.79%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Toronto
Highland, CA
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.3 CA$73.9
$62.8 $62.8
-16.80%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.44 CA$55.8
$47.18 $47.18
-16.41%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.0 CA$140
$107 $107
-7.25%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 CA$172
$104 $104
17.19%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Toronto
Highland, CA
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,631 CA$2,306
$1,489 $1,489
9.55%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,448 CA$2,048
$1,219 $1,219
18.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,737 CA$3,869
$2,331 $2,331
17.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,129 CA$3,010
$2,167 $2,167
-1.74%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,206 CA$11.6K
$3,106 $3,106
164.23%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,838 CA$9,666
$2,390 $2,390
186.06%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Toronto
Highland, CA
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,520 CA$4,976
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.47
6.31
-29.16%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 18, 2026

Last update for Highland, CA: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Toronto
$1.4K
Highland, CA
$1.2K 15.8% $229
Groceries & Markets
Toronto
$343
Highland, CA
$420 22.4% $77
Eating Out
Toronto
$283
Highland, CA
$392 38.3% $108
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Toronto
$201
Highland, CA
$377 88.1% $177
Clothing & Footwear
Toronto
$141
Highland, CA
$144 2.6% $3.7
Getting Around
Toronto
$130
Highland, CA
$50 61.3% $80
Sport & Entertainment
Toronto
$65
Highland, CA
$77 19.9% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,631 in Toronto versus $1,489 in Highland, CA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Toronto versus $78.0 in Highland, CA. Groceries tell a different story – $343 in Toronto vs $420 in Highland, CA – so Toronto wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Toronto
🇺🇸 Highland, CA
🕒 Local time
15:54 3:54 PM
12:54 12:54 PM
3 h behind Toronto
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,731,571
51,550
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Toronto Highland, CA 3,410 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Toronto
  • Highland, 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 Highland, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Toronto and in Highland, CA compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,610 in Toronto, $2,680 in Highland, CA – roughly 3% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Toronto compared to Highland, CA?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,916 per month in Toronto and $4,021 in Highland, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Toronto and Highland, CA?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Toronto, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Toronto and $78.0 in Highland, CA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Toronto or Highland, CA?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,610 in Toronto and $2,680 in Highland, CA. That's a gap of about 3%.
Which city is feasible on a $2,500 budget?
$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,610 in Toronto and $2,680 in Highland, CA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Where should families live: Toronto or Highland, CA?
Families tend to lean toward Toronto – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How do I decide between Toronto and Highland, CA?
If budget matters most, go with Toronto. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Highland, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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