Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Iowa City, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Iowa City, IA: $2,368 a month against $2,561 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index
114

Cost of Living Index in Iowa City, IA
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Iowa City, IA Living Index

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,561

/mo nomad

Iowa City, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,368

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toronto and in Iowa City, IA

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 Iowa City, IA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,561 in Toronto versus $2,368 in Iowa City, IA.

Toronto $2,561
Iowa City, IA $2,368

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,694 in Toronto versus $3,367 in Iowa City, IA.

Toronto $3,694
Iowa City, IA $3,367

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,826 in Toronto versus $4,366 in Iowa City, IA.

Toronto $4,826
Iowa City, IA $4,366

Living in Toronto is roughly 8% more expensive than in Iowa City, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toronto 90% above, Iowa City, IA 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.18 CA$24.29

$14.24 $14.24

20.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 CA$107

$68.1 $68.1

11.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.89

$8.74 $8.74

20.59%

Cappuccino

$4.02 CA$5.68

$5.78 $5.78

-30.45%

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

$2.12 CA$3.00

$2.76 $2.76

-23.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 CA$2.48

$2.17 $2.17

-19.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.24 CA$8.83

$4.90 $4.90

27.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.09 CA$10.02

$6.80 $6.80

4.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 CA$3.45

$0.83 $0.83

193.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 CA$3.78

$2.76 $2.76

-2.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 CA$3.17

$2.02 $2.02

10.89%

Eggs

$3.56 CA$5.03

$3.60 $3.60

-1.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.09 CA$12.85

$9.51 $9.51

-4.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.33 CA$16.01

$10.32 $10.32

9.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.53 CA$20.55

$20.56 $20.56

-29.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 CA$5.12

$3.32 $3.32

9.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$1.23 $1.23

-1.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.60 CA$5.09

$2.75 $2.75

30.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.96

$4.86 $4.86

-13.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.53

$2.03 $2.03

-11.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 CA$2.25

$2.37 $2.37

-32.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$1.70 $1.70

33.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 CA$1.77

$2.43 $2.43

-48.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 CA$19.53

$8.79 $8.79

57.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.27 CA$20.18

$13.27 $13.27

7.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 CA$3.10

$1.77 $1.77

24.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 CA$3.44

$4.32 $4.32

-43.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.39 CA$3.38

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 CA$157

$15.96 $15.96

595.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 CA$4.12

$3.97 $3.97

-26.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 CA$1.69

$1.99 $1.99

-39.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.38 CA$30.23

$43.23 $43.23

-50.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.71

$1.00 $1.00

21.00%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$36.0K $36.0K

-21.83%

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

$20.3K CA$28.6K

$25.2K $25.2K

-19.75%

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

$120 CA$170

$266 $266

-54.68%

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

$32.26 CA$45.60

$53.3 $53.3

-39.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.93 CA$67.8

$81.9 $81.9

-41.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.48 CA$54.4

$48.68 $48.68

-20.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.96 CA$32.46

$19.82 $19.82

15.84%

Cinema Ticket

$12.38 CA$17.50

$13.74 $13.74

-9.90%

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

$830 CA$1,173

$1,285 $1,285

-35.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K CA$32.6K

$23.7K $23.7K

-2.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.7 CA$71.7

$64.3 $64.3

-21.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.02 CA$56.6

$50.1 $50.1

-20.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 CA$139

$101 $101

-2.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 CA$171

$113 $113

6.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,592 CA$2,251

$1,179 $1,179

35.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,410 CA$1,994

$1,096 $1,096

28.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,670 CA$3,775

$2,297 $2,297

16.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,152 CA$3,042

$1,671 $1,671

28.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,945 CA$11.2K

$3,825 $3,825

107.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,542 CA$9,249

$1,963 $1,963

233.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,727 CA$5,269

$3,701 $3,701

0.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

6.45

-30.70%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 12, 2026

Last update for Iowa City, IA: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 55.1%

Iowa City, IA

$1.1K 46.3% 22.3% $314

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$340 13.3%

Iowa City, IA

$350 14.8% 3.1% $11

Eating Out

Toronto

$278 10.9%

Iowa City, IA

$267 11.3% 3.9% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$201 7.8%

Iowa City, IA

$401 16.9% 99.9% $200

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$139 5.4%

Iowa City, IA

$148 6.2% 6% $8.3

Getting Around

Toronto

$129 5.1%

Iowa City, IA

$30 * 1.3% 76.9% $100

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$63 2.5%

Iowa City, IA

$76 3.2% 20.4% $13

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 $1,592 in Toronto and $1,179 in Iowa City, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toronto pays 1% 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: $76.0 in Toronto vs $68.0 in Iowa City, IA. Groceries flip the comparison at $340 vs $350, with Toronto cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇺🇸 Iowa City, IA

🕒 Local time

16:29 4:29 PM

15:29 3:29 PM

1 h behind Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

74,828

💱 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 19, 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Between locations

Toronto Iowa City, IA 1,020 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Toronto
Iowa City, IA

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 Iowa City, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Iowa City, IA is cheaper overall, especially in eating out and transport. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1% 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: $1,592 in Toronto versus $1,179 in Iowa City, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Iowa City, IA runs roughly 595% less than in Toronto. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $830 in Toronto versus $1,285 in Iowa City, IA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,368 in Iowa City, IA versus $2,561 in Toronto, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Iowa City, IA but tight or insufficient in Toronto. The gap between the two cities makes Iowa City, IA 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.

Safety-wise, Toronto and Iowa City, IA 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 Iowa City, IA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Toronto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.