Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Irvine, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Toronto: $2,530 a month against $4,017 in Irvine, CA, rent and utilities included – about $17,800 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
193

Cost of Living Index in Irvine, CA
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Irvine, CA Living Index

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,530

/mo nomad

Irvine, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,017

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,530 per month in Toronto vs $4,017 in Irvine, CA, rent included.

Toronto $2,530
Irvine, CA $4,017

A couple spends around $3,646 per month in Toronto vs $5,870 in Irvine, CA, rent included.

Toronto $3,646
Irvine, CA $5,870

A family of three spends $4,761 per month in Toronto vs $7,722 in Irvine, CA, rent included.

Toronto $4,761
Irvine, CA $7,722

Toronto is about 37% cheaper than Irvine, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Toronto and Irvine, CA sit above the global median – Toronto by 89%, Irvine, CA by 200%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.67 CA$25.19

$24.95 $24.95

-29.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.4 CA$110

$99.9 $99.9

-22.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.47 CA$14.93

$11.27 $11.27

-7.10%

Cappuccino

$4.08 CA$5.81

$5.79 $5.79

-29.53%

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

$2.12 CA$3.02

$2.70 $2.70

-21.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 CA$2.51

$2.03 $2.03

-13.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.17 CA$8.80

$8.09 $8.09

-23.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.89 CA$9.82

$9.64 $9.64

-28.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.43 CA$3.46

$1.14 $1.14

113.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 CA$3.92

$5.63 $5.63

-51.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 CA$3.18

$4.29 $4.29

-48.02%

Eggs

$3.45 CA$4.91

$4.90 $4.90

-29.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.93 CA$12.73

$12.35 $12.35

-27.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.44 CA$16.31

$20.37 $20.37

-43.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.61 CA$20.83

$14.02 $14.02

4.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 CA$5.34

$5.56 $5.56

-32.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 CA$1.64

$1.71 $1.71

-32.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.55 CA$5.06

$4.24 $4.24

-16.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.28 CA$6.10

$6.41 $6.41

-33.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 CA$2.63

$3.52 $3.52

-47.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 CA$2.38

$3.60 $3.60

-53.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 CA$3.16

$2.39 $2.39

-7.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$2.28 $2.28

-46.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.88 CA$19.78

$11.82 $11.82

17.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 CA$20.31

$15.22 $15.22

-6.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 CA$3.13

$1.76 $1.76

25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 CA$3.45

$3.11 $3.11

-22.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 CA$3.44

$2.04 $2.04

18.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 CA$158

$71.7 $71.7

54.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.90 CA$4.13

$4.40 $4.40

-34.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 CA$1.80

$1.84 $1.84

-31.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.03 CA$31.40

$36.19 $36.19

-39.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.74

$1.60 $1.60

-23.75%

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

$27.6K CA$39.4K

$36.3K $36.3K

-23.93%

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

$19.8K CA$28.3K

$25.3K $25.3K

-21.76%

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

$122 CA$174

$216 $216

-43.60%

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

$32.03 CA$45.66

$71.4 $71.4

-55.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.92 CA$68.3

$69.0 $69.0

-30.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.90 CA$55.5

$41.65 $41.65

-6.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.24 CA$33.12

$13.45 $13.45

72.79%

Cinema Ticket

$12.61 CA$17.97

$11.79 $11.79

6.96%

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

$834 CA$1,189

$1,941 $1,941

-57.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K CA$33.3K

$41.9K $41.9K

-44.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 CA$75.0

$73.1 $73.1

-28.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.26 CA$57.4

$39.96 $39.96

0.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 CA$137

$78.7 $78.7

22.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 CA$175

$173 $173

-29.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 CA$2,278

$2,867 $2,867

-44.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,435 CA$2,045

$2,430 $2,430

-40.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,657 CA$3,787

$4,921 $4,921

-46.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 CA$2,988

$4,103 $4,103

-48.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,033 CA$11.5K

$8,212 $8,212

-2.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,557 CA$9,347

$7,979 $7,979

-17.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,743 CA$5,335

$6,726 $6,726

-44.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

6.64

-32.68%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 4, 2026

Last update for Irvine, CA: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 55.4%

Irvine, CA

$2.4K 61.3% 69.4% $996

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$340 13.1%

Irvine, CA

$473 11.9% 39% $133

Eating Out

Toronto

$282 10.9%

Irvine, CA

$382 9.6% 35.4% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$202 7.8%

Irvine, CA

$356 9% 76.6% $155

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$140 5.4%

Irvine, CA

$164 4.1% 17% $24

Getting Around

Toronto

$130 5%

Irvine, CA

$93 2.4% 27.9% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$64 2.5%

Irvine, CA

$65 1.7% 1.7% $1.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,598 in Toronto versus $2,867 in Irvine, CA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 80% higher in Irvine, CA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77.0 in Toronto versus $100 in Irvine, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $340 vs $473 – making Toronto the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇺🇸 Irvine, CA

🕒 Local time

04:22 4:22 AM

01:22 1:22 AM

3 h behind Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

209,716

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Toronto Irvine, CA 3,480 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Toronto
Irvine, 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 Irvine, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Irvine, CA costs about 59% more than Toronto, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,795 per month in Toronto and $6,025 in Irvine, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77.0 in Toronto and $100 in Irvine, CA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,530 in Toronto and $4,017 in Irvine, CA. That's a gap of about 59%.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,530 in Toronto and $4,017 in Irvine, CA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Toronto costs $2,530 versus $4,017 in Irvine, CA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Toronto. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Irvine, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.