Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Jaco Beach

For one person, living is cheaper in Jaco Beach: $1,447 a month against $2,610 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
Learn more

Toronto Living Index
70

Cost of Living Index in Jaco Beach
Learn more

Jaco Beach Living Index

Jump to prices

Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,610

/mo nomad

Jaco Beach

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,447

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toronto and in Jaco Beach

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,610 in Toronto versus $1,447 in Jaco Beach.

Toronto $2,610
Jaco Beach $1,447

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,727 in Toronto versus $2,313 in Jaco Beach.

Toronto $3,727
Jaco Beach $2,313

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,844 in Toronto versus $3,180 in Jaco Beach.

Toronto $4,844
Jaco Beach $3,180

Living in Toronto is roughly 80% more expensive than in Jaco Beach, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toronto 93% above, Jaco Beach 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 CA$24.87

$11.77 ₡5,278

49.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.8 CA$111

$43.49 ₡19.5K

81.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 CA$15.16

$10.05 ₡4,505

6.77%

Cappuccino

$4.09 CA$5.78

$3.94 ₡1,768

3.81%

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

$2.10 CA$2.97

$2.38 ₡1,065

-11.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 CA$2.43

$1.86 ₡833

-7.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.36 CA$8.99

$3.29 ₡1,475

93.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.08 CA$10.01

$4.33 ₡1,943

63.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.54 CA$3.59

$1.90 ₡853

33.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 CA$3.85

$2.22 ₡997

22.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 CA$3.09

$2.43 ₡1,092

-10.29%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.13

$2.61 ₡1,171

39.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.46 CA$13.37

$10.62 ₡4,764

-10.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 CA$16.32

$9.19 ₡4,123

25.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.37 CA$20.32

$11.90 ₡5,338

20.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 CA$5.23

$5.08 ₡2,278

-27.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 CA$1.68

$1.66 ₡742

-28.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.46 CA$4.90

$4.53 ₡2,033

-23.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.22 CA$5.97

$3.54 ₡1,590

19.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.52

$1.56 ₡701

14.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 CA$2.33

$1.42 ₡637

16.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 CA$3.11

$1.01 ₡454

117.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 CA$1.78

$1.99 ₡894

-36.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.97 CA$19.75

$5.79 ₡2,598

141.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.20 CA$20.07

$14.20 ₡6,366

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 CA$3.18

$2.65 ₡1,188

-15.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 CA$3.58

$2.26 ₡1,012

11.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 CA$3.28

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 CA$158

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 CA$4.33

$2.42 ₡1,087

26.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 CA$1.72

$1.55 ₡696

-21.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.69 CA$30.66

$8.91 ₡3,994

143.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$1.55 ₡696

-21.94%

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

$26.1K CA$37.0K

$34.1K ₡15.3M

-23.43%

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

$21.1K CA$29.9K

$41.6K ₡18.7M

-49.25%

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

$120 CA$169

$80.2 ₡36.0K

49.10%

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

$32.21 CA$45.54

$24.70 ₡11.1K

30.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.88 CA$69.1

$46.61 ₡20.9K

4.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.34 CA$55.6

$53.3 ₡23.9K

-26.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.58 CA$33.34

Cinema Ticket

$12.58 CA$17.79

$7.57 ₡3,395

66.18%

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

$832 CA$1,176

$492 ₡220.8K

68.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K CA$33.4K

$7,283 ₡3.3M

224.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 CA$73.9

$24.70 ₡11.1K

111.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.44 CA$55.8

$57.2 ₡25.6K

-31.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.0 CA$140

$131 ₡58.8K

-24.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 CA$172

$133 ₡59.5K

-8.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,631 CA$2,306

$766 ₡343.4K

113.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,448 CA$2,048

$520 ₡233.2K

178.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,737 CA$3,869

$1,987 ₡891.0K

37.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,129 CA$3,010

$1,113 ₡499.1K

91.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,206 CA$11.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,838 CA$9,666

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,520 CA$4,976

$399 ₡178.8K

783.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

8.62

-48.14%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 18, 2026

Last update for Jaco Beach: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 55.5%

Jaco Beach

$520 35.9% 64.1% $928

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$343 13.1%

Jaco Beach

$328 22.7% 4.4% $15

Eating Out

Toronto

$283 10.9%

Jaco Beach

$214 14.8% 24.6% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$201 7.7%

Jaco Beach

$152 10.5% 24.5% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$141 5.4%

Jaco Beach

$156 10.8% 10.6% $15

Getting Around

Toronto

$130 5%

Jaco Beach

$10 * 0.7% 92.2% $120

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$65 2.5%

Jaco Beach

$68 4.7% 6% $3.9

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 $1,631 in Toronto and $766 in Jaco Beach. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toronto pays 783% 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: $79.0 in Toronto vs $43.00 in Jaco Beach for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $343 vs $328 per month, with Jaco Beach cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇨🇷 Jaco Beach

🕒 Local time

18:17 6:17 PM

16:17 4:17 PM

2 h behind Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

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).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Toronto Jaco Beach 3,820 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Toronto
Jaco Beach

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 Jaco Beach: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jaco Beach is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 80% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 783% 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: $1,631 in Toronto versus $766 in Jaco Beach. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $832 in Toronto versus $492 in Jaco Beach. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Jaco Beach – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $79.0 in Toronto. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,447 in Jaco Beach versus $2,610 in Toronto, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Jaco Beach but tight or insufficient in Toronto. The gap between the two cities makes Jaco Beach the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Jaco Beach is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Toronto, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Toronto and Jaco Beach 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 Jaco Beach gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Toronto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.