Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Karaganda

For one person, living is cheaper in Karaganda: $926 a month against $2,561 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $19,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Toronto
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,561
/mo nomad
Karaganda
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
$926
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toronto and in Karaganda

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

A single person spends $2,561 per month in Toronto vs $926 in Karaganda, rent included.

  • Toronto $2,561
  • Karaganda $926

A couple spends around $3,694 per month in Toronto vs $1,492 in Karaganda, rent included.

  • Toronto $3,694
  • Karaganda $1,492

A family of three spends $4,826 per month in Toronto vs $2,058 in Karaganda, rent included.

  • Toronto $4,826
  • Karaganda $2,058

Toronto costs about 177% more than Karaganda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Toronto sits 90% above the global median, while Karaganda is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Toronto
Karaganda
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.18 CA$24.29
$9.85 ₸4,452
74.42%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$76.0 CA$107
$35.09 ₸15.9K
116.50%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.54 CA$14.89
$5.43 ₸2,453
94.11%
Cappuccino
$4.02 CA$5.68
$1.92 ₸869
109.37%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.12 CA$3.00
$0.91 ₸413
132.97%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 CA$2.48
$0.64 ₸290
173.44%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.24 CA$8.83
$1.36 ₸617
358.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.09 CA$10.02
$2.80 ₸1,267
153.21%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Toronto
Karaganda
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.44 CA$3.45
$1.34 ₸605
82.09%
White Bread (500g)
$2.68 CA$3.78
$0.49 ₸222
446.94%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.24 CA$3.17
$1.32 ₸597
69.70%
Eggs
$3.56 CA$5.03
$1.79 ₸808
98.88%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.09 CA$12.85
$13.12 ₸5,929
-30.72%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.33 CA$16.01
$5.40 ₸2,442
109.81%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.53 CA$20.55
$11.19 ₸5,060
29.85%
Apples (1kg)
$3.62 CA$5.12
$1.49 ₸673
142.95%
Banana (1kg)
$1.21 CA$1.72
$1.89 ₸856
-35.98%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.60 CA$5.09
$2.87 ₸1,299
25.44%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.21 CA$5.96
$2.17 ₸979
94.01%
Potato (1kg)
$1.79 CA$2.53
$0.67 ₸301
167.16%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 CA$2.25
$0.59 ₸267
169.49%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.27 CA$3.21
$1.03 ₸467
120.39%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.25 CA$1.77
$0.69 ₸310
81.16%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.82 CA$19.53
$2.25 ₸1,016
514.22%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.27 CA$20.18
$8.43 ₸3,813
69.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.20 CA$3.10
$1.35 ₸610
62.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.43 CA$3.44
$2.12 ₸957
14.62%
🚌 Getting Around
Toronto
Karaganda
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.39 CA$3.38
$0.21 ₸94.9
1038.10%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$111 CA$157
$15.75 ₸7,119
604.32%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.91 CA$4.12
$1.26 ₸568
130.95%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.20 CA$1.69
$1.20 ₸541
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$21.38 CA$30.23
$3.31 ₸1,496
545.92%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.21 CA$1.71
$0.56 ₸254
116.07%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.2K CA$39.8K
$22.0K ₸10.0M
27.78%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.3K CA$28.6K
$31.9K ₸14.4M
-36.60%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Toronto
Karaganda
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$120 CA$170
$72.2 ₸32.7K
66.60%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$32.26 CA$45.60
$10.01 ₸4,523
222.28%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$47.93 CA$67.8
$11.86 ₸5,360
304.13%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Toronto
Karaganda
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$38.48 CA$54.4
$46.00 ₸20.8K
-16.35%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.96 CA$32.46
$18.82 ₸8,505
22.00%
Cinema Ticket
$12.38 CA$17.50
$5.34 ₸2,416
131.84%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Toronto
Karaganda
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$830 CA$1,173
$135 ₸60.8K
516.83%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.1K CA$32.6K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Toronto
Karaganda
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$50.7 CA$71.7
$58.9 ₸26.6K
-13.88%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.02 CA$56.6
$57.8 ₸26.1K
-30.74%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.0 CA$139
$79.1 ₸35.8K
23.89%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 CA$171
$85.6 ₸38.7K
40.91%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Toronto
Karaganda
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,592 CA$2,251
$394 ₸178.2K
303.81%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,410 CA$1,994
$273 ₸123.2K
417.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,670 CA$3,775
$738 ₸333.5K
261.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,152 CA$3,042
$536 ₸242.3K
301.48%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,945 CA$11.2K
$1,053 ₸476.1K
654.35%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,542 CA$9,249
$711 ₸321.5K
819.95%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Toronto
Karaganda
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,727 CA$5,269
$569 ₸257.3K
554.64%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.47
19.25
-76.78%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 12, 2026

Last update for Karaganda: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Toronto
$1.4K
Karaganda
$273 80.7% $1.1K
Groceries & Markets
Toronto
$340
Karaganda
$215 36.7% $125
Eating Out
Toronto
$278
Karaganda
$137 50.8% $141
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Toronto
$201
Karaganda
$94 53.1% $106
Clothing & Footwear
Toronto
$139
Karaganda
$127 9.1% $13
Getting Around
Toronto
$129
Karaganda
$24 81.6% $106
Sport & Entertainment
Toronto
$63
Karaganda
$57 10.3% $6.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,592 in Toronto versus $394 in Karaganda. 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 555% higher in Toronto, 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 $76.0 in Toronto versus $35.00 in Karaganda. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $340 vs $215 – making Karaganda the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Toronto
🇰🇿 Karaganda
🕒 Local time
01:47 1:47 AM
11:47 11:47 AM
10 h ahead of Toronto
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,731,571
520,486
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, 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).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Toronto Karaganda 9,280 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Toronto
  • Karaganda

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 Karaganda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Toronto and in Karaganda compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,561 in Toronto, $926 in Karaganda – roughly 177% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Toronto compared to Karaganda?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,841 per month in Toronto and $1,389 in Karaganda. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Toronto and Karaganda?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Karaganda, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do commuting costs compare in Toronto and in Karaganda?
Public transport costs about 604% less in Karaganda. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Toronto and Karaganda?
Kindergarten costs $830 per month in Toronto and $135 in Karaganda. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Karaganda, where all-in costs run around $926, than in Toronto at $2,561. In Karaganda it covers expenses comfortably, while in Toronto it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Toronto or Karaganda?
Families tend to lean toward Karaganda – 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 Karaganda?
If budget matters most, go with Karaganda. 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.

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