Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Kingston

For one person, living is cheaper in Kingston: $2,297 a month against $2,610 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Kingston
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Kingston Living Index

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,610

/mo nomad

Kingston

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,297

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toronto and in Kingston

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

A single person spends $2,610 per month in Toronto vs $2,297 in Kingston, rent included.

Toronto $2,610
Kingston $2,297

A couple spends around $3,727 per month in Toronto vs $3,179 in Kingston, rent included.

Toronto $3,727
Kingston $3,179

A family of three spends $4,844 per month in Toronto vs $4,062 in Kingston, rent included.

Toronto $4,844
Kingston $4,062

Toronto costs about 14% more than Kingston, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Toronto and Kingston sit above the global median – Toronto by 93%, Kingston by 70%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 CA$24.87

$15.68 CA$22.16

12.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.8 CA$111

$63.5 CA$89.8

24.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 CA$15.16

$10.52 CA$14.87

2.00%

Cappuccino

$4.09 CA$5.78

$3.51 CA$4.96

16.52%

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

$2.10 CA$2.97

$2.10 CA$2.96

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 CA$2.43

$1.31 CA$1.85

31.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.36 CA$8.99

$5.65 CA$7.98

12.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.08 CA$10.01

$6.19 CA$8.75

14.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.54 CA$3.59

$2.25 CA$3.18

12.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 CA$3.85

$2.62 CA$3.70

3.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 CA$3.09

$3.00 CA$4.24

-27.33%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.13

$2.93 CA$4.14

23.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.46 CA$13.37

$10.43 CA$14.75

-9.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 CA$16.32

$11.77 CA$16.63

-1.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.37 CA$20.32

$11.35 CA$16.04

26.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 CA$5.23

$2.98 CA$4.21

24.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 CA$1.68

$1.16 CA$1.64

2.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.46 CA$4.90

$3.48 CA$4.92

-0.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.22 CA$5.97

$3.80 CA$5.37

11.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.52

$2.98 CA$4.21

-39.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 CA$2.33

$2.53 CA$3.57

-34.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 CA$3.11

$2.15 CA$3.03

2.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 CA$1.78

$1.60 CA$2.27

-21.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.97 CA$19.75

$14.24 CA$20.13

-1.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.20 CA$20.07

$12.74 CA$18.01

11.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 CA$3.18

$2.24 CA$3.17

0.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 CA$3.58

$2.98 CA$4.21

-15.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$2.44 CA$3.44

-4.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 CA$158

$57.8 CA$81.7

93.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 CA$4.33

$3.35 CA$4.74

-8.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 CA$1.72

$1.41 CA$1.99

-13.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.69 CA$30.66

$32.42 CA$45.84

-33.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$1.13 CA$1.59

7.08%

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

$26.1K CA$37.0K

$27.9K CA$39.5K

-6.34%

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

$21.1K CA$29.9K

$20.8K CA$29.5K

1.39%

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

$120 CA$169

$130 CA$184

-8.12%

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

$32.21 CA$45.54

$39.13 CA$55.3

-17.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.88 CA$69.1

$61.6 CA$87.1

-20.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.34 CA$55.6

$29.11 CA$41.16

35.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.58 CA$33.34

$8.76 CA$12.38

169.18%

Cinema Ticket

$12.58 CA$17.79

$10.66 CA$15.07

18.01%

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

$832 CA$1,176

$525 CA$742

58.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K CA$33.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 CA$73.9

$53.4 CA$75.5

-2.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.44 CA$55.8

$31.73 CA$44.86

24.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.0 CA$140

$78.4 CA$111

26.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 CA$172

$81.8 CA$116

49.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,631 CA$2,306

$1,512 CA$2,137

7.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,448 CA$2,048

$1,238 CA$1,751

16.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,737 CA$3,869

$2,329 CA$3,293

17.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,129 CA$3,010

$1,684 CA$2,380

26.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,206 CA$11.6K

$3,402 CA$4,810

141.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,838 CA$9,666

$2,433 CA$3,439

181.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,520 CA$4,976

$3,099 CA$4,382

13.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

4.61

-3.04%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 18, 2026

Last update for Kingston: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 55.5%

Kingston

$1.2K 53.9% 14.5% $210

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$343 13.1%

Kingston

$336 14.6% 2.1% $7.1

Eating Out

Toronto

$283 10.9%

Kingston

$253 11% 10.5% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$201 7.7%

Kingston

$231 10.1% 15% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$141 5.4%

Kingston

$110 4.8% 21.5% $30

Getting Around

Toronto

$130 5%

Kingston

$78 3.4% 40.1% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$65 2.5%

Kingston

$50 2.2% 21.8% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,631 in Toronto versus $1,512 in Kingston. 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 14% 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 $79.0 in Toronto versus $64.0 in Kingston. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $343 vs $336 – making Kingston the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇨🇦 Kingston

🕒 Local time

16:48 4:48 PM

Same time as Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

123,363

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Kingston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,610 in Toronto, $2,297 in Kingston – roughly 14% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,916 per month in Toronto and $3,446 in Kingston. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kingston, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,610 in Toronto and $2,297 in Kingston. That's a gap of about 14%.

Public transport costs about 93% less in Kingston. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Kingston, where all-in costs run around $2,297, than in Toronto at $2,610. In Kingston it covers expenses comfortably, while in Toronto it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kingston – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Kingston. 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.