Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and La Merced

For one person, living is cheaper in La Merced: $565 a month against $2,561 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $24,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Toronto
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,561
/mo nomad
La Merced
🇵🇪 Peru
$565
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toronto and in La Merced

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

A single person spends $2,561 per month in Toronto vs $565 in La Merced, rent included.

  • Toronto $2,561
  • La Merced $565

A couple spends around $3,694 per month in Toronto vs $917 in La Merced, rent included.

  • Toronto $3,694
  • La Merced $917

A family of three spends $4,826 per month in Toronto vs $1,269 in La Merced, rent included.

  • Toronto $4,826
  • La Merced $1,269

Toronto costs about 353% more than La Merced, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Toronto sits 90% above the global median, while La Merced is 58% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Toronto
La Merced
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.18 CA$24.29
$4.38 PEN 15.04
292.24%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$76.0 CA$107
$34.69 PEN 119
119.00%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.54 CA$14.89
$6.77 PEN 23.26
55.69%
Cappuccino
$4.02 CA$5.68
$3.16 PEN 10.84
27.22%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.12 CA$3.00
$1.07 PEN 3.67
98.13%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 CA$2.48
$0.64 PEN 2.20
173.44%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.24 CA$8.83
$2.60 PEN 8.93
140.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.09 CA$10.02
$4.33 PEN 14.87
63.74%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Toronto
La Merced
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.44 CA$3.45
$1.63 PEN 5.60
49.69%
White Bread (500g)
$2.68 CA$3.78
$1.98 PEN 6.79
35.35%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.24 CA$3.17
$1.28 PEN 4.40
75.00%
Eggs
$3.56 CA$5.03
$2.34 PEN 8.04
52.14%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.09 CA$12.85
$7.09 PEN 24.34
28.21%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.33 CA$16.01
$5.88 PEN 20.21
92.69%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.53 CA$20.55
$8.65 PEN 29.69
67.98%
Apples (1kg)
$3.62 CA$5.12
$1.01 PEN 3.45
258.42%
Banana (1kg)
$1.21 CA$1.72
$0.46 PEN 1.58
163.04%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.60 CA$5.09
$0.28 PEN 0.95
1185.71%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.21 CA$5.96
$0.75 PEN 2.57
461.33%
Potato (1kg)
$1.79 CA$2.53
$0.30 PEN 1.05
496.67%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 CA$2.25
$0.42 PEN 1.45
278.57%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.27 CA$3.21
$0.61 PEN 2.08
272.13%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.25 CA$1.77
$0.91 PEN 3.14
37.36%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.82 CA$19.53
$5.61 PEN 19.25
146.35%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.27 CA$20.18
$7.36 PEN 25.26
93.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.20 CA$3.10
$1.87 PEN 6.43
17.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.43 CA$3.44
$3.23 PEN 11.10
-24.77%
🚌 Getting Around
Toronto
La Merced
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.39 CA$3.38
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$111 CA$157
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.91 CA$4.12
$3.82 PEN 13.12
-23.82%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.20 CA$1.69
$2.08 PEN 7.14
-42.31%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$21.38 CA$30.23
$7.40 PEN 25.41
188.92%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.21 CA$1.71
$1.74 PEN 5.97
-30.46%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.2K CA$39.8K
$22.1K PEN 76.0K
27.35%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.3K CA$28.6K
$25.5K PEN 87.5K
-20.53%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Toronto
La Merced
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$120 CA$170
$72.8 PEN 250
65.23%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$32.26 CA$45.60
$16.49 PEN 56.6
95.63%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$47.93 CA$67.8
$27.80 PEN 95.5
72.41%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Toronto
La Merced
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$38.48 CA$54.4
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.96 CA$32.46
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.38 CA$17.50
$7.34 PEN 25.22
68.66%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Toronto
La Merced
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$830 CA$1,173
$181 PEN 622
358.00%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.1K CA$32.6K
$13.2K PEN 45.3K
74.97%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Toronto
La Merced
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$50.7 CA$71.7
$52.6 PEN 181
-3.52%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.02 CA$56.6
$35.20 PEN 121
13.69%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.0 CA$139
$82.0 PEN 282
19.42%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 CA$171
$79.1 PEN 272
52.51%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Toronto
La Merced
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,592 CA$2,251
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,410 CA$1,994
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,670 CA$3,775
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,152 CA$3,042
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,945 CA$11.2K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,542 CA$9,249
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Toronto
La Merced
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,727 CA$5,269
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.47
8.94
-50.00%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 12, 2026

Last update for La Merced: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Toronto
$1.4K
La Merced
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Toronto
$340
La Merced
$186 45.4% $154
Eating Out
Toronto
$278
La Merced
$122 56.2% $156
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Toronto
$201
La Merced
$117 41.6% $83
Clothing & Footwear
Toronto
$139
La Merced
$112 19.5% $27
Getting Around
Toronto
$129
La Merced
$14 * 89% $115
Sport & Entertainment
Toronto
$63
La Merced
$15 * 76.8% $49

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76.0 in Toronto versus $35.00 in La Merced. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $340 vs $186 – making La Merced the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Toronto
🇵🇪 La Merced
🕒 Local time
15:49 3:49 PM
14:49 2:49 PM
1 h behind Toronto
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,731,571
8,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Toronto La Merced 5,940 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Toronto
  • La Merced

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 La Merced: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Toronto or La Merced?
Toronto costs about 353% more than La Merced, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Toronto and in La Merced?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,841 per month in Toronto and $848 in La Merced. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How much does it cost to live in Toronto compared to La Merced?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,561 in Toronto and $565 in La Merced. That's a gap of about 353%.
How do childcare costs compare in Toronto and in La Merced?
Kindergarten costs $830 per month in Toronto and $181 in La Merced. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Toronto or in La Merced?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in La Merced, where all-in costs run around $565, than in Toronto at $2,561. In La Merced it covers expenses comfortably, while in Toronto it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward La Merced – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Should I move to Toronto or to La Merced?
If budget matters most, go with La Merced. 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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