Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Los Angeles, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Toronto: $2,530 a month against $4,259 in Los Angeles, CA, rent and utilities included – about $20,700 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
203

Cost of Living Index in Los Angeles, CA
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Los Angeles, CA Living Index

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,530

/mo nomad

Los Angeles, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,259

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,530 in Toronto versus $4,259 in Los Angeles, CA.

Toronto $2,530
Los Angeles, CA $4,259

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,646 in Toronto versus $6,260 in Los Angeles, CA.

Toronto $3,646
Los Angeles, CA $6,260

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,761 in Toronto versus $8,260 in Los Angeles, CA.

Toronto $4,761
Los Angeles, CA $8,260

Living in Toronto costs roughly 41% less than in Los Angeles, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toronto 89% above, Los Angeles, CA 218% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.67 CA$25.19

$27.00 $27.00

-34.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.4 CA$110

$122 $122

-36.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.47 CA$14.93

$14.98 $14.98

-30.11%

Cappuccino

$4.08 CA$5.81

$5.84 $5.84

-30.14%

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

$2.12 CA$3.02

$3.77 $3.77

-43.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 CA$2.51

$2.67 $2.67

-34.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.17 CA$8.80

$8.05 $8.05

-23.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.89 CA$9.82

$9.84 $9.84

-29.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.43 CA$3.46

$1.30 $1.30

86.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 CA$3.92

$4.84 $4.84

-43.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 CA$3.18

$4.48 $4.48

-50.22%

Eggs

$3.45 CA$4.91

$6.14 $6.14

-43.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.93 CA$12.73

$11.32 $11.32

-21.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.44 CA$16.31

$15.78 $15.78

-27.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.61 CA$20.83

$19.94 $19.94

-26.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 CA$5.34

$5.24 $5.24

-28.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 CA$1.64

$2.33 $2.33

-50.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.55 CA$5.06

$4.69 $4.69

-24.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.28 CA$6.10

$5.65 $5.65

-24.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 CA$2.63

$3.28 $3.28

-43.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 CA$2.38

$2.88 $2.88

-42.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 CA$3.16

$2.10 $2.10

5.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$2.44 $2.44

-50.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.88 CA$19.78

$12.78 $12.78

8.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 CA$20.31

$15.05 $15.05

-5.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 CA$3.13

$2.96 $2.96

-25.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 CA$3.45

$2.81 $2.81

-13.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 CA$3.44

$1.79 $1.79

35.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 CA$158

$104 $104

6.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.90 CA$4.13

$3.08 $3.08

-5.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 CA$1.80

$1.88 $1.88

-32.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.03 CA$31.40

$31.58 $31.58

-30.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.74

$1.62 $1.62

-24.69%

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

$27.6K CA$39.4K

$37.7K $37.7K

-26.65%

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

$19.8K CA$28.3K

$26.3K $26.3K

-24.73%

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

$122 CA$174

$288 $288

-57.67%

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

$32.03 CA$45.66

$77.9 $77.9

-58.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.92 CA$68.3

$80.5 $80.5

-40.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.90 CA$55.5

$74.2 $74.2

-47.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.24 CA$33.12

$11.90 $11.90

95.29%

Cinema Ticket

$12.61 CA$17.97

$19.79 $19.79

-36.28%

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

$834 CA$1,189

$1,678 $1,678

-50.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K CA$33.3K

$31.9K $31.9K

-26.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 CA$75.0

$91.3 $91.3

-42.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.26 CA$57.4

$65.7 $65.7

-38.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 CA$137

$121 $121

-20.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 CA$175

$206 $206

-40.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 CA$2,278

$2,545 $2,545

-37.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,435 CA$2,045

$2,443 $2,443

-41.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,657 CA$3,787

$5,518 $5,518

-51.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 CA$2,988

$4,275 $4,275

-50.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,033 CA$11.5K

$7,211 $7,211

11.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,557 CA$9,347

$6,930 $6,930

-5.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,743 CA$5,335

$4,173 $4,173

-10.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

6.86

-34.84%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 4, 2026

Last update for Los Angeles, CA: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 55.4%

Los Angeles, CA

$2.4K 57.8% 70.3% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$340 13.1%

Los Angeles, CA

$467 11.1% 37.4% $127

Eating Out

Toronto

$282 10.9%

Los Angeles, CA

$417 9.9% 47.8% $135

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$202 7.8%

Los Angeles, CA

$446 10.6% 121% $245

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$140 5.4%

Los Angeles, CA

$218 5.2% 55.1% $77

Getting Around

Toronto

$130 5%

Los Angeles, CA

$124 2.9% 4.7% $6

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$64 2.5%

Los Angeles, CA

$114 2.7% 77.4% $50

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,598 in Toronto and $2,545 in Los Angeles, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Los Angeles, CA pays 11% 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: $77.0 in Toronto vs $122 in Los Angeles, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 vs $467 per month, with Toronto cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇺🇸 Los Angeles, CA

🕒 Local time

09:48 9:48 AM

06:48 6:48 AM

3 h behind Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

4,030,904

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Toronto Los Angeles, CA 3,490 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Toronto
Los Angeles, 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 Los Angeles, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Toronto is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 68% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 11% lower in Los Angeles, CA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,598 in Toronto versus $2,545 in Los Angeles, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Toronto runs roughly 7% less than in Los Angeles, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $834 in Toronto versus $1,678 in Los Angeles, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Toronto is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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

Expats usually find Toronto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Los Angeles, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.