Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and McLean, VA

For one person, living is cheaper in Toronto: $2,610 a month against $2,998 in McLean, VA, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 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
145

Cost of Living Index in McLean, VA
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McLean, VA Living Index

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,610

/mo nomad

McLean, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,998

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toronto and in McLean, VA

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

A single person spends $2,610 per month in Toronto vs $2,998 in McLean, VA, rent included.

Toronto $2,610
McLean, VA $2,998

A couple spends around $3,727 per month in Toronto vs $4,767 in McLean, VA, rent included.

Toronto $3,727
McLean, VA $4,767

A family of three spends $4,844 per month in Toronto vs $6,536 in McLean, VA, rent included.

Toronto $4,844
McLean, VA $6,536

Toronto is about 13% cheaper than McLean, VA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Toronto and McLean, VA sit above the global median – Toronto by 93%, McLean, VA by 121%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 CA$24.87

$16.76 $16.76

4.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.8 CA$111

$69.9 $69.9

12.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 CA$15.16

$11.58 $11.58

-7.34%

Cappuccino

$4.09 CA$5.78

$5.45 $5.45

-24.95%

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

$2.10 CA$2.97

$2.34 $2.34

-10.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 CA$2.43

$1.96 $1.96

-12.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.36 CA$8.99

$9.01 $9.01

-29.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.08 CA$10.01

$10.07 $10.07

-29.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.54 CA$3.59

$1.30 $1.30

95.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 CA$3.85

$4.06 $4.06

-33.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 CA$3.09

$2.21 $2.21

-1.36%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.13

$4.67 $4.67

-22.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.46 CA$13.37

$17.35 $17.35

-45.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 CA$16.32

$16.99 $16.99

-32.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.37 CA$20.32

$18.31 $18.31

-21.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 CA$5.23

$6.35 $6.35

-41.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 CA$1.68

$1.61 $1.61

-26.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.46 CA$4.90

$5.05 $5.05

-31.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.22 CA$5.97

$5.74 $5.74

-26.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.52

$2.90 $2.90

-38.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 CA$2.33

$3.74 $3.74

-55.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 CA$3.11

$2.59 $2.59

-15.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 CA$1.78

$2.65 $2.65

-52.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.97 CA$19.75

$14.26 $14.26

-2.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.20 CA$20.07

$15.69 $15.69

-9.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 CA$3.18

$3.18 $3.18

-29.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 CA$3.58

$5.64 $5.64

-55.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$2.46 $2.46

-5.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 CA$158

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 CA$4.33

$3.97 $3.97

-22.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 CA$1.72

$1.58 $1.58

-22.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.69 CA$30.66

$25.19 $25.19

-13.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$0.91 $0.91

32.97%

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

$26.1K CA$37.0K

$34.8K $34.8K

-24.79%

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

$21.1K CA$29.9K

$25.9K $25.9K

-18.40%

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

$120 CA$169

$207 $207

-42.28%

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

$32.21 CA$45.54

$75.4 $75.4

-57.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.88 CA$69.1

$55.6 $55.6

-12.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.34 CA$55.6

$90.6 $90.6

-56.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.58 CA$33.34

Cinema Ticket

$12.58 CA$17.79

$18.26 $18.26

-31.11%

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

$832 CA$1,176

$1,940 $1,940

-57.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K CA$33.4K

$41.8K $41.8K

-43.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 CA$73.9

$52.0 $52.0

0.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.44 CA$55.8

$44.07 $44.07

-10.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.0 CA$140

$68.9 $68.9

43.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 CA$172

$66.0 $66.0

84.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,631 CA$2,306

$2,836 $2,836

-42.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,448 CA$2,048

$1,610 $1,610

-10.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,737 CA$3,869

$3,942 $3,942

-30.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,129 CA$3,010

$3,506 $3,506

-39.27%

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

$5,722 $5,722

-38.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

6.63

-32.58%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 18, 2026

Last update for McLean, VA: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 55.5%

McLean, VA

$1.6K 53.7% 11.1% $161

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$343 13.1%

McLean, VA

$480 16% 40% $137

Eating Out

Toronto

$283 10.9%

McLean, VA

$317 10.6% 11.8% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$201 7.7%

McLean, VA

$338 11.3% 68.5% $138

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$141 5.4%

McLean, VA

$104 3.5% 26.1% $37

Getting Around

Toronto

$130 5%

McLean, VA

$22 * 0.7% 83.3% $108

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$65 2.5%

McLean, VA

$127 4.2% 97.1% $63

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,631 in Toronto versus $2,836 in McLean, VA. 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 63% higher in McLean, VA, 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 $70.0 in McLean, VA. Groceries tell a different story – $343 in Toronto vs $480 in McLean, VA – so Toronto wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇺🇸 McLean, VA

🕒 Local time

08:30 8:30 AM

Same time as Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

48,115

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Toronto McLean, VA 560 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Toronto
McLean, VA

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 McLean, VA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,610 in Toronto, $2,998 in McLean, VA – roughly 15% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,916 per month in Toronto and $4,496 in McLean, VA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Toronto, 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 $2,998 in McLean, VA. That's a gap of about 15%.

Kindergarten costs $832 per month in Toronto and $1,940 in McLean, VA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,610 in Toronto and $2,998 in McLean, VA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

If budget matters most, go with Toronto. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, McLean, VA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.