Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Merced, CA

For one person, living costs are similar in Toronto and in Merced, CA: $2,561 and $2,528 a month, rent and utilities included.

125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Merced, CA
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Merced, CA Living Index

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,561

/mo nomad

Merced, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,528

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,561 in Toronto versus $2,528 in Merced, CA.

Toronto $2,561
Merced, CA $2,528

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,694 in Toronto versus $3,698 in Merced, CA.

Toronto $3,694
Merced, CA $3,698

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,826 in Toronto versus $4,868 in Merced, CA.

Toronto $4,826
Merced, CA $4,868

Living in Toronto is roughly 1% more expensive than in Merced, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toronto 90% above, Merced, CA 87% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.18 CA$24.29

$17.30 $17.30

-0.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 CA$107

$39.53 $39.53

92.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.89

$12.13 $12.13

-13.11%

Cappuccino

$4.02 CA$5.68

$5.67 $5.67

-29.10%

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

$2.12 CA$3.00

$2.47 $2.47

-14.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 CA$2.48

$1.47 $1.47

19.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.24 CA$8.83

$9.15 $9.15

-31.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.09 CA$10.02

$10.14 $10.14

-30.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 CA$3.45

$1.24 $1.24

96.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 CA$3.78

$4.33 $4.33

-38.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 CA$3.17

$4.18 $4.18

-46.41%

Eggs

$3.56 CA$5.03

$5.69 $5.69

-37.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.09 CA$12.85

$19.30 $19.30

-52.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.33 CA$16.01

$14.22 $14.22

-20.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.53 CA$20.55

$21.62 $21.62

-32.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 CA$5.12

$4.45 $4.45

-18.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$2.03 $2.03

-40.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.60 CA$5.09

$5.41 $5.41

-33.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.96

$5.36 $5.36

-21.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.53

$3.49 $3.49

-48.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 CA$2.25

$2.96 $2.96

-46.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$2.44 $2.44

-6.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 CA$1.77

$2.57 $2.57

-51.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 CA$19.53

$11.89 $11.89

16.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.27 CA$20.18

$15.78 $15.78

-9.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 CA$3.10

$2.42 $2.42

-9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 CA$3.44

$3.41 $3.41

-28.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.39 CA$3.38

$1.49 $1.49

60.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 CA$157

$59.9 $59.9

85.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 CA$4.12

$3.05 $3.05

-4.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 CA$1.69

$1.66 $1.66

-27.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.38 CA$30.23

$26.51 $26.51

-19.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.71

$1.32 $1.32

-8.33%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$37.3K $37.3K

-24.37%

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

$20.3K CA$28.6K

$25.8K $25.8K

-21.39%

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

$120 CA$170

$237 $237

-49.32%

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

$32.26 CA$45.60

$29.93 $29.93

7.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.93 CA$67.8

$82.7 $82.7

-42.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.48 CA$54.4

$32.75 $32.75

17.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.96 CA$32.46

$14.11 $14.11

62.72%

Cinema Ticket

$12.38 CA$17.50

$16.87 $16.87

-26.62%

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

$830 CA$1,173

$1,851 $1,851

-55.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K CA$32.6K

$40.5K $40.5K

-42.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.7 CA$71.7

$59.9 $59.9

-15.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.02 CA$56.6

$50.7 $50.7

-21.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 CA$139

$100.0 $100.0

-1.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 CA$171

$120 $120

0.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,592 CA$2,251

$1,638 $1,638

-2.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,410 CA$1,994

$1,082 $1,082

30.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,670 CA$3,775

$2,012 $2,012

32.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,152 CA$3,042

$1,905 $1,905

12.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,945 CA$11.2K

$2,890 $2,890

174.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,542 CA$9,249

$2,896 $2,896

125.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,727 CA$5,269

$3,329 $3,329

11.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

6.36

-29.72%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 12, 2026

Last update for Merced, CA: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 55.1%

Merced, CA

$1.1K 42.8% 23.3% $328

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$340 13.3%

Merced, CA

$479 19% 41.1% $140

Eating Out

Toronto

$278 10.9%

Merced, CA

$325 12.8% 16.7% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$201 7.8%

Merced, CA

$350 13.9% 74.6% $150

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$139 5.4%

Merced, CA

$149 5.9% 6.7% $9.3

Getting Around

Toronto

$129 5.1%

Merced, CA

$77 3.1% 40.4% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$63 2.5%

Merced, CA

$66 2.6% 5.1% $3.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,592 in Toronto and $1,638 in Merced, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toronto pays 12% 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: $76.0 in Toronto vs $40.00 in Merced, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $340 vs $479, with Toronto cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇺🇸 Merced, CA

🕒 Local time

10:39 10:39 AM

07:39 7:39 AM

3 h behind Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

83,316

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 USD = 0.889 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 17, 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Toronto Merced, CA 3,510 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Toronto
Merced, 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 Merced, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Toronto and Merced, CA differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($2,561 vs $2,528 including rent). Merced, CA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 12% higher in Toronto, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,592 in Toronto versus $1,638 in Merced, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $830 in Toronto versus $1,851 in Merced, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Toronto pay roughly 41% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Merced, CA is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Merced, CA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Toronto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.