Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Monterey Park, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Toronto: $2,561 a month against $2,866 in Monterey Park, CA, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index
140

Cost of Living Index in Monterey Park, CA
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Monterey Park, CA Living Index

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,561

/mo nomad

Monterey Park, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,866

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,561 in Toronto versus $2,866 in Monterey Park, CA.

Toronto $2,561
Monterey Park, CA $2,866

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,694 in Toronto versus $4,218 in Monterey Park, CA.

Toronto $3,694
Monterey Park, CA $4,218

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,826 in Toronto versus $5,570 in Monterey Park, CA.

Toronto $4,826
Monterey Park, CA $5,570

Living in Toronto costs roughly 11% less than in Monterey Park, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toronto 90% above, Monterey Park, CA 112% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.18 CA$24.29

$26.69 $26.69

-35.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 CA$107

$80.4 $80.4

-5.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.89

$15.07 $15.07

-30.06%

Cappuccino

$4.02 CA$5.68

$5.89 $5.89

-31.75%

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

$2.12 CA$3.00

$3.14 $3.14

-32.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 CA$2.48

$2.76 $2.76

-36.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.24 CA$8.83

$8.17 $8.17

-23.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.09 CA$10.02

$10.19 $10.19

-30.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 CA$3.45

$1.33 $1.33

83.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 CA$3.78

$4.94 $4.94

-45.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 CA$3.17

$4.60 $4.60

-51.30%

Eggs

$3.56 CA$5.03

$5.74 $5.74

-37.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.09 CA$12.85

$11.29 $11.29

-19.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.33 CA$16.01

$8.63 $8.63

31.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.53 CA$20.55

$19.40 $19.40

-25.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 CA$5.12

$4.65 $4.65

-22.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$2.32 $2.32

-47.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.60 CA$5.09

$4.12 $4.12

-12.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.96

$5.60 $5.60

-24.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.53

$3.41 $3.41

-47.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 CA$2.25

$2.93 $2.93

-45.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$1.95 $1.95

16.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 CA$1.77

$2.44 $2.44

-48.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 CA$19.53

$11.56 $11.56

19.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.27 CA$20.18

$14.98 $14.98

-4.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 CA$3.10

$2.51 $2.51

-12.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 CA$3.44

$2.71 $2.71

-10.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.39 CA$3.38

$1.99 $1.99

20.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 CA$157

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 CA$4.12

$3.08 $3.08

-5.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 CA$1.69

$1.81 $1.81

-33.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.38 CA$30.23

$32.31 $32.31

-33.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.71

$1.57 $1.57

-22.93%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$37.4K $37.4K

-24.74%

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

$20.3K CA$28.6K

$25.5K $25.5K

-20.60%

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

$120 CA$170

$272 $272

-55.73%

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

$32.26 CA$45.60

$85.8 $85.8

-62.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.93 CA$67.8

$81.4 $81.4

-41.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.48 CA$54.4

$47.47 $47.47

-18.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.96 CA$32.46

Cinema Ticket

$12.38 CA$17.50

$19.40 $19.40

-36.19%

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

$830 CA$1,173

$1,175 $1,175

-29.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K CA$32.6K

$31.7K $31.7K

-27.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.7 CA$71.7

$63.8 $63.8

-20.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.02 CA$56.6

$55.6 $55.6

-27.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 CA$139

$117 $117

-16.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 CA$171

$211 $211

-42.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,592 CA$2,251

$1,565 $1,565

1.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,410 CA$1,994

$1,283 $1,283

9.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,670 CA$3,775

$2,549 $2,549

4.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,152 CA$3,042

$2,171 $2,171

-0.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,945 CA$11.2K

$2,733 $2,733

190.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,542 CA$9,249

$2,066 $2,066

216.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,727 CA$5,269

$1,575 $1,575

136.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

6.31

-29.16%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 12, 2026

Last update for Monterey Park, CA: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 55.1%

Monterey Park, CA

$1.3K 44.8% 9% $127

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$340 13.3%

Monterey Park, CA

$422 14.7% 24.2% $82

Eating Out

Toronto

$278 10.9%

Monterey Park, CA

$414 14.5% 48.9% $136

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$201 7.8%

Monterey Park, CA

$439 15.3% 119% $239

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$139 5.4%

Monterey Park, CA

$201 7% 44.7% $62

Getting Around

Toronto

$129 5.1%

Monterey Park, CA

$20 * 0.7% 84.5% $109

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$63 2.5%

Monterey Park, CA

$86 3% 36.4% $23

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,592 in Toronto and $1,565 in Monterey Park, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toronto pays 137% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $76.0 in Toronto vs $80.0 in Monterey Park, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 vs $422 per month, with Toronto cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇺🇸 Monterey Park, CA

🕒 Local time

16:03 4:03 PM

13:03 1:03 PM

3 h behind Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

60,269

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Toronto Monterey Park, CA 3,490 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Toronto
Monterey Park, 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 Monterey Park, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Toronto wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Monterey Park, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Toronto the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 137% 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 $1,565 in Monterey Park, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Monterey Park, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,561 per month in Toronto versus $2,866 in Monterey Park, CA – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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.

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.

Safety-wise, Toronto and Monterey Park, CA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Toronto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Monterey Park, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.