Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Normal, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Normal, IL: $2,269 a month against $2,610 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Toronto outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

126

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index
111

Cost of Living Index in Normal, IL
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Normal, IL Living Index

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,610

/mo nomad

Normal, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,269

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toronto and in Normal, IL

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 Normal, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,610 in Toronto versus $2,269 in Normal, IL.

Toronto $2,610
Normal, IL $2,269

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,727 in Toronto versus $3,356 in Normal, IL.

Toronto $3,727
Normal, IL $3,356

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,844 in Toronto versus $4,443 in Normal, IL.

Toronto $4,844
Normal, IL $4,443

Living in Toronto is roughly 15% more expensive than in Normal, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toronto 93% above, Normal, IL 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 CA$24.87

$11.29 $11.29

55.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.8 CA$111

$50.5 $50.5

56.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 CA$15.16

$9.82 $9.82

9.27%

Cappuccino

$4.09 CA$5.78

$5.14 $5.14

-20.43%

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

$2.10 CA$2.97

$3.40 $3.40

-38.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 CA$2.43

$1.58 $1.58

8.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.36 CA$8.99

$5.27 $5.27

20.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.08 CA$10.01

$6.08 $6.08

16.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.54 CA$3.59

$0.80 $0.80

217.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 CA$3.85

$2.63 $2.63

3.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 CA$3.09

$3.22 $3.22

-32.30%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.13

$3.84 $3.84

-5.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.46 CA$13.37

$8.95 $8.95

5.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 CA$16.32

$12.56 $12.56

-8.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.37 CA$20.32

$18.70 $18.70

-23.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 CA$5.23

$6.55 $6.55

-43.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 CA$1.68

$1.23 $1.23

-3.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.46 CA$4.90

$6.54 $6.54

-47.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.22 CA$5.97

$5.11 $5.11

-17.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.52

$3.39 $3.39

-47.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 CA$2.33

$3.23 $3.23

-48.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 CA$3.11

$2.05 $2.05

7.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 CA$1.78

$2.31 $2.31

-45.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.97 CA$19.75

$11.32 $11.32

23.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.20 CA$20.07

$10.96 $10.96

29.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 CA$3.18

$1.83 $1.83

22.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 CA$3.58

$3.02 $3.02

-16.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$2.57 $2.57

-9.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 CA$158

$93.0 $93.0

20.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 CA$4.33

$5.86 $5.86

-47.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 CA$1.72

$1.09 $1.09

11.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.69 CA$30.66

$18.21 $18.21

19.11%

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

$27.4K $27.4K

-4.56%

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

$21.1K CA$29.9K

$26.5K $26.5K

-20.44%

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

$120 CA$169

$274 $274

-56.34%

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

$32.21 CA$45.54

$97.9 $97.9

-67.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.88 CA$69.1

$64.5 $64.5

-24.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.34 CA$55.6

$39.78 $39.78

-1.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.58 CA$33.34

Cinema Ticket

$12.58 CA$17.79

$11.80 $11.80

6.61%

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

$832 CA$1,176

$1,055 $1,055

-21.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K CA$33.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 CA$73.9

$30.33 $30.33

72.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.44 CA$55.8

$39.25 $39.25

0.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.0 CA$140

$68.4 $68.4

44.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 CA$172

$153 $153

-20.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,631 CA$2,306

$994 $994

64.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,448 CA$2,048

$895 $895

61.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,737 CA$3,869

$1,761 $1,761

55.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,129 CA$3,010

$1,624 $1,624

31.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,206 CA$11.6K

$9,700 $9,700

-15.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,838 CA$9,666

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,520 CA$4,976

$4,253 $4,253

-17.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

6.55

-31.76%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 18, 2026

Last update for Normal, IL: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 55.5%

Normal, IL

$895 39.4% 38.2% $554

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$343 13.1%

Normal, IL

$390 17.2% 13.7% $47

Eating Out

Toronto

$283 10.9%

Normal, IL

$240 10.6% 15.3% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$201 7.7%

Normal, IL

$436 19.2% 117% $236

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$141 5.4%

Normal, IL

$131 5.8% 7% $9.8

Getting Around

Toronto

$130 5%

Normal, IL

$115 5.1% 11.9% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$65 2.5%

Normal, IL

$63 2.8% 1.7% $1.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,631 in Toronto and $994 in Normal, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Normal, IL pays 21% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $79.0 in Toronto vs $50.0 in Normal, IL. Groceries flip the comparison at $343 vs $390, with Toronto cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇺🇸 Normal, IL

🕒 Local time

23:49 11:49 PM

22:49 10:49 PM

1 h behind Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

52,497

💱 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 22, 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 22, 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 Normal, IL 870 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Toronto
Normal, IL

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 Normal, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Normal, IL wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Toronto. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Normal, IL the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 21% lower in Normal, IL. 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: $1,631 in Toronto versus $994 in Normal, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Normal, IL – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $79.0 in Toronto. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,610 per month in Toronto versus $2,269 in Normal, IL – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,269 in Normal, IL versus $2,610 in Toronto, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Normal, IL but tight or insufficient in Toronto. The gap between the two cities makes Normal, IL the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Normal, IL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Toronto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.