Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Oakville Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Oakville

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,628 in Toronto versus $2,695 in Oakville.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,848 in Toronto versus $3,902 in Oakville.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,067 in Toronto versus $5,108 in Oakville.

Living in Toronto costs roughly 2% less than in Oakville, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toronto 91% above, Oakville 96% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.88 CA$24.75

$14.50 CA$20.07

23.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.9 CA$122

$69.6 CA$96.2

26.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.93 CA$15.13

$9.36 CA$12.95

16.77%

Cappuccino

$4.06 CA$5.62

$3.76 CA$5.20

7.98%

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

$2.18 CA$3.02

$2.00 CA$2.77

9.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 CA$2.35

$1.60 CA$2.22

6.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.69 CA$9.25

$5.88 CA$8.14

13.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.35 CA$10.16

$6.57 CA$9.08

11.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.78 CA$3.85

$2.70 CA$3.73

2.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 CA$4.00

$2.98 CA$4.13

-3.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.56 CA$3.55

$3.56 CA$4.92

-28.09%

Eggs

$3.79 CA$5.24

$4.24 CA$5.87

-10.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.17 CA$14.07

$9.34 CA$12.93

8.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.95 CA$16.53

$10.57 CA$14.63

13.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.12 CA$22.31

$14.00 CA$19.37

15.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.89 CA$5.39

$3.57 CA$4.94

8.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 CA$1.76

$1.83 CA$2.53

-30.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 CA$5.37

$3.61 CA$4.99

7.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.33 CA$5.99

$2.91 CA$4.03

48.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 CA$2.53

$2.53 CA$3.50

-27.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 CA$2.07

$3.23 CA$4.47

-53.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 CA$3.15

$2.21 CA$3.05

3.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 CA$1.99

$1.69 CA$2.34

-14.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.20 CA$19.64

$14.73 CA$20.38

-3.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.24 CA$19.71

$12.93 CA$17.89

10.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 CA$3.11

$3.19 CA$4.42

-29.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 CA$3.50

$2.68 CA$3.70

-5.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 CA$3.42

$2.81 CA$3.88

-12.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 CA$155

$102 CA$141

10.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 CA$4.22

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 CA$1.71

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.44 CA$31.05

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 CA$1.71

$1.10 CA$1.52

12.73%

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

$27.5K CA$38.1K

$28.2K CA$39.0K

-2.38%

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

$21.1K CA$29.3K

$19.0K CA$26.2K

11.54%

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

$128 CA$177

$101 CA$139

26.91%

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

$33.79 CA$46.75

$29.96 CA$41.46

12.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.25 CA$68.2

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.93 CA$56.6

$42.83 CA$59.3

-4.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.62 CA$34.07

Cinema Ticket

$13.16 CA$18.21

$9.34 CA$12.92

40.90%

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

$792 CA$1,097

$1,044 CA$1,445

-24.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.1K CA$33.4K

$17.5K CA$24.2K

37.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.5 CA$75.4

$71.9 CA$99.5

-24.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.11 CA$59.7

$88.7 CA$123

-51.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 CA$140

$115 CA$159

-11.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 CA$171

$107 CA$148

15.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 CA$2,287

$1,733 CA$2,397

-4.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,452 CA$2,009

$1,587 CA$2,196

-8.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,694 CA$3,728

$2,647 CA$3,662

1.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 CA$2,974

$2,459 CA$3,402

-12.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,347 CA$11.6K

$4,241 CA$5,869

96.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,816 CA$9,431

$7,324 CA$10.1K

-6.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,614 CA$5,001

$3,231 CA$4,470

11.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.49

5.39

-16.70%

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

Last update for Toronto: August 30, 2026

Last update for Oakville: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Toronto and $1,733 in Oakville. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toronto pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $88.0 in Toronto vs $70.0 in Oakville for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $365 vs $359 per month, with Oakville cheaper across the board.

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 Oakville: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Toronto wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Oakville. 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 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: $1,653 in Toronto versus $1,733 in Oakville. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Toronto runs roughly 10% less than in Oakville. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $792 in Toronto versus $1,044 in Oakville. 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.

Both work as nomad bases, but Toronto delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,628 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Toronto hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Toronto and Oakville 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 3% less than in Oakville. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.