Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Ottawa, IL

For one person, living costs are similar in Toronto and in Ottawa, IL: $2,610 and $2,633 a month, rent and utilities included.

126

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index
119

Cost of Living Index in Ottawa, IL
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Ottawa, IL Living Index

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,610

/mo nomad

Ottawa, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,633

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,610 per month in Toronto vs $2,633 in Ottawa, IL, rent included.

Toronto $2,610
Ottawa, IL $2,633

A couple spends around $3,727 per month in Toronto vs $3,645 in Ottawa, IL, rent included.

Toronto $3,727
Ottawa, IL $3,645

A family of three spends $4,844 per month in Toronto vs $4,657 in Ottawa, IL, rent included.

Toronto $4,844
Ottawa, IL $4,657

Toronto is about 1% cheaper than Ottawa, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Toronto and Ottawa, IL sit above the global median – Toronto by 93%, Ottawa, IL by 94%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 CA$24.87

$14.83 $14.83

18.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.8 CA$111

$61.0 $61.0

29.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 CA$15.16

$10.18 $10.18

5.40%

Cappuccino

$4.09 CA$5.78

$4.76 $4.76

-14.08%

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

$2.10 CA$2.97

$2.25 $2.25

-6.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 CA$2.43

$1.70 $1.70

1.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.36 CA$8.99

$5.39 $5.39

18.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.08 CA$10.01

$5.61 $5.61

26.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.54 CA$3.59

$0.84 $0.84

202.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 CA$3.85

$3.03 $3.03

-10.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 CA$3.09

$3.01 $3.01

-27.57%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.13

$3.91 $3.91

-7.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.46 CA$13.37

$12.23 $12.23

-22.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 CA$16.32

$6.20 $6.20

86.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.37 CA$20.32

$12.51 $12.51

14.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 CA$5.23

$3.36 $3.36

10.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 CA$1.68

$1.42 $1.42

-16.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.46 CA$4.90

$3.09 $3.09

11.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.22 CA$5.97

$4.34 $4.34

-2.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.52

$2.11 $2.11

-15.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 CA$2.33

$2.31 $2.31

-28.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 CA$3.11

$2.20 $2.20

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 CA$1.78

$1.27 $1.27

-0.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.97 CA$19.75

$12.60 $12.60

10.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.20 CA$20.07

$14.75 $14.75

-3.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 CA$3.18

$2.08 $2.08

8.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 CA$3.58

$4.06 $4.06

-37.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$2.06 $2.06

12.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 CA$158

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 CA$4.33

$2.56 $2.56

19.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 CA$1.72

$1.53 $1.53

-20.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.69 CA$30.66

$33.12 $33.12

-34.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$1.17 $1.17

3.42%

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

$26.1K CA$37.0K

$27.4K $27.4K

-4.76%

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

$21.1K CA$29.9K

$27.2K $27.2K

-22.20%

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

$120 CA$169

$234 $234

-48.97%

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

$32.21 CA$45.54

$45.76 $45.76

-29.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.88 CA$69.1

$67.1 $67.1

-27.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.34 CA$55.6

$39.21 $39.21

0.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.58 CA$33.34

$26.53 $26.53

-11.12%

Cinema Ticket

$12.58 CA$17.79

$11.26 $11.26

11.72%

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

$832 CA$1,176

$1,001 $1,001

-16.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K CA$33.4K

$19.6K $19.6K

20.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 CA$73.9

$47.96 $47.96

9.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.44 CA$55.8

$46.88 $46.88

-15.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.0 CA$140

$115 $115

-13.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 CA$172

$121 $121

0.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,631 CA$2,306

$1,641 $1,641

-0.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,448 CA$2,048

$1,483 $1,483

-2.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,737 CA$3,869

$2,846 $2,846

-3.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,129 CA$3,010

$2,203 $2,203

-3.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,206 CA$11.6K

$2,779 $2,779

195.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,838 CA$9,666

$2,237 $2,237

205.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,520 CA$4,976

$2,448 $2,448

43.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

6.82

-34.46%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 18, 2026

Last update for Ottawa, IL: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 55.5%

Ottawa, IL

$1.5K 56.3% 2.4% $34

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$343 13.1%

Ottawa, IL

$314 11.9% 8.4% $29

Eating Out

Toronto

$283 10.9%

Ottawa, IL

$260 9.9% 8.1% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$201 7.7%

Ottawa, IL

$347 13.2% 73% $147

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$141 5.4%

Ottawa, IL

$149 5.7% 5.8% $8.2

Getting Around

Toronto

$130 5%

Ottawa, IL

$18 * 0.7% 85.8% $112

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$65 2.5%

Ottawa, IL

$62 2.3% 4.3% $2.8

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 $1,641 in Ottawa, IL. 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 44% higher in Toronto, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Toronto versus $61.0 in Ottawa, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $343 vs $314 – making Ottawa, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇺🇸 Ottawa, IL

🕒 Local time

23:50 11:50 PM

22:50 10:50 PM

1 h behind Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

18,342

💱 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 Ottawa, IL 820 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Toronto
Ottawa, 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 Ottawa, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ottawa, IL is pricier by about 1%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,916 per month in Toronto and $3,950 in Ottawa, IL. 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 $2,633 in Ottawa, IL. That's a gap of about 1%.

Kindergarten costs $832 per month in Toronto and $1,001 in Ottawa, IL. 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 $2,633 in Ottawa, IL. 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, Ottawa, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.