Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Ottawa

For one person, living is cheaper in Ottawa: $2,416 a month against $2,610 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 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
117

Cost of Living Index in Ottawa
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Ottawa Living Index

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,610

/mo nomad

Ottawa

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,416

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toronto and in Ottawa

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

A single person spends $2,610 per month in Toronto vs $2,416 in Ottawa, rent included.

Toronto $2,610
Ottawa $2,416

A couple spends around $3,727 per month in Toronto vs $3,537 in Ottawa, rent included.

Toronto $3,727
Ottawa $3,537

A family of three spends $4,844 per month in Toronto vs $4,658 in Ottawa, rent included.

Toronto $4,844
Ottawa $4,658

Toronto costs about 8% more than Ottawa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Toronto and Ottawa sit above the global median – Toronto by 93%, Ottawa by 78%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 CA$24.87

$17.62 CA$24.91

-0.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.8 CA$111

$78.6 CA$111

0.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 CA$15.16

$10.61 CA$15.00

1.13%

Cappuccino

$4.09 CA$5.78

$4.04 CA$5.71

1.24%

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

$2.10 CA$2.97

$2.08 CA$2.94

0.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 CA$2.43

$1.75 CA$2.48

-1.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.36 CA$8.99

$5.71 CA$8.08

11.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.08 CA$10.01

$6.47 CA$9.14

9.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.54 CA$3.59

$2.40 CA$3.39

5.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 CA$3.85

$2.96 CA$4.19

-8.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 CA$3.09

$2.88 CA$4.07

-24.31%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.13

$3.23 CA$4.57

12.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.46 CA$13.37

$11.51 CA$16.27

-17.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 CA$16.32

$11.61 CA$16.41

-0.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.37 CA$20.32

$19.02 CA$26.90

-24.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 CA$5.23

$3.74 CA$5.29

-1.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 CA$1.68

$1.27 CA$1.79

-6.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.46 CA$4.90

$3.90 CA$5.52

-11.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.22 CA$5.97

$3.61 CA$5.10

16.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.52

$2.57 CA$3.64

-30.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 CA$2.33

$2.39 CA$3.38

-30.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 CA$3.11

$2.61 CA$3.69

-15.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 CA$1.78

$1.47 CA$2.08

-14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.97 CA$19.75

$14.45 CA$20.43

-3.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.20 CA$20.07

$12.47 CA$17.63

13.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 CA$3.18

$2.61 CA$3.68

-13.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 CA$3.58

$3.18 CA$4.50

-20.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$2.93 CA$4.14

-20.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 CA$158

$94.6 CA$134

18.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 CA$4.33

$2.68 CA$3.79

14.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 CA$1.72

$1.53 CA$2.16

-20.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.69 CA$30.66

$19.08 CA$26.98

13.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$1.23 CA$1.74

-1.63%

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

$26.1K CA$37.0K

$27.6K CA$39.0K

-5.20%

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

$21.1K CA$29.9K

$22.3K CA$31.5K

-5.17%

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

$120 CA$169

$139 CA$196

-13.94%

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

$32.21 CA$45.54

$37.37 CA$52.8

-13.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.88 CA$69.1

$51.1 CA$72.3

-4.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.34 CA$55.6

$48.10 CA$68.0

-18.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.58 CA$33.34

$27.89 CA$39.43

-15.45%

Cinema Ticket

$12.58 CA$17.79

$12.68 CA$17.93

-0.79%

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

$832 CA$1,176

$928 CA$1,311

-10.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K CA$33.4K

$16.1K CA$22.7K

47.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 CA$73.9

$57.3 CA$81.0

-8.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.44 CA$55.8

$37.28 CA$52.7

5.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.0 CA$140

$103 CA$146

-3.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 CA$172

$97.5 CA$138

25.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,631 CA$2,306

$1,437 CA$2,031

13.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,448 CA$2,048

$1,215 CA$1,717

19.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,737 CA$3,869

$2,310 CA$3,266

18.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,129 CA$3,010

$1,871 CA$2,645

13.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,206 CA$11.6K

$4,326 CA$6,115

89.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,838 CA$9,666

$4,547 CA$6,428

50.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,520 CA$4,976

$3,730 CA$5,274

-5.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

4.16

7.45%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 18, 2026

Last update for Ottawa: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 55.5%

Ottawa

$1.2K 50.3% 16.1% $234

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$343 13.1%

Ottawa

$373 15.4% 8.6% $30

Eating Out

Toronto

$283 10.9%

Ottawa

$278 11.5% 1.8% $5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$201 7.7%

Ottawa

$227 9.4% 13.3% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$141 5.4%

Ottawa

$133 5.5% 5.6% $7.9

Getting Around

Toronto

$130 5%

Ottawa

$117 4.8% 10.3% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$65 2.5%

Ottawa

$73 3% 13.9% $9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,631 in Toronto versus $1,437 in Ottawa. 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 6% higher in Ottawa, 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 $79.0 in Ottawa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $343 vs $373 – making Toronto the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇨🇦 Ottawa

🕒 Local time

19:29 7:29 PM

Same time as Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

1,000,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Toronto
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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: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,610 in Toronto, $2,416 in Ottawa – roughly 8% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,916 per month in Toronto and $3,623 in Ottawa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ottawa, 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 $2,416 in Ottawa. That's a gap of about 8%.

Public transport costs about 18% less in Ottawa. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Ottawa, where all-in costs run around $2,416, than in Toronto at $2,610. In Ottawa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Toronto it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Ottawa has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,416 in Ottawa to $2,610 in Toronto. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ottawa. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Toronto makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.