Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Peterborough, Canada

Name: Peterborough
Address: Peterborough, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Peterborough: $2,107 a month against $2,599 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in Peterborough
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Peterborough Living Index

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,599

/mo nomad

Peterborough

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toronto and in Peterborough

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,599 in Toronto versus $2,107 in Peterborough.

Toronto $2,599
Peterborough $2,107

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,700 in Toronto versus $3,050 in Peterborough.

Toronto $3,700
Peterborough $3,050

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,801 in Toronto versus $3,993 in Peterborough.

Toronto $4,801
Peterborough $3,993

Living in Toronto is roughly 23% more expensive than in Peterborough, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toronto 92% above, Peterborough 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.98 CA$25.08

$11.60 CA$16.19

55.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.3 CA$101

$72.0 CA$101

0.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.83 CA$15.11

$10.75 CA$15.00

0.74%

Cappuccino

$4.34 CA$6.06

$3.83 CA$5.35

13.32%

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

$2.16 CA$3.01

$1.81 CA$2.52

19.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 CA$2.31

$1.47 CA$2.05

12.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.35 CA$8.86

$5.28 CA$7.37

20.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.34 CA$10.24

$5.82 CA$8.12

26.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.57 CA$3.58

$2.59 CA$3.61

-0.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 CA$3.78

$2.45 CA$3.42

10.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 CA$3.18

$2.48 CA$3.47

-8.06%

Eggs

$3.60 CA$5.03

$3.26 CA$4.55

10.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.94 CA$12.48

$10.86 CA$15.16

-17.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.19 CA$15.61

$11.11 CA$15.51

0.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.23 CA$21.24

$12.80 CA$17.87

18.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.74 CA$5.23

$3.35 CA$4.68

11.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 CA$1.71

$1.44 CA$2.01

-14.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.58 CA$4.99

$3.51 CA$4.89

1.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.25 CA$5.93

$4.13 CA$5.77

2.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 CA$2.71

$1.63 CA$2.27

19.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 CA$2.33

$2.31 CA$3.22

-27.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 CA$3.21

$2.27 CA$3.17

1.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 CA$1.76

$1.49 CA$2.07

-15.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.19 CA$19.81

$11.57 CA$16.14

22.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 CA$19.88

$12.62 CA$17.61

12.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 CA$3.18

$2.42 CA$3.38

-5.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 CA$3.60

$1.63 CA$2.27

58.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 CA$3.28

$2.46 CA$3.43

-4.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 CA$155

$54.3 CA$75.8

104.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 CA$4.20

$3.09 CA$4.31

-2.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 CA$1.71

$1.25 CA$1.75

-2.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.82 CA$30.45

$21.57 CA$30.09

1.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 CA$1.72

$1.18 CA$1.65

4.24%

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

$27.0K CA$37.6K

$26.4K CA$36.8K

2.20%

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

$21.8K CA$30.5K

$21.1K CA$29.4K

3.58%

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

$121 CA$169

$140 CA$196

-13.88%

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

$33.10 CA$46.19

$35.14 CA$49.02

-5.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.09 CA$68.5

$44.89 CA$62.6

9.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.65 CA$51.1

$37.59 CA$52.5

-2.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.01 CA$34.90

$14.21 CA$19.83

76.00%

Cinema Ticket

$12.78 CA$17.83

$11.50 CA$16.05

11.13%

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

$754 CA$1,053

$344 CA$480

119.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.7K CA$47.0K

$15.6K CA$21.8K

116.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.4 CA$70.3

$46.52 CA$64.9

8.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.43 CA$57.8

$37.93 CA$52.9

9.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 CA$141

$88.1 CA$123

14.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 CA$182

$73.9 CA$103

76.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,590 CA$2,218

$1,376 CA$1,920

15.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,424 CA$1,987

$1,083 CA$1,510

31.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,641 CA$3,685

$2,057 CA$2,870

28.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 CA$2,916

$1,631 CA$2,276

28.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,730 CA$10.8K

$6,479 CA$9,040

19.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,892 CA$9,616

$6,365 CA$8,881

8.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,623 CA$5,055

$3,017 CA$4,209

20.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.45

4.55

-2.20%

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

Last update for Toronto: November 2, 2026

Last update for Peterborough: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 54.8%

Peterborough

$1.1K 51.4% 24% $342

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$345 13.3%

Peterborough

$337 16% 2.3% $7.9

Eating Out

Toronto

$290 11.2%

Peterborough

$222 10.6% 23.4% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$203 7.8%

Peterborough

$220 10.5% 8.5% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$145 5.6%

Peterborough

$111 5.3% 23.8% $35

Getting Around

Toronto

$130 5%

Peterborough

$74 3.5% 43.2% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$62 2.4%

Peterborough

$61 2.9% 2.6% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,590 in Toronto and $1,376 in Peterborough. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toronto pays 20% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $72 in Toronto vs $72 in Peterborough. Groceries flip the comparison at $345 vs $337, with Peterborough cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇨🇦 Peterborough

🕒 Local time

12:21 12:21 PM

Same time as Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

81,032

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.717 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

1 CAD = 0.717 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Peterborough: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Peterborough is about 19% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, transport, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 20% 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: $1,590 in Toronto versus $1,376 in Peterborough. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Peterborough runs roughly 51% less than in Toronto. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $754 in Toronto versus $344 in Peterborough. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,107 in Peterborough versus $2,599 in Toronto, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Peterborough but tight or insufficient in Toronto. The gap between the two cities makes Peterborough 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.

It comes down to priorities – Peterborough wins on affordability, Toronto on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.