Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Playa Flamingo

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa Flamingo: $1,673 a month against $2,561 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 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
81

Cost of Living Index in Playa Flamingo
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Playa Flamingo Living Index

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,561

/mo nomad

Playa Flamingo

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,673

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toronto and in Playa Flamingo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,561 in Toronto versus $1,673 in Playa Flamingo.

Toronto $2,561
Playa Flamingo $1,673

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,694 in Toronto versus $2,667 in Playa Flamingo.

Toronto $3,694
Playa Flamingo $2,667

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,826 in Toronto versus $3,660 in Playa Flamingo.

Toronto $4,826
Playa Flamingo $3,660

Living in Toronto is roughly 53% more expensive than in Playa Flamingo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toronto 90% above, Playa Flamingo 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.18 CA$24.29

$12.07 ₡5,412

42.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 CA$107

$62.4 ₡28.0K

21.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.89

$10.07 ₡4,517

4.67%

Cappuccino

$4.02 CA$5.68

$4.38 ₡1,963

-8.22%

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

$2.12 CA$3.00

$2.74 ₡1,230

-22.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 CA$2.48

$1.84 ₡824

-4.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.24 CA$8.83

$3.30 ₡1,481

89.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.09 CA$10.02

$4.52 ₡2,027

56.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 CA$3.45

$2.02 ₡905

20.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 CA$3.78

$3.04 ₡1,365

-11.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 CA$3.17

$2.41 ₡1,081

-7.05%

Eggs

$3.56 CA$5.03

$2.93 ₡1,316

21.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.09 CA$12.85

$10.81 ₡4,847

-15.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.33 CA$16.01

$9.91 ₡4,446

14.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.53 CA$20.55

$11.95 ₡5,361

21.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 CA$5.12

$5.20 ₡2,331

-30.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$1.56 ₡701

-22.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.60 CA$5.09

$4.74 ₡2,124

-24.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.96

$3.90 ₡1,748

7.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.53

$3.80 ₡1,703

-52.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 CA$2.25

$3.74 ₡1,678

-57.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$1.02 ₡458

122.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 CA$1.77

$3.24 ₡1,452

-61.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 CA$19.53

$4.99 ₡2,236

176.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.27 CA$20.18

$19.90 ₡8,926

-28.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 CA$3.10

$2.82 ₡1,263

-21.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 CA$3.44

$3.51 ₡1,574

-30.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.39 CA$3.38

$1.25 ₡562

91.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 CA$157

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 CA$4.12

$2.47 ₡1,106

17.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 CA$1.69

$1.60 ₡719

-25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.38 CA$30.23

$8.44 ₡3,786

153.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.71

$1.52 ₡682

-20.39%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

30.50%

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

$20.3K CA$28.6K

$34.3K ₡15.4M

-41.03%

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

$120 CA$170

$95.6 ₡42.9K

25.90%

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

$32.26 CA$45.60

$19.92 ₡8,934

61.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.93 CA$67.8

$60.1 ₡26.9K

-20.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.48 CA$54.4

$54.2 ₡24.3K

-29.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.96 CA$32.46

$10.17 ₡4,562

125.76%

Cinema Ticket

$12.38 CA$17.50

$7.64 ₡3,425

62.04%

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

$830 CA$1,173

$966 ₡433.1K

-14.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K CA$32.6K

$9,005 ₡4.0M

156.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.7 CA$71.7

$70.3 ₡31.5K

-27.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.02 CA$56.6

$55.0 ₡24.7K

-27.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 CA$139

$130 ₡58.1K

-24.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 CA$171

$132 ₡59.2K

-8.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,592 CA$2,251

$1,619 ₡726.2K

-1.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,410 CA$1,994

$629 ₡282.2K

124.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,670 CA$3,775

$2,944 ₡1.3M

-9.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,152 CA$3,042

$1,270 ₡569.7K

69.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,945 CA$11.2K

$3,654 ₡1.6M

117.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,542 CA$9,249

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,727 CA$5,269

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

8.62

-48.14%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 12, 2026

Last update for Playa Flamingo: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 55.1%

Playa Flamingo

$629 37.6% 55.4% $781

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$340 13.3%

Playa Flamingo

$386 23.1% 13.7% $47

Eating Out

Toronto

$278 10.9%

Playa Flamingo

$223 13.3% 19.8% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$201 7.8%

Playa Flamingo

$176 10.5% 12.4% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$139 5.4%

Playa Flamingo

$174 10.4% 25% $35

Getting Around

Toronto

$129 5.1%

Playa Flamingo

$15 * 0.9% 88% $114

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$63 2.5%

Playa Flamingo

$69 4.2% 9.9% $6.3

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,592 in Toronto and $1,619 in Playa Flamingo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $76.0 in Toronto vs $62.0 in Playa Flamingo. Groceries flip the comparison at $340 vs $386, with Toronto cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇨🇷 Playa Flamingo

🕒 Local time

01:10 1:10 AM

23:10 11:10 PM

2 h behind Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Toronto Playa Flamingo 3,750 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Toronto
Playa Flamingo

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 Playa Flamingo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa Flamingo wins on cost – living expenses run 53% lower than in Toronto. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa Flamingo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,841 in Toronto and $2,510 in Playa Flamingo to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,592 in Toronto versus $1,619 in Playa Flamingo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Toronto pay roughly 14% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,561 per month in Toronto versus $1,673 in Playa Flamingo – a 53% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Playa Flamingo is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

Safety-wise, Toronto and Playa Flamingo 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 Playa Flamingo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Toronto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.