Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Quesnel

For one person, living is cheaper in Quesnel: $2,330 a month against $2,561 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 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
113

Cost of Living Index in Quesnel
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Quesnel Living Index

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,561

/mo nomad

Quesnel

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,330

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toronto and in Quesnel

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,561 in Toronto versus $2,330 in Quesnel.

Toronto $2,561
Quesnel $2,330

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,694 in Toronto versus $3,279 in Quesnel.

Toronto $3,694
Quesnel $3,279

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,826 in Toronto versus $4,227 in Quesnel.

Toronto $4,826
Quesnel $4,227

Living in Toronto is roughly 10% more expensive than in Quesnel, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toronto 90% above, Quesnel 73% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.18 CA$24.29

$16.27 CA$23.00

5.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 CA$107

$44.91 CA$63.5

69.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.89

$10.90 CA$15.41

-3.30%

Cappuccino

$4.02 CA$5.68

$4.02 CA$5.69

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

$2.12 CA$3.00

$2.38 CA$3.36

-10.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 CA$2.48

$1.99 CA$2.81

-12.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.24 CA$8.83

$4.50 CA$6.37

38.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.09 CA$10.02

$5.74 CA$8.12

23.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 CA$3.45

$2.27 CA$3.21

7.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 CA$3.78

$2.45 CA$3.46

9.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 CA$3.17

$3.95 CA$5.59

-43.29%

Eggs

$3.56 CA$5.03

$4.66 CA$6.59

-23.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.09 CA$12.85

$11.82 CA$16.72

-23.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.33 CA$16.01

$16.49 CA$23.31

-31.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.53 CA$20.55

$16.55 CA$23.40

-12.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 CA$5.12

$4.05 CA$5.72

-10.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$1.29 CA$1.82

-6.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.60 CA$5.09

$4.36 CA$6.17

-17.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.96

$4.27 CA$6.03

-1.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.53

$3.04 CA$4.30

-41.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 CA$2.25

$3.64 CA$5.15

-56.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$2.46 CA$3.48

-7.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 CA$1.77

$1.72 CA$2.43

-27.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 CA$19.53

$11.87 CA$16.78

16.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.27 CA$20.18

$10.46 CA$14.79

36.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 CA$3.10

$2.55 CA$3.60

-13.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 CA$3.44

$3.24 CA$4.58

-25.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.39 CA$3.38

$2.22 CA$3.14

7.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 CA$157

$55.6 CA$78.7

99.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 CA$4.12

$2.49 CA$3.53

16.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 CA$1.69

$2.15 CA$3.03

-44.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.38 CA$30.23

$41.45 CA$58.6

-48.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.71

$1.24 CA$1.76

-2.42%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$28.6K CA$40.4K

-1.47%

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

$20.3K CA$28.6K

$22.1K CA$31.2K

-8.36%

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

$120 CA$170

$172 CA$243

-30.08%

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

$32.26 CA$45.60

$38.46 CA$54.4

-16.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.93 CA$67.8

$69.1 CA$97.7

-30.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.48 CA$54.4

$40.54 CA$57.3

-5.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.96 CA$32.46

$18.31 CA$25.89

25.40%

Cinema Ticket

$12.38 CA$17.50

$7.26 CA$10.26

70.52%

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

$830 CA$1,173

$736 CA$1,041

12.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K CA$32.6K

$12.4K CA$17.5K

86.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.7 CA$71.7

$36.45 CA$51.5

39.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.02 CA$56.6

$45.75 CA$64.7

-12.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 CA$139

$76.6 CA$108

27.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 CA$171

$107 CA$151

12.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,592 CA$2,251

$771 CA$1,089

106.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,410 CA$1,994

$1,133 CA$1,601

24.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,670 CA$3,775

$1,910 CA$2,701

39.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,152 CA$3,042

$1,664 CA$2,353

29.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,945 CA$11.2K

$3,754 CA$5,306

111.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,542 CA$9,249

$3,780 CA$5,344

73.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,727 CA$5,269

$2,424 CA$3,427

53.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

5.35

-16.45%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 12, 2026

Last update for Quesnel: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 55.1%

Quesnel

$1.1K 48.6% 19.7% $278

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$340 13.3%

Quesnel

$403 17.3% 18.6% $63

Eating Out

Toronto

$278 10.9%

Quesnel

$263 11.3% 5.6% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$201 7.8%

Quesnel

$280 12% 39.5% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$139 5.4%

Quesnel

$120 5.1% 14.1% $20

Getting Around

Toronto

$129 5.1%

Quesnel

$78 3.3% 39.9% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$63 2.5%

Quesnel

$55 2.4% 12.9% $8.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,592 in Toronto and $771 in Quesnel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toronto pays 54% 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: $76.0 in Toronto vs $45.00 in Quesnel. Groceries flip the comparison at $340 vs $403, with Toronto cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇨🇦 Quesnel

🕒 Local time

16:30 4:30 PM

13:30 1:30 PM

3 h behind Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

10,007

💱 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

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Between locations

Toronto Quesnel 3,300 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Toronto
Quesnel

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 Quesnel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Quesnel wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Toronto. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Quesnel the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 54% 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: $1,592 in Toronto versus $771 in Quesnel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Toronto pay roughly 19% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Quesnel – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $76.0 in Toronto. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,330 in Quesnel versus $2,561 in Toronto, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Quesnel but tight or insufficient in Toronto. The gap between the two cities makes Quesnel 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.

Expats usually find Quesnel gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Toronto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.