Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Quito

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $979 a month against $2,530 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $18,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Toronto
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,530
/mo nomad
Quito
🇪🇨 Ecuador
$979
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toronto and in Quito

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

A single person spends $2,530 per month in Toronto vs $979 in Quito, rent included.

  • Toronto $2,530
  • Quito $979

A couple spends around $3,646 per month in Toronto vs $1,607 in Quito, rent included.

  • Toronto $3,646
  • Quito $1,607

A family of three spends $4,761 per month in Toronto vs $2,234 in Quito, rent included.

  • Toronto $4,761
  • Quito $2,234

Toronto costs about 158% more than Quito, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Toronto sits 89% above the global median, while Quito is 27% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Toronto
Quito
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.67 CA$25.13
$6.14 $6.14
187.79%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$77.4 CA$110
$53.9 $53.9
43.59%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.47 CA$14.90
$7.81 $7.81
34.06%
Cappuccino
$4.08 CA$5.80
$3.42 $3.42
19.30%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.12 CA$3.01
$1.44 $1.44
47.22%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.76 CA$2.50
$1.14 $1.14
54.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.17 CA$8.78
$3.48 $3.48
77.30%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.89 CA$9.80
$5.89 $5.89
16.98%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Toronto
Quito
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.43 CA$3.46
$1.14 $1.14
113.16%
White Bread (500g)
$2.75 CA$3.91
$1.54 $1.54
78.57%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.23 CA$3.17
$1.51 $1.51
47.68%
Eggs
$3.45 CA$4.90
$2.16 $2.16
59.72%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.93 CA$12.71
$6.40 $6.40
39.53%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.44 CA$16.27
$5.48 $5.48
108.76%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.61 CA$20.78
$7.81 $7.81
87.07%
Apples (1kg)
$3.75 CA$5.33
$2.33 $2.33
60.94%
Banana (1kg)
$1.15 CA$1.63
$1.24 $1.24
-7.26%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.55 CA$5.05
$1.31 $1.31
170.99%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.28 CA$6.09
$1.14 $1.14
275.44%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 CA$2.62
$1.21 $1.21
52.89%
Onion (1kg)
$1.67 CA$2.37
$1.02 $1.02
63.73%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.22 CA$3.15
$0.93 $0.93
138.71%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.21 CA$1.72
$1.05 $1.05
15.24%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.88 CA$19.74
$6.02 $6.02
130.56%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.25 CA$20.27
$9.93 $9.93
43.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.20 CA$3.12
$1.59 $1.59
38.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.42 CA$3.44
$3.08 $3.08
-21.43%
🚌 Getting Around
Toronto
Quito
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.42 CA$3.44
$0.37 $0.37
554.05%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$111 CA$158
$20.95 $20.95
428.59%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.90 CA$4.12
$1.54 $1.54
88.31%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.26 CA$1.79
$1.53 $1.53
-17.65%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$22.03 CA$31.33
$10.01 $10.01
120.08%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.22 CA$1.74
$0.87 $0.87
40.23%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.6K CA$39.3K
$21.0K $21.0K
31.67%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.8K CA$28.2K
$28.6K $28.6K
-30.58%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Toronto
Quito
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$122 CA$173
$28.97 $28.97
320.71%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$32.03 CA$45.56
$17.57 $17.57
82.30%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$47.92 CA$68.2
$28.14 $28.14
70.29%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Toronto
Quito
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$38.90 CA$55.3
$46.48 $46.48
-16.31%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.24 CA$33.05
$17.70 $17.70
31.30%
Cinema Ticket
$12.61 CA$17.94
$6.38 $6.38
97.65%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Toronto
Quito
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$834 CA$1,186
$746 $746
11.73%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.3K CA$33.2K
$9,015 $9,015
158.88%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Toronto
Quito
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.6 CA$74.8
$68.8 $68.8
-23.55%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.26 CA$57.3
$50.4 $50.4
-20.04%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.2 CA$137
$117 $117
-18.11%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123 CA$175
$109 $109
12.80%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Toronto
Quito
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,598 CA$2,273
$478 $478
234.22%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,435 CA$2,041
$313 $313
358.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,657 CA$3,779
$967 $967
174.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,096 CA$2,981
$549 $549
281.71%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,033 CA$11.4K
$1,763 $1,763
355.71%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,557 CA$9,327
$720 $720
810.75%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Toronto
Quito
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,743 CA$5,324
$597 $597
527.23%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.47
10.12
-55.83%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 4, 2026

Last update for Quito: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Toronto
$1.4K
Quito
$313 78.2% $1.1K
Groceries & Markets
Toronto
$340
Quito
$198 41.9% $143
Eating Out
Toronto
$282
Quito
$153 45.7% $129
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Toronto
$202
Quito
$75 63% $127
Clothing & Footwear
Toronto
$140
Quito
$156 10.8% $15
Getting Around
Toronto
$130
Quito
$32 75.6% $98
Sport & Entertainment
Toronto
$64
Quito
$59 7.6% $4.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,598 in Toronto versus $478 in Quito. 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 527% higher in Toronto, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77.0 in Toronto versus $54.0 in Quito. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $340 vs $198 – making Quito the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Toronto
🇪🇨 Quito
🕒 Local time
02:07 2:07 AM
01:07 1:07 AM
1 h behind Toronto
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,731,571
2,671,191 Capital
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Toronto Quito 4,880 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Toronto
  • Quito

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 Quito: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Quito cheaper than Toronto?
Yes – Toronto is pricier by about 158%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,795 per month in Toronto and $1,468 in Quito. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Quito, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 429% less in Quito. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $834 per month in Toronto and $746 in Quito. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Toronto or in Quito?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Quito, where all-in costs run around $979, than in Toronto at $2,530. In Quito it covers expenses comfortably, while in Toronto it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Toronto or Quito more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Quito – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Quito. 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.

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