Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Redwood City, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Toronto: $2,561 a month against $4,197 in Redwood City, CA, rent and utilities included – about $19,600 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
203

Cost of Living Index in Redwood City, CA
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Redwood City, CA Living Index

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,561

/mo nomad

Redwood City, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,197

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toronto and in Redwood City, CA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,561 in Toronto versus $4,197 in Redwood City, CA.

Toronto $2,561
Redwood City, CA $4,197

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,694 in Toronto versus $6,241 in Redwood City, CA.

Toronto $3,694
Redwood City, CA $6,241

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,826 in Toronto versus $8,286 in Redwood City, CA.

Toronto $4,826
Redwood City, CA $8,286

Living in Toronto costs roughly 39% less than in Redwood City, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toronto 90% above, Redwood City, CA 211% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.18 CA$24.29

$25.04 $25.04

-31.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 CA$107

$110 $110

-30.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.89

$13.44 $13.44

-21.58%

Cappuccino

$4.02 CA$5.68

$5.64 $5.64

-28.72%

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

$2.12 CA$3.00

$3.23 $3.23

-34.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 CA$2.48

$2.65 $2.65

-33.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.24 CA$8.83

$8.20 $8.20

-23.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.09 CA$10.02

$8.87 $8.87

-20.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 CA$3.45

$1.53 $1.53

59.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 CA$3.78

$5.37 $5.37

-50.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 CA$3.17

$4.86 $4.86

-53.91%

Eggs

$3.56 CA$5.03

$7.74 $7.74

-54.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.09 CA$12.85

$15.07 $15.07

-39.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.33 CA$16.01

$10.63 $10.63

6.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.53 CA$20.55

$19.61 $19.61

-25.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 CA$5.12

$6.25 $6.25

-42.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$2.85 $2.85

-57.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.60 CA$5.09

$4.48 $4.48

-19.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.96

$6.22 $6.22

-32.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.53

$2.99 $2.99

-40.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 CA$2.25

$3.65 $3.65

-56.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$2.78 $2.78

-18.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 CA$1.77

$2.62 $2.62

-52.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 CA$19.53

$11.85 $11.85

16.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.27 CA$20.18

$20.28 $20.28

-29.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 CA$3.10

$2.64 $2.64

-16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 CA$3.44

$3.41 $3.41

-28.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.39 CA$3.38

$4.78 $4.78

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 CA$157

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 CA$4.12

$4.25 $4.25

-31.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 CA$1.69

$1.21 $1.21

-0.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.38 CA$30.23

$38.38 $38.38

-44.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.71

$1.57 $1.57

-22.93%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$37.4K $37.4K

-24.70%

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

$20.3K CA$28.6K

$26.5K $26.5K

-23.67%

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

$120 CA$170

$237 $237

-49.25%

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

$32.26 CA$45.60

$53.7 $53.7

-39.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.93 CA$67.8

$69.5 $69.5

-31.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.48 CA$54.4

$239 $239

-83.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.96 CA$32.46

$29.93 $29.93

-23.29%

Cinema Ticket

$12.38 CA$17.50

$17.91 $17.91

-30.88%

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

$830 CA$1,173

$2,907 $2,907

-71.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K CA$32.6K

$43.0K $43.0K

-46.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.7 CA$71.7

$45.86 $45.86

10.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.02 CA$56.6

$25.04 $25.04

59.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 CA$139

$98.8 $98.8

-0.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 CA$171

$114 $114

5.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,592 CA$2,251

$4,248 $4,248

-62.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,410 CA$1,994

$2,521 $2,521

-44.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,670 CA$3,775

$5,692 $5,692

-53.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,152 CA$3,042

$4,469 $4,469

-51.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,945 CA$11.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,542 CA$9,249

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,727 CA$5,269

$8,008 $8,008

-53.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

6.82

-34.46%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 12, 2026

Last update for Redwood City, CA: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 55.1%

Redwood City, CA

$2.5K 60.1% 78.7% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$340 13.3%

Redwood City, CA

$493 11.8% 45.2% $154

Eating Out

Toronto

$278 10.9%

Redwood City, CA

$390 9.3% 40.4% $112

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$201 7.8%

Redwood City, CA

$360 8.6% 79.7% $160

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$139 5.4%

Redwood City, CA

$128 3% 8.3% $12

Getting Around

Toronto

$129 5.1%

Redwood City, CA

$29 * 0.7% 77.3% $100

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$63 2.5%

Redwood City, CA

$275 6.6% 335% $212

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 $4,248 in Redwood City, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Redwood City, CA pays 115% 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 $110 in Redwood City, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 vs $493 per month, with Toronto cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇺🇸 Redwood City, CA

🕒 Local time

19:49 7:49 PM

16:49 4:49 PM

3 h behind Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

88,314

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Toronto Redwood City, CA 3,640 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Toronto
Redwood City, CA

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 Redwood City, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Toronto and Redwood City, CA differ by about 64% in total monthly costs ($2,561 vs $4,197 including rent). Toronto is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 115% lower in Redwood City, CA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,592 in Toronto versus $4,248 in Redwood City, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $830 in Toronto versus $2,907 in Redwood City, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Toronto – a meal for two runs $76.0 versus $110 in Redwood City, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Toronto 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.

Expats usually find Toronto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Redwood City, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.