Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Riverside, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Toronto: $2,530 a month against $3,193 in Riverside, CA, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index
158

Cost of Living Index in Riverside, CA
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Riverside, CA Living Index

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,530

/mo nomad

Riverside, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,193

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toronto and in Riverside, 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 Riverside, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,530 per month in Toronto vs $3,193 in Riverside, CA, rent included.

Toronto $2,530
Riverside, CA $3,193

A couple spends around $3,646 per month in Toronto vs $4,501 in Riverside, CA, rent included.

Toronto $3,646
Riverside, CA $4,501

A family of three spends $4,761 per month in Toronto vs $5,808 in Riverside, CA, rent included.

Toronto $4,761
Riverside, CA $5,808

Toronto is about 21% cheaper than Riverside, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Toronto and Riverside, CA sit above the global median – Toronto by 89%, Riverside, CA by 138%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.67 CA$25.19

$25.14 $25.14

-29.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.4 CA$110

$77.6 $77.6

-0.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.47 CA$14.93

$13.39 $13.39

-21.81%

Cappuccino

$4.08 CA$5.81

$5.72 $5.72

-28.67%

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

$2.12 CA$3.02

$3.16 $3.16

-32.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 CA$2.51

$2.36 $2.36

-25.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.17 CA$8.80

$7.10 $7.10

-13.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.89 CA$9.82

$10.11 $10.11

-31.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.43 CA$3.46

$1.39 $1.39

74.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 CA$3.92

$5.26 $5.26

-47.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 CA$3.18

$4.72 $4.72

-52.75%

Eggs

$3.45 CA$4.91

$5.99 $5.99

-42.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.93 CA$12.73

$16.14 $16.14

-44.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.44 CA$16.31

$8.65 $8.65

32.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.61 CA$20.83

$20.57 $20.57

-28.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 CA$5.34

$4.80 $4.80

-21.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 CA$1.64

$1.83 $1.83

-37.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.55 CA$5.06

$3.97 $3.97

-10.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.28 CA$6.10

$4.95 $4.95

-13.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 CA$2.63

$3.13 $3.13

-40.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 CA$2.38

$2.59 $2.59

-35.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 CA$3.16

$2.10 $2.10

5.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$2.09 $2.09

-42.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.88 CA$19.78

$11.60 $11.60

19.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 CA$20.31

$14.93 $14.93

-4.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 CA$3.13

$2.14 $2.14

2.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 CA$3.45

$3.10 $3.10

-21.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 CA$3.44

$1.80 $1.80

34.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 CA$158

$59.0 $59.0

87.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.90 CA$4.13

$2.98 $2.98

-2.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 CA$1.80

$2.09 $2.09

-39.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.03 CA$31.40

$28.19 $28.19

-21.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.74

$1.52 $1.52

-19.74%

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

$27.6K CA$39.4K

$37.7K $37.7K

-26.64%

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

$19.8K CA$28.3K

$25.7K $25.7K

-22.92%

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

$122 CA$174

$217 $217

-43.89%

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

$32.03 CA$45.66

$75.5 $75.5

-57.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.92 CA$68.3

$72.4 $72.4

-33.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.90 CA$55.5

$42.44 $42.44

-8.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.24 CA$33.12

$20.19 $20.19

15.11%

Cinema Ticket

$12.61 CA$17.97

$20.17 $20.17

-37.48%

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

$834 CA$1,189

$1,173 $1,173

-28.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K CA$33.3K

$36.8K $36.8K

-36.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 CA$75.0

$63.4 $63.4

-17.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.26 CA$57.4

$48.51 $48.51

-17.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 CA$137

$106 $106

-8.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 CA$175

$103 $103

19.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 CA$2,278

$2,082 $2,082

-23.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,435 CA$2,045

$1,757 $1,757

-18.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,657 CA$3,787

$3,308 $3,308

-19.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 CA$2,988

$2,579 $2,579

-18.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,033 CA$11.5K

$3,748 $3,748

114.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,557 CA$9,347

$3,597 $3,597

82.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,743 CA$5,335

$3,925 $3,925

-4.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

6.31

-29.16%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 4, 2026

Last update for Riverside, CA: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 55.4%

Riverside, CA

$1.8K 54.1% 22.4% $322

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$340 13.1%

Riverside, CA

$433 13.3% 27.3% $93

Eating Out

Toronto

$282 10.9%

Riverside, CA

$388 11.9% 37.6% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$202 7.8%

Riverside, CA

$365 11.2% 80.9% $163

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$140 5.4%

Riverside, CA

$144 4.4% 2.8% $3.9

Getting Around

Toronto

$130 5%

Riverside, CA

$80 2.5% 38.6% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$64 2.5%

Riverside, CA

$83 2.6% 29.1% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,598 in Toronto versus $2,082 in Riverside, CA. 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 5% higher in Riverside, CA, 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 $78.0 in Riverside, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $340 vs $433 – making Toronto the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇺🇸 Riverside, CA

🕒 Local time

07:14 7:14 AM

04:14 4:14 AM

3 h behind Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

320,000

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

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

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Toronto Riverside, CA 3,430 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Toronto
Riverside, 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 Riverside, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Riverside, CA costs about 26% more than Toronto, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,795 per month in Toronto and $4,789 in Riverside, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Toronto, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77.0 in Toronto and $78.0 in Riverside, CA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,530 in Toronto and $3,193 in Riverside, CA. That's a gap of about 26%.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,530 in Toronto and $3,193 in Riverside, CA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Toronto – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Toronto. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Riverside, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.