Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Saguenay Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Saguenay

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,811 in Toronto versus $1,310 in Saguenay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,130 in Toronto versus $2,332 in Saguenay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,449 in Toronto versus $3,353 in Saguenay.

Living in Toronto is roughly 115% more expensive than Saguenay, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Toronto is 110% above, Saguenay is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.71 CA$26.02

$13.18 CA$18.34

41.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.9 CA$114

$43.32 CA$60.3

88.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.83 CA$15.06

$10.90 CA$15.16

-0.64%

Cappuccino

$3.89 CA$5.41

$3.76 CA$5.23

3.46%

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

$2.22 CA$3.09

$1.59 CA$2.21

39.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 CA$2.29

$1.27 CA$1.76

29.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.05 CA$8.41

$5.49 CA$7.63

10.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.58 CA$9.15

$5.00 CA$6.96

31.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.73 CA$3.79

$2.18 CA$3.04

25.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 CA$3.78

$2.89 CA$4.02

-5.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.54 CA$4.92

$4.46 CA$6.20

-20.63%

Eggs

$3.50 CA$4.87

$2.62 CA$3.65

33.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.53 CA$18.81

$12.89 CA$17.93

4.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.09 CA$18.20

$8.94 CA$12.43

46.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.96 CA$23.59

$13.89 CA$19.32

22.10%

Apples (1kg)

$4.16 CA$5.79

$4.02 CA$5.60

3.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 CA$1.64

$1.33 CA$1.85

-11.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.25 CA$4.52

$4.12 CA$5.73

-21.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.12 CA$5.73

$3.95 CA$5.49

4.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 CA$3.48

$1.94 CA$2.70

28.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 CA$4.00

$1.59 CA$2.21

81.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 CA$3.27

$2.64 CA$3.67

-10.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 CA$2.78

$0.88 CA$1.23

127.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.58 CA$20.28

$12.23 CA$17.01

19.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.18 CA$19.71

$11.77 CA$16.36

20.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 CA$3.89

$3.04 CA$4.22

-7.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 CA$4.53

$2.03 CA$2.83

60.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 CA$3.34

$2.70 CA$3.75

-11.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$114 CA$159

$55.3 CA$76.9

106.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.76 CA$5.22

$3.76 CA$5.23

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 CA$1.96

$2.03 CA$2.82

-30.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.53 CA$35.50

$30.36 CA$42.22

-15.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 CA$1.53

$1.16 CA$1.62

-5.17%

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

$25.2K CA$35.1K

$25.0K CA$34.7K

1.09%

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

$21.1K CA$29.3K

$20.2K CA$28.1K

4.14%

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

$120 CA$166

$87.2 CA$121

37.18%

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

$37.54 CA$52.2

$37.92 CA$52.7

-1.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.5 CA$75.8

$44.61 CA$62.0

22.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 CA$77.2

$32.58 CA$45.31

70.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.15 CA$29.41

$13.82 CA$19.22

53.04%

Cinema Ticket

$11.56 CA$16.07

$9.75 CA$13.56

18.56%

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

$1,129 CA$1,571

$599 CA$832

88.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K CA$25.0K

$6,200 CA$8,623

189.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.9 CA$79.2

$61.5 CA$85.5

-7.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.96 CA$55.6

$52.4 CA$72.9

-23.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.7 CA$125

$95.9 CA$133

-6.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 CA$159

$126 CA$175

-9.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,849 CA$2,572

$609 CA$847

203.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 CA$2,169

$300 CA$418

419.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,925 CA$4,068

$1,315 CA$1,829

122.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,470 CA$3,435

$1,081 CA$1,504

128.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,085 CA$12.6K

$5,913 CA$8,223

53.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,036 CA$9,785

$3,562 CA$4,954

97.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,572 CA$4,967

$2,634 CA$3,663

35.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.16

6.87

-24.89%

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

Last update for Toronto: May 31, 2026

Last update for Saguenay: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,849 in Toronto and $609 in Saguenay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toronto pays 36% 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: $82.0 in Toronto vs $43.00 in Saguenay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $396 vs $341 per month, with Saguenay cheaper across the board.

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 Saguenay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Toronto and Saguenay differ by about 115% in total monthly costs ($2,811 vs $1,310 including rent). Saguenay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Toronto pays 36% more on average, 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: $1,849 in Toronto versus $609 in Saguenay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,129 in Toronto versus $599 in Saguenay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Toronto. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,310 in Saguenay versus $2,811 in Toronto, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Saguenay but tight or insufficient in Toronto. The gap between the two cities makes Saguenay 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 Saguenay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 115% less than in Toronto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.