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: $2,768 in Toronto versus $1,320 in Saguenay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,066 in Toronto versus $2,369 in Saguenay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,364 in Toronto versus $3,418 in Saguenay.

Living in Toronto is roughly 110% more expensive than Saguenay, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Toronto is 106% above, Saguenay is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.40 CA$25.20

$13.38 CA$18.34

37.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.3 CA$111

$44.87 CA$61.5

81.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.92 CA$14.97

$11.13 CA$15.25

-1.89%

Cappuccino

$3.83 CA$5.25

$3.78 CA$5.18

1.32%

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

$2.19 CA$3.01

$1.52 CA$2.08

44.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 CA$2.25

$1.30 CA$1.78

26.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.87 CA$8.05

$5.39 CA$7.39

8.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.74 CA$9.24

$5.29 CA$7.25

27.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.69 CA$3.68

$2.17 CA$2.97

23.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 CA$3.81

$2.98 CA$4.08

-6.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.51 CA$4.81

$4.45 CA$6.09

-21.12%

Eggs

$3.47 CA$4.76

$2.53 CA$3.47

37.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 CA$18.15

$12.77 CA$17.50

3.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.92 CA$17.70

$8.89 CA$12.19

45.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.38 CA$22.44

$13.86 CA$18.99

18.18%

Apples (1kg)

$4.03 CA$5.52

$4.15 CA$5.68

-2.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 CA$1.61

$1.32 CA$1.81

-11.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 CA$4.59

$4.13 CA$5.66

-18.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.01 CA$5.50

$4.10 CA$5.61

-2.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.44 CA$3.34

$1.84 CA$2.53

32.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.84 CA$3.90

$1.65 CA$2.26

72.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 CA$3.27

$2.61 CA$3.58

-8.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 CA$2.71

$0.84 CA$1.15

135.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.82 CA$20.31

$12.16 CA$16.66

21.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.37 CA$19.68

$11.04 CA$15.13

30.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 CA$3.79

$3.09 CA$4.23

-10.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 CA$4.52

$1.97 CA$2.71

67.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.45 CA$3.35

$2.71 CA$3.72

-9.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$113 CA$155

$56.1 CA$76.8

102.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.61 CA$4.95

$3.64 CA$4.99

-0.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 CA$1.94

$2.03 CA$2.78

-30.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.90 CA$35.48

$30.86 CA$42.28

-16.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 CA$1.50

$1.16 CA$1.59

-5.17%

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

$25.5K CA$35.0K

$25.2K CA$34.5K

1.49%

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

$21.0K CA$28.7K

$20.5K CA$28.1K

2.23%

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

$119 CA$163

$86.1 CA$118

37.82%

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

$37.69 CA$51.6

$38.78 CA$53.1

-2.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.6 CA$74.7

$43.45 CA$59.5

25.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 CA$78.5

$32.59 CA$44.65

75.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.68 CA$28.33

$14.01 CA$19.20

47.61%

Cinema Ticket

$11.62 CA$15.92

$9.55 CA$13.09

21.68%

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

$1,118 CA$1,531

$600 CA$822

86.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K CA$25.0K

$6,285 CA$8,611

190.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 CA$78.6

$60.5 CA$82.9

-5.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.80 CA$54.5

$52.7 CA$72.2

-24.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.4 CA$121

$97.1 CA$133

-8.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 CA$159

$129 CA$177

-10.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,836 CA$2,516

$614 CA$841

199.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,550 CA$2,124

$295 CA$404

425.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,991 CA$4,097

$1,308 CA$1,792

128.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,492 CA$3,415

$1,089 CA$1,492

128.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,566 CA$11.7K

$5,853 CA$8,019

46.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,905 CA$9,460

$3,609 CA$4,944

91.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,697 CA$5,064

$2,650 CA$3,630

39.52%

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: April 13, 2026

Last update for Saguenay: April 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,836 in Toronto and $614 in Saguenay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toronto pays 40% 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: $81 in Toronto vs $45 in Saguenay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $392 vs $340 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 110% in total monthly costs ($2,768 vs $1,320 including rent). Saguenay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Toronto pays 40% 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: $1,836 in Toronto versus $614 in Saguenay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,118 in Toronto versus $600 in Saguenay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Toronto. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,320 in Saguenay versus $2,768 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 110% less than in Toronto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.