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: $2,620 in Toronto versus $1,447 in Saguenay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,866 in Toronto versus $2,322 in Saguenay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,111 in Toronto versus $3,197 in Saguenay.

Living in Toronto is roughly 81% more expensive than in Saguenay, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toronto 90% above, Saguenay 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.85 CA$24.75

$15.87 CA$22.01

12.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.8 CA$120

$43.50 CA$60.3

99.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.94 CA$15.17

$11.51 CA$15.96

-4.95%

Cappuccino

$4.01 CA$5.57

$3.82 CA$5.30

4.97%

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

$2.19 CA$3.04

$1.56 CA$2.17

40.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 CA$2.34

$1.28 CA$1.78

32.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.45 CA$8.94

$5.57 CA$7.72

15.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.05 CA$9.77

$5.32 CA$7.38

32.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.71 CA$3.77

$2.10 CA$2.92

29.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.92 CA$4.05

$2.88 CA$4.00

1.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.48 CA$3.44

$4.10 CA$5.68

-39.51%

Eggs

$3.85 CA$5.34

$2.94 CA$4.07

30.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.10 CA$14.01

$8.82 CA$12.24

14.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.02 CA$16.66

$7.17 CA$9.95

67.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.61 CA$21.65

$10.47 CA$14.52

49.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.90 CA$5.41

$4.38 CA$6.07

-10.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 CA$1.72

$1.41 CA$1.96

-12.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.78 CA$5.24

$3.76 CA$5.22

0.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.38 CA$6.08

$4.26 CA$5.90

2.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 CA$2.67

$2.92 CA$4.05

-33.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 CA$2.08

$2.83 CA$3.92

-47.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 CA$3.17

$2.56 CA$3.55

-10.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 CA$2.02

$0.77 CA$1.07

89.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.52 CA$20.14

$12.47 CA$17.30

16.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.42 CA$20.00

$11.46 CA$15.90

25.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 CA$3.14

$3.15 CA$4.37

-28.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 CA$3.60

$3.37 CA$4.68

-23.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 CA$3.28

$2.66 CA$3.69

-11.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$114 CA$159

$57.8 CA$80.1

97.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 CA$4.38

$2.92 CA$4.05

8.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 CA$1.74

$1.51 CA$2.10

-16.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.57 CA$31.30

$27.80 CA$38.55

-18.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 CA$1.72

$1.17 CA$1.62

5.98%

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

$27.3K CA$37.9K

$28.9K CA$40.1K

-5.60%

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

$20.7K CA$28.8K

$20.1K CA$27.9K

3.02%

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

$124 CA$172

$65.2 CA$90.4

89.83%

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

$32.72 CA$45.38

$32.83 CA$45.54

-0.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.79 CA$67.7

$46.79 CA$64.9

4.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.27 CA$55.9

$25.74 CA$35.70

56.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.84 CA$33.06

$19.49 CA$27.03

22.32%

Cinema Ticket

$12.82 CA$17.77

$9.22 CA$12.78

39.05%

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

$787 CA$1,092

$710 CA$984

10.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K CA$34.0K

$9,291 CA$12.9K

164.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 CA$75.2

$57.3 CA$79.5

-5.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.10 CA$59.8

$36.69 CA$50.9

17.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.9 CA$136

$87.5 CA$121

11.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 CA$175

$111 CA$154

13.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,660 CA$2,303

$631 CA$875

163.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,483 CA$2,057

$467 CA$647

217.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,800 CA$3,883

$1,233 CA$1,710

127.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,157 CA$2,991

$990 CA$1,373

117.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,381 CA$11.6K

$5,852 CA$8,117

43.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,842 CA$9,489

$3,544 CA$4,915

93.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,799 CA$5,269

$2,644 CA$3,667

43.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

4.45

0.45%

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

Last update for Toronto: September 6, 2026

Last update for Saguenay: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,660 in Toronto and $631 in Saguenay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toronto pays 44% 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: $87.0 in Toronto vs $43.00 in Saguenay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $364 vs $318 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 81% in total monthly costs ($2,620 vs $1,447 including rent). Saguenay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 44% higher in Toronto, 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: $1,660 in Toronto versus $631 in Saguenay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $787 in Toronto versus $710 in Saguenay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Toronto. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,447 in Saguenay versus $2,620 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 81% less than in Toronto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.