Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Saint John Island

For one person, living is cheaper in Toronto: $2,599 a month against $6,163 in Saint John Island, rent and utilities included – about $42,800 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
293

Cost of Living Index in Saint John Island
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Saint John Island Living Index

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,599

/mo nomad

Saint John Island

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$6,163

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toronto and in Saint John Island

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 Saint John Island actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,599 in Toronto versus $6,163 in Saint John Island.

Toronto $2,599
Saint John Island $6,163

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,700 in Toronto versus $8,359 in Saint John Island.

Toronto $3,700
Saint John Island $8,359

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,801 in Toronto versus $10.6K in Saint John Island.

Toronto $4,801
Saint John Island $10.6K

Living in Toronto costs roughly 58% less than in Saint John Island, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toronto 92% above, Saint John Island 356% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.98 CA$25.28

$69.6 $69.6

-74.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.3 CA$102

$152 $152

-52.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.83 CA$15.23

$15.22 $15.22

-28.84%

Cappuccino

$4.34 CA$6.11

$8.97 $8.97

-51.62%

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

$2.16 CA$3.04

$3.52 $3.52

-38.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 CA$2.33

$3.42 $3.42

-51.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.35 CA$8.93

$4.95 $4.95

28.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.34 CA$10.32

$7.15 $7.15

2.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.57 CA$3.61

$3.13 $3.13

-17.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 CA$3.81

$7.88 $7.88

-65.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 CA$3.20

$12.02 $12.02

-81.03%

Eggs

$3.60 CA$5.07

$12.04 $12.04

-70.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.94 CA$12.58

$32.35 $32.35

-72.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.19 CA$15.74

$33.61 $33.61

-66.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.23 CA$21.41

$23.89 $23.89

-36.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.74 CA$5.27

$22.07 $22.07

-83.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 CA$1.72

$3.94 $3.94

-68.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.58 CA$5.03

$17.98 $17.98

-80.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.25 CA$5.98

$11.96 $11.96

-64.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 CA$2.73

$7.55 $7.55

-74.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 CA$2.35

$7.91 $7.91

-78.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 CA$3.23

$5.07 $5.07

-54.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 CA$1.78

$3.60 $3.60

-65.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.19 CA$19.96

$8.89 $8.89

59.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 CA$20.04

$22.65 $22.65

-37.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 CA$3.21

$4.52 $4.52

-49.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 CA$3.63

$6.15 $6.15

-58.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 CA$3.31

$7.13 $7.13

-67.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 CA$156

$152 $152

-26.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 CA$4.24

$29.91 $29.91

-89.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 CA$1.72

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.82 CA$30.69

$49.06 $49.06

-55.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 CA$1.73

$1.55 $1.55

-20.65%

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

$27.0K CA$37.9K

$46.6K $46.6K

-42.17%

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

$21.8K CA$30.7K

$52.3K $52.3K

-58.24%

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

$121 CA$170

$306 $306

-60.49%

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

$33.10 CA$46.55

$101 $101

-67.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.09 CA$69.0

$104 $104

-52.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.65 CA$51.5

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.01 CA$35.17

Cinema Ticket

$12.78 CA$17.97

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

$754 CA$1,061

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.7K CA$47.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.4 CA$70.9

$79.0 $79.0

-36.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.43 CA$58.3

$50.9 $50.9

-18.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 CA$142

$84.8 $84.8

19.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 CA$183

$99.2 $99.2

31.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,590 CA$2,236

$3,925 $3,925

-59.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,424 CA$2,003

$3,534 $3,534

-59.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,641 CA$3,714

$4,921 $4,921

-46.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 CA$2,939

$4,464 $4,464

-53.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,730 CA$10.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,892 CA$9,692

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,623 CA$5,095

$4,523 $4,523

-19.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.45

-36.43%

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

Last update for Toronto: November 2, 2026

Last update for Saint John Island: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 54.8%

Saint John Island

$3.5K 57.3% 148% $2.1K

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$345 13.3%

Saint John Island

$991 16.1% 187% $646

Eating Out

Toronto

$290 11.2%

Saint John Island

$777 12.6% 168% $487

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$203 7.8%

Saint John Island

$510 8.3% 152% $308

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$145 5.6%

Saint John Island

$141 2.3% 2.9% $4.3

Getting Around

Toronto

$130 5%

Saint John Island

$210 * 3.4% 62.2% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$62 2.4%

Saint John Island

- * 0% 100%

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 $1,590 in Toronto and $3,925 in Saint John Island. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint John Island pays 25% 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: $72 in Toronto vs $152 in Saint John Island for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $991 per month, with Toronto cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇻🇮 Saint John Island

🕒 Local time

16:09 4:09 PM

17:09 5:09 PM

1 h ahead of Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

4,170

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.711 USD

1 CAD = 0.636 EUR

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.711 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.636 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Toronto Saint John Island 3,130 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Toronto
Saint John Island

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 Saint John Island: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Toronto wins on cost – living expenses run 58% lower than in Saint John Island. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Toronto the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 20% lower in Toronto. 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: $1,590 in Toronto versus $3,925 in Saint John Island. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 187% higher in Saint John Island. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $2,599 per month in Toronto versus $6,163 in Saint John Island – Toronto is about 58% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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 58% less than in Saint John Island. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.