Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and San Francisco, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Toronto: $2,530 a month against $4,319 in San Francisco, CA, rent and utilities included – about $21,500 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
211

Cost of Living Index in San Francisco, CA
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San Francisco, CA Living Index

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,530

/mo nomad

San Francisco, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,319

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,530 per month in Toronto vs $4,319 in San Francisco, CA, rent included.

Toronto $2,530
San Francisco, CA $4,319

A couple spends around $3,646 per month in Toronto vs $6,503 in San Francisco, CA, rent included.

Toronto $3,646
San Francisco, CA $6,503

A family of three spends $4,761 per month in Toronto vs $8,686 in San Francisco, CA, rent included.

Toronto $4,761
San Francisco, CA $8,686

Toronto is about 41% cheaper than San Francisco, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Toronto and San Francisco, CA sit above the global median – Toronto by 89%, San Francisco, CA by 222%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.67 CA$25.19

$26.68 $26.68

-33.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.4 CA$110

$120 $120

-35.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.47 CA$14.93

$14.77 $14.77

-29.11%

Cappuccino

$4.08 CA$5.81

$6.03 $6.03

-32.34%

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

$2.12 CA$3.02

$3.24 $3.24

-34.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 CA$2.51

$2.65 $2.65

-33.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.17 CA$8.80

$8.14 $8.14

-24.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.89 CA$9.82

$9.26 $9.26

-25.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.43 CA$3.46

$1.73 $1.73

40.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 CA$3.92

$5.29 $5.29

-48.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 CA$3.18

$4.75 $4.75

-53.05%

Eggs

$3.45 CA$4.91

$5.03 $5.03

-31.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.93 CA$12.73

$16.16 $16.16

-44.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.44 CA$16.31

$15.66 $15.66

-26.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.61 CA$20.83

$22.18 $22.18

-34.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 CA$5.34

$6.10 $6.10

-38.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 CA$1.64

$2.85 $2.85

-59.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.55 CA$5.06

$4.31 $4.31

-17.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.28 CA$6.10

$6.97 $6.97

-38.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 CA$2.63

$2.92 $2.92

-36.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 CA$2.38

$3.59 $3.59

-53.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 CA$3.16

$2.91 $2.91

-23.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$2.74 $2.74

-55.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.88 CA$19.78

$12.17 $12.17

14.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 CA$20.31

$14.73 $14.73

-3.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 CA$3.13

$3.25 $3.25

-32.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 CA$3.45

$3.65 $3.65

-33.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 CA$3.44

$2.96 $2.96

-18.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 CA$158

$93.4 $93.4

18.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.90 CA$4.13

$4.13 $4.13

-29.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 CA$1.80

$1.98 $1.98

-36.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.03 CA$31.40

$38.24 $38.24

-42.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.74

$1.56 $1.56

-21.79%

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

$27.6K CA$39.4K

$37.0K $37.0K

-25.42%

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

$19.8K CA$28.3K

$25.9K $25.9K

-23.55%

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

$122 CA$174

$213 $213

-42.72%

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

$32.03 CA$45.66

$60.9 $60.9

-47.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.92 CA$68.3

$75.0 $75.0

-36.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.90 CA$55.5

$120 $120

-67.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.24 CA$33.12

$20.14 $20.14

15.39%

Cinema Ticket

$12.61 CA$17.97

$18.28 $18.28

-31.02%

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

$834 CA$1,189

$2,918 $2,918

-71.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K CA$33.3K

$42.2K $42.2K

-44.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 CA$75.0

$77.5 $77.5

-32.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.26 CA$57.4

$47.59 $47.59

-15.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 CA$137

$100 $100

-4.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 CA$175

$140 $140

-11.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 CA$2,278

$3,807 $3,807

-58.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,435 CA$2,045

$2,579 $2,579

-44.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,657 CA$3,787

$5,674 $5,674

-53.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 CA$2,988

$4,552 $4,552

-53.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,033 CA$11.5K

$9,816 $9,816

-18.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,557 CA$9,347

$7,617 $7,617

-13.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,743 CA$5,335

$6,881 $6,881

-45.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

6.76

-33.88%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 4, 2026

Last update for San Francisco, CA: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 55.4%

San Francisco, CA

$2.6K 60% 79.8% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$340 13.1%

San Francisco, CA

$516 12% 51.6% $176

Eating Out

Toronto

$282 10.9%

San Francisco, CA

$413 9.6% 46.5% $131

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$202 7.8%

San Francisco, CA

$349 8.1% 72.7% $147

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$140 5.4%

San Francisco, CA

$164 3.8% 17% $24

Getting Around

Toronto

$130 5%

San Francisco, CA

$119 2.8% 8% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$64 2.5%

San Francisco, CA

$156 3.6% 143% $92

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,598 in Toronto versus $3,807 in San Francisco, 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 84% higher in San Francisco, 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 $120 in San Francisco, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $340 vs $516 – making Toronto the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇺🇸 San Francisco, CA

🕒 Local time

08:22 8:22 AM

05:22 5:22 AM

3 h behind Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

873,965

💱 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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Between locations

Toronto San Francisco, CA 3,640 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Toronto
San Francisco, 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 San Francisco, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – San Francisco, CA is pricier by about 71%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,795 per month in Toronto and $6,479 in San Francisco, 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.

Groceries cost about 52% more in San Francisco, CA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77.0 in Toronto and $120 in San Francisco, CA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,530 in Toronto and $4,319 in San Francisco, 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, San Francisco, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.