Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and San Isidro

For one person, living is cheaper in San Isidro: $1,753 a month against $2,561 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 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
82

Cost of Living Index in San Isidro
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San Isidro Living Index

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,561

/mo nomad

San Isidro

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,753

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toronto and in San Isidro

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 Isidro actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,561 in Toronto versus $1,753 in San Isidro.

Toronto $2,561
San Isidro $1,753

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,694 in Toronto versus $2,640 in San Isidro.

Toronto $3,694
San Isidro $2,640

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,826 in Toronto versus $3,528 in San Isidro.

Toronto $4,826
San Isidro $3,528

Living in Toronto is roughly 46% more expensive than in San Isidro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toronto 90% above, San Isidro 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.18 CA$24.29

$13.58 ₡6,092

26.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 CA$107

$51.7 ₡23.2K

46.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.89

$12.04 ₡5,400

-12.46%

Cappuccino

$4.02 CA$5.68

$3.76 ₡1,684

6.91%

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

$2.12 CA$3.00

$2.35 ₡1,053

-9.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 CA$2.48

$2.06 ₡922

-15.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.24 CA$8.83

$3.71 ₡1,665

68.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.09 CA$10.02

$4.05 ₡1,815

75.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 CA$3.45

$2.41 ₡1,082

1.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 CA$3.78

$2.42 ₡1,087

10.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 CA$3.17

$2.78 ₡1,248

-19.42%

Eggs

$3.56 CA$5.03

$3.88 ₡1,740

-8.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.09 CA$12.85

$9.45 ₡4,237

-3.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.33 CA$16.01

$9.82 ₡4,403

15.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.53 CA$20.55

$13.80 ₡6,187

5.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 CA$5.12

$5.07 ₡2,274

-28.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$1.71 ₡766

-29.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.60 CA$5.09

$3.67 ₡1,647

-1.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.96

$3.46 ₡1,553

21.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.53

$3.34 ₡1,498

-46.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 CA$2.25

$3.46 ₡1,550

-54.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$1.04 ₡468

118.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 CA$1.77

$3.03 ₡1,358

-58.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 CA$19.53

$5.03 ₡2,258

174.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.27 CA$20.18

$18.22 ₡8,171

-21.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 CA$3.10

$2.74 ₡1,230

-19.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 CA$3.44

$2.59 ₡1,162

-6.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.39 CA$3.38

$1.24 ₡556

92.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 CA$157

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 CA$4.12

$2.35 ₡1,054

23.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 CA$1.69

$1.77 ₡792

-32.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.38 CA$30.23

$9.42 ₡4,223

126.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.71

$1.46 ₡655

-17.12%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$24.7K ₡11.1M

14.21%

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

$20.3K CA$28.6K

$35.2K ₡15.8M

-42.42%

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

$120 CA$170

$83.8 ₡37.6K

43.62%

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

$32.26 CA$45.60

$31.55 ₡14.1K

2.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.93 CA$67.8

$53.2 ₡23.9K

-9.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.48 CA$54.4

$83.9 ₡37.6K

-54.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.96 CA$32.46

Cinema Ticket

$12.38 CA$17.50

$6.90 ₡3,094

79.42%

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

$830 CA$1,173

$967 ₡433.4K

-14.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K CA$32.6K

$17.9K ₡8.0M

29.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.7 CA$71.7

$66.8 ₡29.9K

-24.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.02 CA$56.6

$61.4 ₡27.5K

-34.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 CA$139

$141 ₡63.3K

-30.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 CA$171

$118 ₡52.8K

2.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,592 CA$2,251

$691 ₡310.1K

130.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,410 CA$1,994

$688 ₡308.5K

105.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,670 CA$3,775

$1,834 ₡822.6K

45.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,152 CA$3,042

$1,136 ₡509.6K

89.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,945 CA$11.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,542 CA$9,249

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,727 CA$5,269

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

8.62

-48.14%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 12, 2026

Last update for San Isidro: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 55.1%

San Isidro

$688 39.2% 51.2% $722

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$340 13.3%

San Isidro

$374 21.4% 10.1% $34

Eating Out

Toronto

$278 10.9%

San Isidro

$234 13.4% 15.8% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$201 7.8%

San Isidro

$169 9.6% 15.9% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$139 5.4%

San Isidro

$174 9.9% 25.1% $35

Getting Around

Toronto

$129 5.1%

San Isidro

$16 * 0.9% 87.5% $113

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$63 2.5%

San Isidro

$98 5.6% 54.5% $34

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 $1,592 in Toronto and $691 in San Isidro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $76.0 in Toronto vs $52.0 in San Isidro. Groceries flip the comparison at $340 vs $374, with Toronto cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇨🇷 San Isidro

🕒 Local time

06:49 6:49 AM

04:49 4:49 AM

2 h behind Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

17,000

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Toronto San Isidro 3,770 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Toronto
San Isidro

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 Isidro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Isidro wins on cost – living expenses run 46% lower than in Toronto. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making San Isidro the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,841 in Toronto and $2,629 in San Isidro to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,592 in Toronto versus $691 in San Isidro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $830 in Toronto versus $967 in San Isidro. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in San Isidro – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $76.0 in Toronto. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,753 in San Isidro versus $2,561 in Toronto, a $2,000 budget is realistic in San Isidro but tight or insufficient in Toronto. The gap between the two cities makes San Isidro 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.

Safety-wise, Toronto and San Isidro are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find San Isidro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Toronto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.