Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,949 a month against $2,530 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Toronto outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,530

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,530 per month in Toronto vs $1,949 in San Jose, rent included.

Toronto $2,530
San Jose $1,949

A couple spends around $3,646 per month in Toronto vs $2,903 in San Jose, rent included.

Toronto $3,646
San Jose $2,903

A family of three spends $4,761 per month in Toronto vs $3,857 in San Jose, rent included.

Toronto $4,761
San Jose $3,857

Toronto costs about 30% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Toronto and San Jose sit above the global median – Toronto by 89%, San Jose by 45%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.67 CA$25.13

$12.22 ₡5,510

44.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.4 CA$110

$60.1 ₡27.1K

28.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.47 CA$14.90

$11.77 ₡5,305

-11.05%

Cappuccino

$4.08 CA$5.80

$4.30 ₡1,939

-5.12%

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

$2.12 CA$3.01

$2.72 ₡1,226

-22.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 CA$2.50

$1.84 ₡830

-4.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.17 CA$8.78

$3.28 ₡1,480

88.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.89 CA$9.80

$4.36 ₡1,966

58.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.43 CA$3.46

$2.38 ₡1,074

2.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 CA$3.91

$3.12 ₡1,408

-11.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 CA$3.17

$2.41 ₡1,086

-7.47%

Eggs

$3.45 CA$4.90

$3.47 ₡1,564

-0.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.93 CA$12.71

$10.57 ₡4,767

-15.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.44 CA$16.27

$10.56 ₡4,758

8.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.61 CA$20.78

$13.75 ₡6,196

6.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 CA$5.33

$5.04 ₡2,274

-25.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 CA$1.63

$1.61 ₡727

-28.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.55 CA$5.05

$4.59 ₡2,069

-22.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.28 CA$6.09

$3.84 ₡1,731

11.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 CA$2.62

$3.77 ₡1,700

-50.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 CA$2.37

$3.76 ₡1,693

-55.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 CA$3.15

$1.12 ₡506

98.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$3.20 ₡1,441

-62.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.88 CA$19.74

$5.84 ₡2,632

137.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 CA$20.27

$19.73 ₡8,897

-27.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 CA$3.12

$2.75 ₡1,240

-20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 CA$3.44

$3.66 ₡1,650

-33.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 CA$3.44

$1.12 ₡503

116.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 CA$158

$65.1 ₡29.4K

70.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.90 CA$4.12

$2.46 ₡1,110

17.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 CA$1.79

$1.54 ₡692

-18.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.03 CA$31.33

$8.46 ₡3,815

160.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.74

$1.55 ₡699

-21.29%

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

$27.6K CA$39.3K

$21.7K ₡9.8M

27.32%

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

$19.8K CA$28.2K

$34.9K ₡15.7M

-43.17%

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

$122 CA$173

$94.7 ₡42.7K

28.73%

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

$32.03 CA$45.56

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-8.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.92 CA$68.2

$58.6 ₡26.4K

-18.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.90 CA$55.3

$72.2 ₡32.5K

-46.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.24 CA$33.05

$25.19 ₡11.4K

-7.74%

Cinema Ticket

$12.61 CA$17.94

$7.83 ₡3,532

61.05%

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

$834 CA$1,186

$971 ₡437.9K

-14.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K CA$33.2K

$17.0K ₡7.7M

37.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 CA$74.8

$71.6 ₡32.3K

-26.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.26 CA$57.3

$54.9 ₡24.7K

-26.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 CA$137

$129 ₡58.2K

-25.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 CA$175

$133 ₡60.0K

-7.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 CA$2,273

$934 ₡420.9K

71.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,435 CA$2,041

$770 ₡347.2K

86.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,657 CA$3,779

$1,945 ₡876.7K

36.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 CA$2,981

$1,316 ₡593.5K

59.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,033 CA$11.4K

$2,277 ₡1.0M

252.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,557 CA$9,327

$1,795 ₡809.1K

265.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,743 CA$5,324

$1,006 ₡453.5K

272.09%

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 4, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 55.4%

San Jose

$770 39.9% 46.3% $665

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$340 13.1%

San Jose

$399 20.7% 17.3% $59

Eating Out

Toronto

$282 10.9%

San Jose

$228 11.8% 19.1% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$202 7.8%

San Jose

$188 9.8% 6.7% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$140 5.4%

San Jose

$175 9.1% 24.6% $34

Getting Around

Toronto

$130 5%

San Jose

$80 4.1% 38.5% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$64 2.5%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 37% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,598 in Toronto versus $934 in San Jose. 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 272% higher in Toronto, 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 $60.0 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $340 in Toronto vs $399 in San Jose – so Toronto wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

23:46 11:46 PM

21:46 9:46 PM

2 h behind Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.627 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Toronto San Jose 3,780 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Toronto
San Jose

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 Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Toronto is pricier by about 30%, 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 $2,924 in San Jose. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Jose, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77.0 in Toronto and $60.0 in San Jose. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,530 in Toronto and $1,949 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 30%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,949, than in Toronto at $2,530. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Toronto it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward San Jose – 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 San Jose. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Toronto makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.