Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and San Leandro, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Toronto: $2,561 a month against $3,437 in San Leandro, CA, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Toronto
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,561
/mo nomad
San Leandro, CA
🇺🇸 United States
$3,437
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,561 in Toronto versus $3,437 in San Leandro, CA.

  • Toronto $2,561
  • San Leandro, CA $3,437

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,694 in Toronto versus $5,019 in San Leandro, CA.

  • Toronto $3,694
  • San Leandro, CA $5,019

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,826 in Toronto versus $6,601 in San Leandro, CA.

  • Toronto $4,826
  • San Leandro, CA $6,601

Living in Toronto costs roughly 25% less than in San Leandro, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toronto 90% above, San Leandro, CA 155% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Toronto
San Leandro, CA
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.18 CA$24.29
$25.07 $25.07
-31.47%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$76.0 CA$107
$111 $111
-31.39%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.54 CA$14.89
$15.06 $15.06
-30.01%
Cappuccino
$4.02 CA$5.68
$5.82 $5.82
-30.93%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.12 CA$3.00
$3.23 $3.23
-34.37%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 CA$2.48
$2.73 $2.73
-35.90%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.24 CA$8.83
$7.98 $7.98
-21.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.09 CA$10.02
$9.03 $9.03
-21.48%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Toronto
San Leandro, CA
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.44 CA$3.45
$1.70 $1.70
43.53%
White Bread (500g)
$2.68 CA$3.78
$5.43 $5.43
-50.64%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.24 CA$3.17
$4.74 $4.74
-52.74%
Eggs
$3.56 CA$5.03
$5.85 $5.85
-39.15%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.09 CA$12.85
$15.24 $15.24
-40.35%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.33 CA$16.01
$13.33 $13.33
-15.00%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.53 CA$20.55
$22.58 $22.58
-35.65%
Apples (1kg)
$3.62 CA$5.12
$5.99 $5.99
-39.57%
Banana (1kg)
$1.21 CA$1.72
$1.53 $1.53
-20.92%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.60 CA$5.09
$4.30 $4.30
-16.28%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.21 CA$5.96
$6.48 $6.48
-35.03%
Potato (1kg)
$1.79 CA$2.53
$3.11 $3.11
-42.44%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 CA$2.25
$2.70 $2.70
-41.11%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.27 CA$3.21
$1.96 $1.96
15.82%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.25 CA$1.77
$1.95 $1.95
-35.90%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.82 CA$19.53
$11.78 $11.78
17.32%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.27 CA$20.18
$14.59 $14.59
-2.19%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.20 CA$3.10
$1.70 $1.70
29.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.43 CA$3.44
$3.59 $3.59
-32.31%
🚌 Getting Around
Toronto
San Leandro, CA
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.39 CA$3.38
$5.42 $5.42
-55.90%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$111 CA$157
$101 $101
10.02%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.91 CA$4.12
$4.18 $4.18
-30.38%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.20 CA$1.69
$2.01 $2.01
-40.30%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$21.38 CA$30.23
$38.71 $38.71
-44.77%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.21 CA$1.71
$1.55 $1.55
-21.94%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.2K CA$39.8K
$36.8K $36.8K
-23.49%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.3K CA$28.6K
$25.6K $25.6K
-20.79%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Toronto
San Leandro, CA
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$120 CA$170
$243 $243
-50.55%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$32.26 CA$45.60
$49.72 $49.72
-35.12%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$47.93 CA$67.8
$76.8 $76.8
-37.57%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Toronto
San Leandro, CA
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$38.48 CA$54.4
$50.7 $50.7
-24.16%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.96 CA$32.46
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.38 CA$17.50
$15.94 $15.94
-22.33%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Toronto
San Leandro, CA
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$830 CA$1,173
$2,906 $2,906
-71.44%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.1K CA$32.6K
$42.3K $42.3K
-45.40%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Toronto
San Leandro, CA
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$50.7 CA$71.7
$66.8 $66.8
-24.03%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.02 CA$56.6
$39.91 $39.91
0.28%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.0 CA$139
$91.2 $91.2
7.46%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 CA$171
$118 $118
2.54%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Toronto
San Leandro, CA
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,592 CA$2,251
$2,396 $2,396
-33.54%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,410 CA$1,994
$1,835 $1,835
-23.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,670 CA$3,775
$3,666 $3,666
-27.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,152 CA$3,042
$2,959 $2,959
-27.29%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,945 CA$11.2K
$5,059 $5,059
57.05%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,542 CA$9,249
$4,037 $4,037
62.07%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Toronto
San Leandro, CA
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,727 CA$5,269
$5,686 $5,686
-34.46%
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 12, 2026

Last update for San Leandro, CA: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Toronto
$1.4K
San Leandro, CA
$1.8K 30.1% $424
Groceries & Markets
Toronto
$340
San Leandro, CA
$473 39.3% $134
Eating Out
Toronto
$278
San Leandro, CA
$397 42.9% $119
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Toronto
$201
San Leandro, CA
$370 84.4% $169
Clothing & Footwear
Toronto
$139
San Leandro, CA
$142 2% $2.8
Getting Around
Toronto
$129
San Leandro, CA
$137 5.7% $7.3
Sport & Entertainment
Toronto
$63
San Leandro, CA
$83 30.7% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,592 in Toronto and $2,396 in San Leandro, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Leandro, CA pays 53% 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: $76.0 in Toronto vs $111 in San Leandro, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 vs $473 per month, with Toronto cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Toronto
🇺🇸 San Leandro, CA
🕒 Local time
09:27 9:27 AM
06:27 6:27 AM
3 h behind Toronto
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,731,571
88,815
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Toronto San Leandro, CA 3,620 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Toronto
  • San Leandro, 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 Leandro, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Toronto and in San Leandro, CA?
Toronto and San Leandro, CA differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($2,561 vs $3,437 including rent). Toronto is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 53% lower in San Leandro, CA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Toronto and in San Leandro, CA?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,592 in Toronto versus $2,396 in San Leandro, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in San Leandro, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Toronto – a meal for two runs $76.0 versus $111 in San Leandro, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is feasible on a $2,500 budget?
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.
How does quality of life compare between Toronto and San Leandro, CA?
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.
Where should expats move: Toronto or San Leandro, CA?
Expats usually find Toronto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in San Leandro, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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