Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and San Marcos, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in San Marcos, TX: $2,361 a month against $2,561 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
Learn more

Toronto Living Index
115

Cost of Living Index in San Marcos, TX
Learn more

San Marcos, TX Living Index

Jump to prices

Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,561

/mo nomad

San Marcos, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,361

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toronto and in San Marcos, TX

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,561 in Toronto versus $2,361 in San Marcos, TX.

Toronto $2,561
San Marcos, TX $2,361

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,694 in Toronto versus $3,510 in San Marcos, TX.

Toronto $3,694
San Marcos, TX $3,510

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,826 in Toronto versus $4,658 in San Marcos, TX.

Toronto $4,826
San Marcos, TX $4,658

Living in Toronto is roughly 8% more expensive than in San Marcos, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toronto 90% above, San Marcos, TX 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.18 CA$24.29

$14.98 $14.98

14.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 CA$107

$60.5 $60.5

25.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.89

$11.80 $11.80

-10.68%

Cappuccino

$4.02 CA$5.68

$4.72 $4.72

-14.83%

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

$2.12 CA$3.00

$2.90 $2.90

-26.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 CA$2.48

$1.73 $1.73

1.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.24 CA$8.83

$5.12 $5.12

21.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.09 CA$10.02

$6.11 $6.11

16.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 CA$3.45

$0.76 $0.76

221.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 CA$3.78

$3.20 $3.20

-16.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 CA$3.17

$3.74 $3.74

-40.11%

Eggs

$3.56 CA$5.03

$2.77 $2.77

28.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.09 CA$12.85

$10.06 $10.06

-9.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.33 CA$16.01

$9.81 $9.81

15.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.53 CA$20.55

$12.95 $12.95

12.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 CA$5.12

$6.21 $6.21

-41.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$1.13 $1.13

7.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.60 CA$5.09

$6.58 $6.58

-45.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.96

$4.83 $4.83

-12.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.53

$3.99 $3.99

-55.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 CA$2.25

$2.92 $2.92

-45.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$1.83 $1.83

24.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 CA$1.77

$1.80 $1.80

-30.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 CA$19.53

$8.49 $8.49

62.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.27 CA$20.18

$13.93 $13.93

2.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 CA$3.10

$1.77 $1.77

24.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 CA$3.44

$3.94 $3.94

-38.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.39 CA$3.38

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 CA$157

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 CA$4.12

$4.57 $4.57

-36.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 CA$1.69

$1.82 $1.82

-34.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.38 CA$30.23

$59.5 $59.5

-64.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.71

$0.81 $0.81

49.38%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$36.0K $36.0K

-21.83%

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

$20.3K CA$28.6K

$25.0K $25.0K

-19.05%

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

$120 CA$170

$134 $134

-10.20%

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

$32.26 CA$45.60

$40.38 $40.38

-20.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.93 CA$67.8

$55.8 $55.8

-14.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.48 CA$54.4

$68.9 $68.9

-44.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.96 CA$32.46

Cinema Ticket

$12.38 CA$17.50

$11.32 $11.32

9.36%

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

$830 CA$1,173

$665 $665

24.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K CA$32.6K

$17.7K $17.7K

30.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.7 CA$71.7

$59.4 $59.4

-14.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.02 CA$56.6

$38.15 $38.15

4.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 CA$139

$83.0 $83.0

18.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 CA$171

$123 $123

-1.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,592 CA$2,251

$1,350 $1,350

17.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,410 CA$1,994

$1,258 $1,258

12.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,670 CA$3,775

$2,855 $2,855

-6.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,152 CA$3,042

$2,205 $2,205

-2.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,945 CA$11.2K

$2,463 $2,463

222.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,542 CA$9,249

$1,874 $1,874

249.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,727 CA$5,269

$3,143 $3,143

18.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

6.45

-30.70%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 12, 2026

Last update for San Marcos, TX: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 55.1%

San Marcos, TX

$1.3K 53.3% 10.8% $153

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$340 13.3%

San Marcos, TX

$363 15.4% 6.9% $24

Eating Out

Toronto

$278 10.9%

San Marcos, TX

$268 11.4% 3.6% $9.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$201 7.8%

San Marcos, TX

$230 9.8% 14.8% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$139 5.4%

San Marcos, TX

$136 5.8% 2% $2.8

Getting Around

Toronto

$129 5.1%

San Marcos, TX

$14 * 0.6% 89.4% $116

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$63 2.5%

San Marcos, TX

$92 3.9% 44.8% $28

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 $1,350 in San Marcos, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toronto pays 19% 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 $60.0 in San Marcos, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $340 vs $363, with Toronto cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇺🇸 San Marcos, TX

🕒 Local time

12:08 12:08 PM

11:08 11:08 AM

1 h behind Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

44,894

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 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).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Toronto San Marcos, TX 2,240 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Toronto
San Marcos, TX

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 Marcos, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Marcos, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Toronto. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making San Marcos, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 19% higher in Toronto, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,592 in Toronto versus $1,350 in San Marcos, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Toronto pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,561 per month in Toronto versus $2,361 in San Marcos, TX – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,361 in San Marcos, TX versus $2,561 in Toronto, a $2,000 budget is realistic in San Marcos, TX but tight or insufficient in Toronto. The gap between the two cities makes San Marcos, TX the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but San Marcos, TX delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,361 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes San Marcos, TX hard to pass up.

Expats usually find San Marcos, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Toronto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.