Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and San Mateo, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Toronto: $2,561 a month against $4,419 in San Mateo, CA, rent and utilities included – about $22,300 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
215

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

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,561

/mo nomad

San Mateo, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,419

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,561 per month in Toronto vs $4,419 in San Mateo, CA, rent included.

Toronto $2,561
San Mateo, CA $4,419

A couple spends around $3,694 per month in Toronto vs $6,644 in San Mateo, CA, rent included.

Toronto $3,694
San Mateo, CA $6,644

A family of three spends $4,826 per month in Toronto vs $8,868 in San Mateo, CA, rent included.

Toronto $4,826
San Mateo, CA $8,868

Toronto is about 42% cheaper than San Mateo, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Toronto and San Mateo, CA sit above the global median – Toronto by 90%, San Mateo, CA by 227%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.18 CA$24.29

$19.81 $19.81

-13.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 CA$107

$98.2 $98.2

-22.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.89

$12.87 $12.87

-18.10%

Cappuccino

$4.02 CA$5.68

$5.54 $5.54

-27.44%

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

$2.12 CA$3.00

$3.08 $3.08

-31.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 CA$2.48

$2.81 $2.81

-37.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.24 CA$8.83

$8.31 $8.31

-24.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.09 CA$10.02

$9.86 $9.86

-28.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 CA$3.45

$1.61 $1.61

51.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 CA$3.78

$5.96 $5.96

-55.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 CA$3.17

$5.98 $5.98

-62.54%

Eggs

$3.56 CA$5.03

$7.19 $7.19

-50.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.09 CA$12.85

$13.35 $13.35

-31.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.33 CA$16.01

$19.03 $19.03

-40.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.53 CA$20.55

$19.87 $19.87

-26.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 CA$5.12

$6.06 $6.06

-40.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$2.13 $2.13

-43.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.60 CA$5.09

$3.90 $3.90

-7.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.96

$8.86 $8.86

-52.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.53

$4.34 $4.34

-58.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 CA$2.25

$3.04 $3.04

-47.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$3.06 $3.06

-25.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 CA$1.77

$1.97 $1.97

-36.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 CA$19.53

$11.94 $11.94

15.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.27 CA$20.18

$14.53 $14.53

-1.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 CA$3.10

$1.69 $1.69

30.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 CA$3.44

$1.93 $1.93

25.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.39 CA$3.38

$3.99 $3.99

-40.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 CA$157

$97.1 $97.1

14.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 CA$4.12

$4.05 $4.05

-28.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 CA$1.69

$2.03 $2.03

-40.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.38 CA$30.23

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.71

$1.56 $1.56

-22.44%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$36.8K $36.8K

-23.51%

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

$20.3K CA$28.6K

$26.0K $26.0K

-22.12%

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

$120 CA$170

$267 $267

-54.89%

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

$32.26 CA$45.60

$41.54 $41.54

-22.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.93 CA$67.8

$62.4 $62.4

-23.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.48 CA$54.4

$109 $109

-64.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.96 CA$32.46

$9.40 $9.40

144.26%

Cinema Ticket

$12.38 CA$17.50

$18.35 $18.35

-32.53%

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

$830 CA$1,173

$2,947 $2,947

-71.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K CA$32.6K

$28.8K $28.8K

-19.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.7 CA$71.7

$63.6 $63.6

-20.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.02 CA$56.6

$47.52 $47.52

-15.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 CA$139

$117 $117

-16.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 CA$171

$135 $135

-10.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,592 CA$2,251

$3,421 $3,421

-53.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,410 CA$1,994

$2,741 $2,741

-48.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,670 CA$3,775

$5,944 $5,944

-55.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,152 CA$3,042

$5,128 $5,128

-58.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,945 CA$11.2K

$13.8K $13.8K

-42.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,542 CA$9,249

$8,907 $8,907

-26.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,727 CA$5,269

$7,501 $7,501

-50.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

6.53

-31.55%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 12, 2026

Last update for San Mateo, CA: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 55.1%

San Mateo, CA

$2.7K 62% 94.3% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$340 13.3%

San Mateo, CA

$523 11.8% 53.8% $183

Eating Out

Toronto

$278 10.9%

San Mateo, CA

$348 7.9% 25.2% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$201 7.8%

San Mateo, CA

$371 8.4% 84.9% $170

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$139 5.4%

San Mateo, CA

$163 3.7% 17.3% $24

Getting Around

Toronto

$129 5.1%

San Mateo, CA

$127 2.9% 1.7% $2.2

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$63 2.5%

San Mateo, CA

$146 3.3% 130% $82

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,592 in Toronto versus $3,421 in San Mateo, 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 101% higher in San Mateo, 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 $76.0 in Toronto versus $98.0 in San Mateo, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $340 vs $523 – making Toronto the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇺🇸 San Mateo, CA

🕒 Local time

17:48 5:48 PM

14:48 2:48 PM

3 h behind Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

103,536

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Toronto San Mateo, CA 3,650 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,561 in Toronto, $4,419 in San Mateo, CA – roughly 73% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,841 per month in Toronto and $6,628 in San Mateo, 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 54% more in San Mateo, 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 $76.0 in Toronto and $98.0 in San Mateo, 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 $2,561 in Toronto and $4,419 in San Mateo, CA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. San Mateo, CA has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,561 in Toronto to $4,419 in San Mateo, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Toronto. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, San Mateo, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.