Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and San Salvador

For one person, living is cheaper in San Salvador: $1,666 a month against $2,530 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 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
80

Cost of Living Index in San Salvador
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San Salvador Living Index

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,530

/mo nomad

San Salvador

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$1,666

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,530 in Toronto versus $1,666 in San Salvador.

Toronto $2,530
San Salvador $1,666

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,646 in Toronto versus $2,465 in San Salvador.

Toronto $3,646
San Salvador $2,465

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,761 in Toronto versus $3,263 in San Salvador.

Toronto $4,761
San Salvador $3,263

Living in Toronto is roughly 52% more expensive than in San Salvador, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toronto 89% above, San Salvador 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.67 CA$25.13

$6.72 $6.72

162.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.4 CA$110

$45.39 $45.39

70.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.47 CA$14.90

$7.07 $7.07

48.09%

Cappuccino

$4.08 CA$5.80

$3.53 $3.53

15.58%

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

$2.12 CA$3.01

$1.13 $1.13

87.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 CA$2.50

$0.85 $0.85

107.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.17 CA$8.78

$2.04 $2.04

202.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.89 CA$9.80

$3.51 $3.51

96.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.43 CA$3.46

$1.87 $1.87

29.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 CA$3.91

$2.89 $2.89

-4.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 CA$3.17

$1.40 $1.40

59.29%

Eggs

$3.45 CA$4.90

$3.09 $3.09

11.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.93 CA$12.71

$7.88 $7.88

13.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.44 CA$16.27

$6.93 $6.93

65.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.61 CA$20.78

$10.05 $10.05

45.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 CA$5.33

$5.08 $5.08

-26.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 CA$1.63

$1.39 $1.39

-17.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.55 CA$5.05

$2.53 $2.53

40.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.28 CA$6.09

$3.40 $3.40

25.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 CA$2.62

$2.87 $2.87

-35.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 CA$2.37

$3.28 $3.28

-49.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 CA$3.15

$0.97 $0.97

128.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$0.97 $0.97

24.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.88 CA$19.74

$4.07 $4.07

241.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 CA$20.27

$12.21 $12.21

16.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 CA$3.12

$2.19 $2.19

0.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 CA$3.44

$2.86 $2.86

-15.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 CA$3.44

$0.34 $0.34

611.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 CA$158

$37.66 $37.66

194.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.90 CA$4.12

$6.04 $6.04

-51.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 CA$1.79

$3.03 $3.03

-58.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.03 CA$31.33

$20.11 $20.11

9.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.74

$1.29 $1.29

-5.43%

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

$27.6K CA$39.3K

$24.8K $24.8K

11.63%

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

$19.8K CA$28.2K

$27.0K $27.0K

-26.51%

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

$122 CA$173

$130 $130

-6.58%

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

$32.03 CA$45.56

$21.57 $21.57

48.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.92 CA$68.2

$43.03 $43.03

11.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.90 CA$55.3

$31.99 $31.99

21.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.24 CA$33.05

$21.57 $21.57

7.74%

Cinema Ticket

$12.61 CA$17.94

$5.06 $5.06

149.21%

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

$834 CA$1,186

$165 $165

406.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K CA$33.2K

$4,640 $4,640

402.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 CA$74.8

$68.2 $68.2

-22.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.26 CA$57.3

$46.79 $46.79

-13.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 CA$137

$120 $120

-19.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 CA$175

$117 $117

5.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 CA$2,273

$906 $906

76.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,435 CA$2,041

$755 $755

89.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,657 CA$3,779

$1,804 $1,804

47.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 CA$2,981

$1,343 $1,343

56.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,033 CA$11.4K

$2,813 $2,813

185.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,557 CA$9,327

$1,845 $1,845

255.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,743 CA$5,324

$372 $372

905.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

8.5

-47.41%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 4, 2026

Last update for San Salvador: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 55.4%

San Salvador

$755 46.1% 47.4% $680

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$340 13.1%

San Salvador

$287 17.5% 15.7% $54

Eating Out

Toronto

$282 10.9%

San Salvador

$142 8.7% 49.5% $139

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$202 7.8%

San Salvador

$195 11.9% 3.4% $6.8

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$140 5.4%

San Salvador

$158 9.7% 12.7% $18

Getting Around

Toronto

$130 5%

San Salvador

$60 3.7% 53.6% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$64 2.5%

San Salvador

$42 2.6% 34.3% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,598 in Toronto and $906 in San Salvador. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toronto pays 905% 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: $77.0 in Toronto vs $45.00 in San Salvador for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 vs $287 per month, with San Salvador cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇸🇻 San Salvador

🕒 Local time

23:04 11:04 PM

21:04 9:04 PM

2 h behind Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

316,090 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.627 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Toronto San Salvador 3,460 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Toronto
San Salvador

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 Salvador: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Salvador wins on cost – living expenses run 52% lower than in Toronto. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making San Salvador the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 905% 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: $1,598 in Toronto versus $906 in San Salvador. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Toronto. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in San Salvador – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $77.0 in Toronto. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,666 in San Salvador versus $2,530 in Toronto, a $2,000 budget is realistic in San Salvador but tight or insufficient in Toronto. The gap between the two cities makes San Salvador 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.

Expats usually find San Salvador gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Toronto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.