Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Santa Ana, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Toronto: $2,530 a month against $3,497 in Santa Ana, CA, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index
170

Cost of Living Index in Santa Ana, CA
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Santa Ana, CA Living Index

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,530

/mo nomad

Santa Ana, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,497

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,530 in Toronto versus $3,497 in Santa Ana, CA.

Toronto $2,530
Santa Ana, CA $3,497

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,646 in Toronto versus $5,006 in Santa Ana, CA.

Toronto $3,646
Santa Ana, CA $5,006

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,761 in Toronto versus $6,515 in Santa Ana, CA.

Toronto $4,761
Santa Ana, CA $6,515

Living in Toronto costs roughly 28% less than in Santa Ana, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toronto 89% above, Santa Ana, CA 161% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.67 CA$25.19

$23.22 $23.22

-23.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.4 CA$110

$79.3 $79.3

-2.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.47 CA$14.93

$16.25 $16.25

-35.57%

Cappuccino

$4.08 CA$5.82

$5.83 $5.83

-30.02%

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

$2.12 CA$3.02

$3.04 $3.04

-30.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 CA$2.51

$2.37 $2.37

-25.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.17 CA$8.80

$7.33 $7.33

-15.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.89 CA$9.83

$9.28 $9.28

-25.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.43 CA$3.47

$1.06 $1.06

129.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 CA$3.92

$4.02 $4.02

-31.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 CA$3.18

$4.64 $4.64

-51.94%

Eggs

$3.45 CA$4.91

$5.67 $5.67

-39.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.93 CA$12.74

$12.87 $12.87

-30.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.44 CA$16.31

$16.61 $16.61

-31.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.61 CA$20.83

$21.30 $21.30

-31.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 CA$5.34

$4.83 $4.83

-22.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 CA$1.64

$1.71 $1.71

-32.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.55 CA$5.06

$3.92 $3.92

-9.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.28 CA$6.11

$5.62 $5.62

-23.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 CA$2.63

$3.63 $3.63

-49.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 CA$2.38

$3.14 $3.14

-46.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 CA$3.16

$2.18 $2.18

1.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$1.92 $1.92

-36.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.88 CA$19.79

$11.93 $11.93

16.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 CA$20.32

$15.29 $15.29

-6.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 CA$3.13

$2.46 $2.46

-10.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 CA$3.45

$4.05 $4.05

-40.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 CA$3.45

$1.97 $1.97

22.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 CA$158

$68.2 $68.2

62.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.90 CA$4.13

$6.08 $6.08

-52.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 CA$1.80

$4.99 $4.99

-74.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.03 CA$31.41

$49.09 $49.09

-55.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.74

$1.49 $1.49

-18.12%

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

$27.6K CA$39.4K

$37.7K $37.7K

-26.74%

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

$19.8K CA$28.3K

$26.8K $26.8K

-26.12%

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

$122 CA$174

$176 $176

-30.56%

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

$32.03 CA$45.67

$68.0 $68.0

-52.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.92 CA$68.3

$73.7 $73.7

-34.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.90 CA$55.5

$57.3 $57.3

-32.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.24 CA$33.13

$44.52 $44.52

-47.80%

Cinema Ticket

$12.61 CA$17.98

$15.38 $15.38

-18.01%

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

$834 CA$1,189

$1,187 $1,187

-29.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K CA$33.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 CA$75.0

$63.1 $63.1

-16.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.26 CA$57.4

$42.41 $42.41

-5.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 CA$137

$104 $104

-7.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 CA$175

$143 $143

-13.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 CA$2,279

$2,696 $2,696

-40.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,435 CA$2,046

$2,026 $2,026

-29.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,657 CA$3,788

$3,207 $3,207

-17.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 CA$2,989

$3,173 $3,173

-33.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,033 CA$11.5K

$4,585 $4,585

75.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,557 CA$9,350

$4,374 $4,374

49.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,743 CA$5,337

$3,154 $3,154

18.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

6.39

-30.05%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 4, 2026

Last update for Santa Ana, CA: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 55.4%

Santa Ana, CA

$2K 57.3% 41.2% $591

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$340 13.1%

Santa Ana, CA

$456 12.9% 34% $116

Eating Out

Toronto

$282 10.9%

Santa Ana, CA

$381 10.8% 35.3% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$202 7.8%

Santa Ana, CA

$317 9% 57.1% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$140 5.4%

Santa Ana, CA

$159 4.5% 13% $18

Getting Around

Toronto

$130 5%

Santa Ana, CA

$107 3% 17.4% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$64 2.5%

Santa Ana, CA

$88 2.5% 37.4% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,598 in Toronto and $2,696 in Santa Ana, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toronto pays 19% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $77.0 in Toronto vs $79.0 in Santa Ana, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 vs $456 per month, with Toronto cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇺🇸 Santa Ana, CA

🕒 Local time

01:44 1:44 AM

22:44 10:44 PM

3 h behind Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

335,400

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.701 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 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 12, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.701 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Between locations

Toronto Santa Ana, CA 3,480 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Toronto
Santa Ana, 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 Santa Ana, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Toronto is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 38% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

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: $1,598 in Toronto versus $2,696 in Santa Ana, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Santa Ana, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Toronto – a meal for two runs $77.0 versus $79.0 in Santa Ana, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.

For families, Toronto is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Santa Ana, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Toronto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Santa Ana, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.