Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Santa Clara, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Toronto: $2,561 a month against $4,189 in Santa Clara, CA, rent and utilities included – about $19,500 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
203

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

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,561

/mo nomad

Santa Clara, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,189

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,561 per month in Toronto vs $4,189 in Santa Clara, CA, rent included.

Toronto $2,561
Santa Clara, CA $4,189

A couple spends around $3,694 per month in Toronto vs $5,899 in Santa Clara, CA, rent included.

Toronto $3,694
Santa Clara, CA $5,899

A family of three spends $4,826 per month in Toronto vs $7,608 in Santa Clara, CA, rent included.

Toronto $4,826
Santa Clara, CA $7,608

Toronto is about 39% cheaper than Santa Clara, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Toronto and Santa Clara, CA sit above the global median – Toronto by 90%, Santa Clara, CA by 210%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.18 CA$24.29

$24.66 $24.66

-30.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 CA$107

$111 $111

-31.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.89

$11.90 $11.90

-11.43%

Cappuccino

$4.02 CA$5.68

$5.75 $5.75

-30.09%

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

$2.12 CA$3.00

$3.05 $3.05

-30.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 CA$2.48

$2.40 $2.40

-27.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.24 CA$8.83

$7.77 $7.77

-19.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.09 CA$10.02

$8.13 $8.13

-12.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 CA$3.45

$1.27 $1.27

92.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 CA$3.78

$4.20 $4.20

-36.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 CA$3.17

$4.72 $4.72

-52.54%

Eggs

$3.56 CA$5.03

$5.46 $5.46

-34.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.09 CA$12.85

$24.69 $24.69

-63.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.33 CA$16.01

$11.90 $11.90

-4.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.53 CA$20.55

$12.97 $12.97

12.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 CA$5.12

$5.55 $5.55

-34.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$2.36 $2.36

-48.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.60 CA$5.09

$4.86 $4.86

-25.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.96

$5.78 $5.78

-27.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.53

$3.28 $3.28

-45.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 CA$2.25

$3.06 $3.06

-48.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$3.06 $3.06

-25.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 CA$1.77

$2.74 $2.74

-54.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 CA$19.53

$7.65 $7.65

80.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.27 CA$20.18

$13.09 $13.09

9.01%

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

$2.54 $2.54

-4.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.39 CA$3.38

$2.92 $2.92

-18.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 CA$157

$89.3 $89.3

24.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 CA$4.12

$3.27 $3.27

-11.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 CA$1.69

$2.47 $2.47

-51.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.38 CA$30.23

$39.36 $39.36

-45.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.71

$1.50 $1.50

-19.33%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$37.5K $37.5K

-24.87%

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

$20.3K CA$28.6K

$26.1K $26.1K

-22.51%

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

$120 CA$170

$191 $191

-37.15%

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

$32.26 CA$45.60

$39.17 $39.17

-17.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.93 CA$67.8

$62.9 $62.9

-23.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.48 CA$54.4

$98.3 $98.3

-60.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.96 CA$32.46

$14.14 $14.14

62.38%

Cinema Ticket

$12.38 CA$17.50

$16.13 $16.13

-23.25%

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

$830 CA$1,173

$2,693 $2,693

-69.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K CA$32.6K

$37.4K $37.4K

-38.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.7 CA$71.7

$50.8 $50.8

-0.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.02 CA$56.6

$40.79 $40.79

-1.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 CA$139

$76.5 $76.5

28.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 CA$171

$59.8 $59.8

101.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,592 CA$2,251

$2,946 $2,946

-45.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,410 CA$1,994

$2,708 $2,708

-47.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,670 CA$3,775

$4,427 $4,427

-39.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,152 CA$3,042

$4,153 $4,153

-48.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,945 CA$11.2K

$8,978 $8,978

-11.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,542 CA$9,249

$8,900 $8,900

-26.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,727 CA$5,269

$8,229 $8,229

-54.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

6.77

-33.97%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 12, 2026

Last update for Santa Clara, CA: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 55.1%

Santa Clara, CA

$2.7K 64.6% 92% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$340 13.3%

Santa Clara, CA

$459 11% 35.1% $119

Eating Out

Toronto

$278 10.9%

Santa Clara, CA

$379 9% 36.2% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$201 7.8%

Santa Clara, CA

$294 7% 46.4% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$139 5.4%

Santa Clara, CA

$103 2.5% 26.3% $37

Getting Around

Toronto

$129 5.1%

Santa Clara, CA

$117 2.8% 9.9% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$63 2.5%

Santa Clara, CA

$131 3.1% 106% $67

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,592 in Toronto versus $2,946 in Santa Clara, 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 121% higher in Santa Clara, 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 $111 in Santa Clara, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $340 vs $459 – making Toronto the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇺🇸 Santa Clara, CA

🕒 Local time

21:39 9:39 PM

18:39 6:39 PM

3 h behind Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

130,365

💱 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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Between locations

Toronto Santa Clara, CA 3,630 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Yes – Santa Clara, CA is pricier by about 64%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,841 per month in Toronto and $6,284 in Santa Clara, 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,561 in Toronto and $4,189 in Santa Clara, CA. That's a gap of about 64%.

Public transport costs about 24% less in Toronto. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,561 in Toronto and $4,189 in Santa Clara, CA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Toronto – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Santa Clara, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.