Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Santa Cruz, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Toronto: $2,530 a month against $4,316 in Santa Cruz, CA, rent and utilities included – about $21,400 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
211

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

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,530

/mo nomad

Santa Cruz, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,316

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,530 in Toronto versus $4,316 in Santa Cruz, CA.

Toronto $2,530
Santa Cruz, CA $4,316

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,646 in Toronto versus $6,246 in Santa Cruz, CA.

Toronto $3,646
Santa Cruz, CA $6,246

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,761 in Toronto versus $8,177 in Santa Cruz, CA.

Toronto $4,761
Santa Cruz, CA $8,177

Living in Toronto costs roughly 41% less than in Santa Cruz, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toronto 89% above, Santa Cruz, CA 222% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.67 CA$25.19

$24.94 $24.94

-29.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.4 CA$110

$99.7 $99.7

-22.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.47 CA$14.93

$14.73 $14.73

-28.92%

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

$3.46 $3.46

-38.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 CA$2.51

$2.42 $2.42

-27.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.17 CA$8.80

$8.18 $8.18

-24.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.89 CA$9.83

$8.04 $8.04

-14.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.43 CA$3.47

$1.39 $1.39

74.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 CA$3.92

$4.75 $4.75

-42.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 CA$3.18

$7.81 $7.81

-71.45%

Eggs

$3.45 CA$4.91

$6.37 $6.37

-45.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.93 CA$12.74

$26.58 $26.58

-66.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.44 CA$16.31

$16.84 $16.84

-32.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.61 CA$20.83

$17.62 $17.62

-17.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 CA$5.34

$7.78 $7.78

-51.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 CA$1.64

$2.27 $2.27

-49.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.55 CA$5.06

$8.80 $8.80

-59.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.28 CA$6.11

$6.61 $6.61

-35.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 CA$2.63

$4.49 $4.49

-58.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 CA$2.38

$3.03 $3.03

-44.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 CA$3.16

$5.10 $5.10

-56.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$2.96 $2.96

-59.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.88 CA$19.79

$11.82 $11.82

17.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 CA$20.32

$25.49 $25.49

-44.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 CA$3.13

$2.17 $2.17

1.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 CA$3.45

$3.27 $3.27

-25.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 CA$3.45

$1.99 $1.99

21.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 CA$158

$64.5 $64.5

71.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.90 CA$4.13

$3.29 $3.29

-11.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 CA$1.80

$2.47 $2.47

-48.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.03 CA$31.41

$39.30 $39.30

-43.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.74

$1.54 $1.54

-20.78%

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

$27.6K CA$39.4K

$37.0K $37.0K

-25.42%

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

$19.8K CA$28.3K

$26.3K $26.3K

-24.55%

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

$122 CA$174

$373 $373

-67.36%

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

$32.03 CA$45.67

$57.8 $57.8

-44.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.92 CA$68.3

$68.4 $68.4

-29.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.90 CA$55.5

$78.0 $78.0

-50.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.24 CA$33.13

$12.74 $12.74

82.42%

Cinema Ticket

$12.61 CA$17.98

$15.71 $15.71

-19.73%

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

$834 CA$1,189

$2,499 $2,499

-66.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K CA$33.3K

$29.6K $29.6K

-21.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 CA$75.0

$68.0 $68.0

-22.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.26 CA$57.4

$48.64 $48.64

-17.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 CA$137

$93.4 $93.4

3.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 CA$175

$158 $158

-22.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 CA$2,279

$3,049 $3,049

-47.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,435 CA$2,046

$2,524 $2,524

-43.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,657 CA$3,788

$4,860 $4,860

-45.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 CA$2,989

$4,160 $4,160

-49.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,033 CA$11.5K

$8,227 $8,227

-2.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,557 CA$9,350

$11.3K $11.3K

-42.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,743 CA$5,337

$5,485 $5,485

-31.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

6.47

-30.91%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 4, 2026

Last update for Santa Cruz, CA: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 55.4%

Santa Cruz, CA

$2.5K 57.6% 75.9% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$340 13.1%

Santa Cruz, CA

$599 13.7% 76.2% $259

Eating Out

Toronto

$282 10.9%

Santa Cruz, CA

$394 9% 39.8% $112

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$202 7.8%

Santa Cruz, CA

$500 11.4% 148% $298

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$140 5.4%

Santa Cruz, CA

$166 3.8% 17.9% $25

Getting Around

Toronto

$130 5%

Santa Cruz, CA

$88 2% 32% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$64 2.5%

Santa Cruz, CA

$109 2.5% 70.7% $45

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,598 in Toronto and $3,049 in Santa Cruz, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Cruz, CA pays 47% 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 $100 in Santa Cruz, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 vs $599 per month, with Toronto cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇺🇸 Santa Cruz, CA

🕒 Local time

01:45 1:45 AM

22:45 10:45 PM

3 h behind Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

64,220

💱 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 →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Toronto Santa Cruz, CA 3,650 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Toronto wins on cost – living expenses run 71% lower than in Santa Cruz, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Toronto the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 47% lower in Santa Cruz, CA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,598 in Toronto versus $3,049 in Santa Cruz, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Toronto – a meal for two runs $77.0 versus $100 in Santa Cruz, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,530 per month in Toronto versus $4,316 in Santa Cruz, CA – a 71% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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.

Both work as nomad bases, but Toronto delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,530 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Toronto hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Toronto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in Santa Cruz, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.