Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Santa Maria, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Toronto: $2,561 a month against $2,899 in Santa Maria, CA, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Santa Maria, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index
142

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

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,561

/mo nomad

Santa Maria, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,899

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,561 in Toronto versus $2,899 in Santa Maria, CA.

Toronto $2,561
Santa Maria, CA $2,899

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,694 in Toronto versus $4,163 in Santa Maria, CA.

Toronto $3,694
Santa Maria, CA $4,163

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,826 in Toronto versus $5,427 in Santa Maria, CA.

Toronto $4,826
Santa Maria, CA $5,427

Living in Toronto costs roughly 12% less than in Santa Maria, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toronto 90% above, Santa Maria, CA 115% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.18 CA$24.29

$13.21 $13.21

30.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 CA$107

$59.6 $59.6

27.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.89

$9.84 $9.84

7.11%

Cappuccino

$4.02 CA$5.68

$6.07 $6.07

-33.77%

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

$2.12 CA$3.00

$3.44 $3.44

-38.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 CA$2.48

$1.96 $1.96

-10.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.24 CA$8.83

$7.52 $7.52

-17.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.09 CA$10.02

$9.38 $9.38

-24.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 CA$3.45

$1.06 $1.06

130.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 CA$3.78

$4.12 $4.12

-34.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 CA$3.17

$4.85 $4.85

-53.81%

Eggs

$3.56 CA$5.03

$4.79 $4.79

-25.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.09 CA$12.85

$8.83 $8.83

2.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.33 CA$16.01

$7.52 $7.52

50.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.53 CA$20.55

$13.55 $13.55

7.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 CA$5.12

$1.33 $1.33

172.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$1.43 $1.43

-15.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.60 CA$5.09

$2.55 $2.55

41.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.96

$3.27 $3.27

28.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.53

$1.92 $1.92

-6.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 CA$2.25

$1.08 $1.08

47.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$1.97 $1.97

15.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 CA$1.77

$1.85 $1.85

-32.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 CA$19.53

$11.50 $11.50

20.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.27 CA$20.18

$15.15 $15.15

-5.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 CA$3.10

$1.94 $1.94

13.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 CA$3.44

$4.29 $4.29

-43.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.39 CA$3.38

$2.04 $2.04

17.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 CA$157

$49.55 $49.55

123.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 CA$4.12

$6.20 $6.20

-53.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 CA$1.69

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.38 CA$30.23

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.71

$1.30 $1.30

-6.92%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$36.7K $36.7K

-23.14%

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

$20.3K CA$28.6K

$26.9K $26.9K

-24.68%

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

$120 CA$170

$162 $162

-25.66%

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

$32.26 CA$45.60

$68.5 $68.5

-52.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.93 CA$67.8

$60.4 $60.4

-20.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.48 CA$54.4

$29.38 $29.38

30.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.96 CA$32.46

Cinema Ticket

$12.38 CA$17.50

$14.90 $14.90

-16.91%

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

$830 CA$1,173

$1,888 $1,888

-56.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K CA$32.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.7 CA$71.7

$46.77 $46.77

8.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.02 CA$56.6

$39.74 $39.74

0.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 CA$139

$93.7 $93.7

4.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 CA$171

$125 $125

-3.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,592 CA$2,251

$2,199 $2,199

-27.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,410 CA$1,994

$1,738 $1,738

-18.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,670 CA$3,775

$3,497 $3,497

-23.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,152 CA$3,042

$2,928 $2,928

-26.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,945 CA$11.2K

$8,572 $8,572

-7.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,542 CA$9,249

$8,442 $8,442

-22.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,727 CA$5,269

$4,231 $4,231

-11.92%

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 12, 2026

Last update for Santa Maria, CA: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 55.1%

Santa Maria, CA

$1.7K 60% 23.2% $328

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$340 13.3%

Santa Maria, CA

$323 11.2% 4.8% $16

Eating Out

Toronto

$278 10.9%

Santa Maria, CA

$286 9.9% 2.9% $7.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$201 7.8%

Santa Maria, CA

$291 10% 45% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$139 5.4%

Santa Maria, CA

$137 4.7% 1.4% $2

Getting Around

Toronto

$129 5.1%

Santa Maria, CA

$64 * 2.2% 50.6% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$63 2.5%

Santa Maria, CA

$59 2% 6.4% $4

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,592 in Toronto and $2,199 in Santa Maria, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Maria, CA pays 14% 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: $76.0 in Toronto vs $60.0 in Santa Maria, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 vs $323 per month, with Santa Maria, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇺🇸 Santa Maria, CA

🕒 Local time

03:14 3:14 AM

00:14 12:14 AM

3 h behind Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

107,408

💱 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 19, 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Toronto Santa Maria, CA 3,620 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Toronto wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Santa Maria, 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 14% lower in Santa Maria, 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: $1,592 in Toronto versus $2,199 in Santa Maria, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,561 per month in Toronto versus $2,899 in Santa Maria, CA – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Toronto runs roughly 124% less than in Santa Maria, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

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 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 Toronto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Santa Maria, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.