Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Santa Teresa

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Teresa: $1,546 a month against $2,610 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Santa Teresa
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Santa Teresa Living Index

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,610

/mo nomad

Santa Teresa

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,546

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toronto and in Santa Teresa

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

A single person spends $2,610 per month in Toronto vs $1,546 in Santa Teresa, rent included.

Toronto $2,610
Santa Teresa $1,546

A couple spends around $3,727 per month in Toronto vs $2,318 in Santa Teresa, rent included.

Toronto $3,727
Santa Teresa $2,318

A family of three spends $4,844 per month in Toronto vs $3,090 in Santa Teresa, rent included.

Toronto $4,844
Santa Teresa $3,090

Toronto costs about 69% more than Santa Teresa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Toronto and Santa Teresa sit above the global median – Toronto by 93%, Santa Teresa by 14%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 CA$24.87

$10.08 ₡4,519

74.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.8 CA$111

$43.44 ₡19.5K

81.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 CA$15.16

$9.24 ₡4,144

16.13%

Cappuccino

$4.09 CA$5.78

$3.73 ₡1,673

9.65%

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

$2.10 CA$2.97

$1.97 ₡883

6.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 CA$2.43

$1.66 ₡745

3.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.36 CA$8.99

$3.00 ₡1,344

112.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.08 CA$10.01

$4.58 ₡2,055

54.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.54 CA$3.59

$1.98 ₡887

28.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 CA$3.85

$2.90 ₡1,301

-6.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 CA$3.09

$2.21 ₡990

-1.36%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.13

$2.93 ₡1,312

23.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.46 CA$13.37

$9.91 ₡4,446

-4.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 CA$16.32

$9.31 ₡4,173

23.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.37 CA$20.32

$13.64 ₡6,116

5.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 CA$5.23

$4.61 ₡2,068

-19.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 CA$1.68

$1.52 ₡681

-21.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.46 CA$4.90

$4.23 ₡1,898

-18.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.22 CA$5.97

$3.07 ₡1,377

37.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.52

$3.20 ₡1,437

-44.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 CA$2.33

$2.63 ₡1,180

-37.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 CA$3.11

$1.04 ₡466

111.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 CA$1.78

$2.81 ₡1,258

-55.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.97 CA$19.75

$5.08 ₡2,277

175.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.20 CA$20.07

$14.20 ₡6,368

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 CA$3.18

$2.36 ₡1,058

-4.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 CA$3.58

$2.56 ₡1,149

-1.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$1.00 ₡449

132.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 CA$158

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 CA$4.33

$1.81 ₡810

69.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 CA$1.72

$1.87 ₡837

-34.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.69 CA$30.66

$8.00 ₡3,589

171.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$1.45 ₡652

-16.55%

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

$26.1K CA$37.0K

$37.2K ₡16.7M

-29.68%

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

$21.1K CA$29.9K

$32.8K ₡14.7M

-35.59%

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

$120 CA$169

$84.7 ₡38.0K

41.31%

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

$32.21 CA$45.54

$26.18 ₡11.7K

23.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.88 CA$69.1

$49.65 ₡22.3K

-1.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.34 CA$55.6

$50.6 ₡22.7K

-22.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.58 CA$33.34

$23.98 ₡10.8K

-1.67%

Cinema Ticket

$12.58 CA$17.79

$8.87 ₡3,976

41.83%

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

$832 CA$1,176

$573 ₡256.9K

45.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K CA$33.4K

$12.6K ₡5.6M

87.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 CA$73.9

$62.9 ₡28.2K

-16.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.44 CA$55.8

$51.1 ₡22.9K

-22.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.0 CA$140

$127 ₡56.9K

-21.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 CA$172

$107 ₡47.9K

14.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,631 CA$2,306

$700 ₡314.1K

132.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,448 CA$2,048

$605 ₡271.4K

139.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,737 CA$3,869

$1,462 ₡655.5K

87.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,129 CA$3,010

$970 ₡435.0K

119.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,206 CA$11.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,838 CA$9,666

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,520 CA$4,976

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

10.17

-56.05%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 18, 2026

Last update for Santa Teresa: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 55.5%

Santa Teresa

$605 39.1% 58.2% $843

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$343 13.1%

Santa Teresa

$349 22.6% 1.8% $6.1

Eating Out

Toronto

$283 10.9%

Santa Teresa

$192 12.4% 32.3% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$201 7.7%

Santa Teresa

$160 10.4% 20% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$141 5.4%

Santa Teresa

$156 10.1% 11.2% $16

Getting Around

Toronto

$130 5%

Santa Teresa

$15 * 1% 88.4% $115

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$65 2.5%

Santa Teresa

$68 4.4% 5.9% $3.8

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,631 in Toronto versus $700 in Santa Teresa. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Toronto versus $43.00 in Santa Teresa. Groceries tell a different story – $343 in Toronto vs $349 in Santa Teresa – so Toronto wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇨🇷 Santa Teresa

🕒 Local time

19:31 7:31 PM

17:31 5:31 PM

2 h behind Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

3,099

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Toronto Santa Teresa 3,820 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Toronto
Santa Teresa

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 Teresa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Toronto is pricier by about 69%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,916 per month in Toronto and $2,319 in Santa Teresa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santa Teresa, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Toronto and $43.00 in Santa Teresa. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 2% cheaper in Toronto – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Santa Teresa, where all-in costs run around $1,546, than in Toronto at $2,610. In Santa Teresa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Toronto it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Santa Teresa – 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 Santa Teresa. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Toronto makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.