Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Sarnia

For one person, living is cheaper in Sarnia: $2,014 a month against $2,589 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 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
96

Cost of Living Index in Sarnia
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Sarnia Living Index

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,589

/mo nomad

Sarnia

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,014

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toronto and in Sarnia

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

A single person spends $2,589 per month in Toronto vs $2,014 in Sarnia, rent included.

Toronto $2,589
Sarnia $2,014

A couple spends around $3,710 per month in Toronto vs $2,778 in Sarnia, rent included.

Toronto $3,710
Sarnia $2,778

A family of three spends $4,831 per month in Toronto vs $3,543 in Sarnia, rent included.

Toronto $4,831
Sarnia $3,543

Toronto costs about 29% more than Sarnia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Toronto and Sarnia sit above the global median – Toronto by 90%, Sarnia by 48%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.60 CA$24.70

$13.71 CA$19.24

28.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.8 CA$109

$46.44 CA$65.2

67.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 CA$14.86

$10.86 CA$15.23

-2.49%

Cappuccino

$4.16 CA$5.83

$3.12 CA$4.38

33.33%

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

$2.04 CA$2.87

$1.93 CA$2.71

5.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 CA$2.46

$1.22 CA$1.72

43.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.58 CA$9.23

$4.20 CA$5.90

56.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.11 CA$9.98

$5.54 CA$7.78

28.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.53 CA$3.56

$1.27 CA$1.78

99.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 CA$3.79

$2.45 CA$3.44

10.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 CA$3.14

$2.37 CA$3.32

-5.49%

Eggs

$3.48 CA$4.89

$2.96 CA$4.15

17.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.38 CA$13.16

$11.52 CA$16.16

-18.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.60 CA$16.28

$11.48 CA$16.11

1.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.68 CA$20.61

$14.18 CA$19.90

3.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.74 CA$5.26

$3.39 CA$4.76

10.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 CA$1.72

$1.25 CA$1.75

-2.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.48 CA$4.88

$3.38 CA$4.74

2.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.32 CA$6.07

$3.52 CA$4.94

22.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 CA$2.60

$1.34 CA$1.88

38.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 CA$2.37

$1.86 CA$2.60

-9.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 CA$3.13

$1.68 CA$2.36

32.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 CA$1.79

$1.28 CA$1.80

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.04 CA$19.71

$12.56 CA$17.63

11.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.43 CA$20.25

$10.01 CA$14.04

44.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 CA$3.03

$2.53 CA$3.56

-14.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 CA$3.54

$2.83 CA$3.97

-10.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 CA$3.32

$2.37 CA$3.33

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 CA$158

$62.1 CA$87.2

81.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 CA$4.27

$2.57 CA$3.60

18.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 CA$1.74

$1.76 CA$2.47

-29.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.55 CA$31.65

$28.33 CA$39.75

-20.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 CA$1.75

$1.23 CA$1.73

0.81%

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

$26.9K CA$37.8K

$26.2K CA$36.7K

2.79%

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

$21.4K CA$30.0K

$21.0K CA$29.4K

2.06%

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

$125 CA$175

$145 CA$204

-14.24%

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

$33.05 CA$46.39

$28.26 CA$39.66

16.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.96 CA$67.3

$43.79 CA$61.5

9.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.69 CA$51.5

$20.85 CA$29.26

75.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.67 CA$33.22

$17.89 CA$25.11

32.31%

Cinema Ticket

$13.08 CA$18.35

$10.91 CA$15.30

19.89%

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

$759 CA$1,065

$354 CA$496

114.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K CA$33.4K

$16.2K CA$22.8K

46.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 CA$75.1

$59.7 CA$83.8

-10.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.44 CA$56.8

$33.28 CA$46.71

21.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 CA$141

$76.9 CA$108

30.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 CA$176

$77.3 CA$108

62.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,630 CA$2,287

$1,236 CA$1,735

31.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,416 CA$1,987

$1,018 CA$1,429

39.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,694 CA$3,781

$2,001 CA$2,809

34.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,101 CA$2,949

$1,365 CA$1,916

53.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,551 CA$10.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,674 CA$9,366

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,543 CA$4,973

$3,074 CA$4,314

15.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.45

5.22

-14.75%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 26, 2026

Last update for Sarnia: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 54.7%

Sarnia

$1K 50.6% 28.1% $398

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$345 13.3%

Sarnia

$317 15.7% 8.2% $28

Eating Out

Toronto

$285 11%

Sarnia

$224 11.2% 21.2% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$206 7.9%

Sarnia

$217 10.8% 5.7% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$144 5.6%

Sarnia

$111 5.5% 22.7% $33

Getting Around

Toronto

$131 5.1%

Sarnia

$83 4.1% 36.7% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$63 2.4%

Sarnia

$43 2.1% 32.1% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,630 in Toronto versus $1,236 in Sarnia. 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 15% higher in Toronto, 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 $78 in Toronto versus $46 in Sarnia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $345 vs $317 – making Sarnia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇨🇦 Sarnia

🕒 Local time

18:54 6:54 PM

Same time as Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

71,594

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Toronto vs Sarnia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,589 in Toronto, $2,014 in Sarnia – Sarnia comes out roughly 22% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,883 per month in Toronto and $3,020 in Sarnia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sarnia, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,236 there versus $1,630 in Toronto.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78 in Toronto and $46 in Sarnia. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,589 in Toronto and $2,014 in Sarnia. That makes Sarnia about 22% cheaper.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,589 in Toronto and $2,014 in Sarnia, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

If budget matters most, go with Sarnia. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Toronto makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.