Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Semey

For one person, living is cheaper in Semey: $712 a month against $2,561 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $22,200 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Semey
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Semey Living Index

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,561

/mo nomad

Semey

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$712

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toronto and in Semey

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,561 in Toronto versus $712 in Semey.

Toronto $2,561
Semey $712

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,694 in Toronto versus $1,147 in Semey.

Toronto $3,694
Semey $1,147

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,826 in Toronto versus $1,581 in Semey.

Toronto $4,826
Semey $1,581

Living in Toronto is roughly 260% more expensive than in Semey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Toronto is 90% above, Semey is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.18 CA$24.29

$5.00 ₸2,261

243.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 CA$107

$21.88 ₸9,891

247.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.89

$5.48 ₸2,477

92.34%

Cappuccino

$4.02 CA$5.68

$1.69 ₸764

137.87%

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

$2.12 CA$3.00

$0.79 ₸357

168.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 CA$2.48

$0.48 ₸216

264.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.24 CA$8.83

$0.85 ₸384

634.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.09 CA$10.02

$1.37 ₸621

417.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 CA$3.45

$0.99 ₸449

146.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 CA$3.78

$0.37 ₸165

624.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 CA$3.17

$1.86 ₸839

20.43%

Eggs

$3.56 CA$5.03

$1.51 ₸681

135.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.09 CA$12.85

$5.36 ₸2,424

69.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.33 CA$16.01

$3.74 ₸1,691

202.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.53 CA$20.55

$5.28 ₸2,388

175.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 CA$5.12

$1.21 ₸547

199.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$1.73 ₸782

-30.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.60 CA$5.09

$1.82 ₸821

97.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.96

$1.67 ₸756

152.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.53

$0.42 ₸189

326.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 CA$2.25

$0.56 ₸255

183.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$1.32 ₸595

71.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 CA$1.77

$0.99 ₸445

26.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 CA$19.53

$2.51 ₸1,134

450.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.27 CA$20.18

$7.13 ₸3,221

100.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 CA$3.10

$1.37 ₸617

60.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 CA$3.44

$2.20 ₸993

10.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.39 CA$3.38

$0.23 ₸104

939.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 CA$157

$17.26 ₸7,802

542.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 CA$4.12

$1.30 ₸588

123.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 CA$1.69

$1.15 ₸519

4.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.38 CA$30.23

$6.52 ₸2,949

227.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.71

$0.68 ₸305

77.94%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$25.4K ₸11.5M

11.13%

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

$20.3K CA$28.6K

$25.9K ₸11.7M

-21.72%

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

$120 CA$170

$32.84 ₸14.8K

266.47%

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

$32.26 CA$45.60

$9.06 ₸4,095

256.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.93 CA$67.8

$19.03 ₸8,604

151.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.48 CA$54.4

$42.09 ₸19.0K

-8.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.96 CA$32.46

$10.97 ₸4,959

109.30%

Cinema Ticket

$12.38 CA$17.50

$4.55 ₸2,058

172.09%

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

$830 CA$1,173

$135 ₸61.1K

514.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K CA$32.6K

$4,484 ₸2.0M

414.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.7 CA$71.7

$28.65 ₸13.0K

77.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.02 CA$56.6

$25.32 ₸11.4K

58.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 CA$139

$98.0 ₸44.3K

-0.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 CA$171

$74.0 ₸33.5K

63.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,592 CA$2,251

$340 ₸153.6K

368.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,410 CA$1,994

$230 ₸103.8K

514.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,670 CA$3,775

$615 ₸278.1K

334.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,152 CA$3,042

$487 ₸220.1K

341.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,945 CA$11.2K

$1,094 ₸494.4K

626.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,542 CA$9,249

$869 ₸392.9K

652.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,727 CA$5,269

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

19.25

-76.78%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 12, 2026

Last update for Semey: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 55.1%

Semey

$230 32.3% 83.7% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$340 13.3%

Semey

$155 21.7% 54.5% $185

Eating Out

Toronto

$278 10.9%

Semey

$89 12.5% 68.1% $189

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$201 7.8%

Semey

$61 8.6% 69.6% $140

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$139 5.4%

Semey

$102 14.3% 27% $38

Getting Around

Toronto

$129 5.1%

Semey

$25 3.5% 80.5% $104

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$63 2.5%

Semey

$51 7.2% 19% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,592 in Toronto and $340 in Semey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $76.0 in Toronto vs $22.00 in Semey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 vs $155 per month, with Semey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇰🇿 Semey

🕒 Local time

07:00 7:00 AM

17:00 5:00 PM

10 h ahead of Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

310,456

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, 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).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Toronto Semey 9,370 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Toronto
Semey

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 Semey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Semey is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 260% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,841 in Toronto and $1,068 in Semey to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,592 in Toronto versus $340 in Semey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Semey runs roughly 543% less than in Toronto. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $830 in Toronto versus $135 in Semey. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $712 in Semey versus $2,561 in Toronto, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Semey but tight or insufficient in Toronto. The gap between the two cities makes Semey the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Semey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 260% less than in Toronto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.