Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and St. Thomas Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and St. Thomas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,754 in Toronto versus $2,320 in St. Thomas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,024 in Toronto versus $3,337 in St. Thomas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,294 in Toronto versus $4,355 in St. Thomas.

Living in Toronto is roughly 19% more expensive than St. Thomas, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toronto 106% above, St. Thomas 73% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.87 CA$25.86

$20.29 CA$27.80

-7.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.6 CA$113

$75.1 CA$103

10.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.19 CA$15.33

$11.52 CA$15.78

-2.86%

Cappuccino

$3.83 CA$5.25

$3.48 CA$4.77

10.06%

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

$2.19 CA$3.00

$1.82 CA$2.50

20.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 CA$2.24

$1.74 CA$2.38

-6.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.73 CA$7.85

$5.22 CA$7.15

9.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.58 CA$9.01

$5.83 CA$7.98

12.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.80 CA$3.83

$2.02 CA$2.76

38.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 CA$3.80

$2.67 CA$3.66

3.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.55 CA$4.86

$3.27 CA$4.48

8.56%

Eggs

$3.46 CA$4.75

$3.08 CA$4.22

12.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.35

$9.50 CA$13.01

40.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.88 CA$17.64

$11.38 CA$15.59

13.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.36 CA$22.42

$15.56 CA$21.32

5.14%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 CA$5.67

$4.01 CA$5.49

3.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.14 CA$1.56

$1.24 CA$1.69

-8.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.39 CA$4.65

$3.33 CA$4.56

1.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.05 CA$5.55

$3.74 CA$5.12

8.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 CA$3.47

$2.99 CA$4.09

-15.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 CA$3.87

$2.52 CA$3.45

11.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 CA$3.38

$2.30 CA$3.16

6.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 CA$2.70

$1.48 CA$2.03

33.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.78 CA$20.25

$10.85 CA$14.87

36.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.57 CA$19.96

$13.11 CA$17.96

11.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 CA$3.66

$2.08 CA$2.84

28.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 CA$4.37

$2.48 CA$3.40

28.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.41 CA$3.30

$2.40 CA$3.28

0.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$113 CA$154

$63.5 CA$87.0

77.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.59 CA$4.92

$2.29 CA$3.14

56.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 CA$1.84

$1.75 CA$2.39

-22.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.88 CA$35.45

$30.76 CA$42.15

-15.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 CA$1.51

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

$25.1K CA$34.4K

$25.3K CA$34.6K

-0.47%

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

$21.7K CA$29.7K

$20.2K CA$27.6K

7.71%

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

$116 CA$159

$135 CA$184

-13.54%

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

$37.49 CA$51.4

$54.1 CA$74.2

-30.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.1 CA$75.4

$56.9 CA$77.9

-3.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.0 CA$78.1

$41.82 CA$57.3

36.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.45 CA$28.01

Cinema Ticket

$11.83 CA$16.20

$11.18 CA$15.31

5.81%

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

$1,121 CA$1,536

$559 CA$766

100.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.5K CA$25.3K

$11.0K CA$15.0K

68.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 CA$77.8

$54.9 CA$75.2

3.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.87 CA$53.3

$38.10 CA$52.2

2.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.4 CA$123

$84.5 CA$116

5.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 CA$157

$80.7 CA$111

41.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,844 CA$2,526

$1,183 CA$1,621

55.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,557 CA$2,133

$1,158 CA$1,586

34.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,940 CA$4,027

$2,032 CA$2,784

44.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,432 CA$3,332

$1,846 CA$2,529

31.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,557 CA$11.7K

$4,827 CA$6,612

77.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,919 CA$9,479

$3,741 CA$5,124

84.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,596 CA$4,927

$3,019 CA$4,136

19.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.16

6.55

-21.22%

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

Last update for Toronto: April 27, 2026

Last update for St. Thomas: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,844 in Toronto and $1,183 in St. Thomas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toronto pays 19% 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: $83.0 in Toronto vs $75.0 in St. Thomas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $394 vs $346 per month, with St. Thomas cheaper across the board.

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 St. Thomas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Toronto and St. Thomas differ by about 19% in total monthly costs ($2,754 vs $2,320 including rent). St. Thomas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Toronto pays 19% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,844 in Toronto versus $1,183 in St. Thomas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,121 in Toronto versus $559 in St. Thomas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Toronto. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,320 in St. Thomas versus $2,754 in Toronto, a $3,000 budget is realistic in St. Thomas but tight or insufficient in Toronto. The gap between the two cities makes St. Thomas 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 St. Thomas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Toronto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.