Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in St. Thomas: $2,436 a month against $2,589 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Toronto outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Toronto, Canada
St. Thomas, Canada
Toronto
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,589
/mo nomad
St. Thomas
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,436
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toronto and in St. Thomas

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,589 in Toronto versus $2,436 in St. Thomas.

  • Toronto $2,589
  • St. Thomas $2,436

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,710 in Toronto versus $3,399 in St. Thomas.

  • Toronto $3,710
  • St. Thomas $3,399

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,831 in Toronto versus $4,363 in St. Thomas.

  • Toronto $4,831
  • St. Thomas $4,363

Living in Toronto is roughly 6% more expensive than in St. Thomas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toronto 90% above, St. Thomas 79% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Toronto
St. Thomas
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.60 CA$24.59
$21.56 CA$30.13
-18.37%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$77.8 CA$109
$63.6 CA$88.9
22.27%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.59 CA$14.79
$11.22 CA$15.67
-5.61%
Cappuccino
$4.16 CA$5.81
$3.45 CA$4.82
20.58%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.04 CA$2.86
$2.11 CA$2.95
-3.32%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 CA$2.45
$1.63 CA$2.28
7.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.58 CA$9.19
$4.85 CA$6.77
35.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.11 CA$9.94
$6.15 CA$8.59
15.61%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Toronto
St. Thomas
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.53 CA$3.54
$2.22 CA$3.10
13.96%
White Bread (500g)
$2.70 CA$3.78
$2.76 CA$3.85
-2.17%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.24 CA$3.13
$3.78 CA$5.28
-40.74%
Eggs
$3.48 CA$4.87
$3.27 CA$4.57
6.42%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.38 CA$13.10
$10.05 CA$14.04
-6.67%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.60 CA$16.21
$15.80 CA$22.07
-26.58%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.68 CA$20.52
$19.72 CA$27.56
-25.56%
Apples (1kg)
$3.74 CA$5.23
$4.10 CA$5.73
-8.78%
Banana (1kg)
$1.22 CA$1.71
$1.28 CA$1.78
-4.69%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.48 CA$4.86
$3.65 CA$5.10
-4.66%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.32 CA$6.04
$4.06 CA$5.68
6.40%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 CA$2.59
$3.30 CA$4.61
-43.94%
Onion (1kg)
$1.69 CA$2.36
$3.06 CA$4.27
-44.77%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.23 CA$3.11
$2.87 CA$4.01
-22.30%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 CA$1.78
$1.55 CA$2.17
-17.42%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.04 CA$19.62
$11.23 CA$15.70
25.02%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.43 CA$20.16
$12.51 CA$17.48
15.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.16 CA$3.01
$2.52 CA$3.52
-14.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.52 CA$3.53
$2.91 CA$4.06
-13.40%
🚌 Getting Around
Toronto
St. Thomas
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.37 CA$3.31
$2.19 CA$3.06
8.22%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$112 CA$157
$68.2 CA$95.2
65.02%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.04 CA$4.25
$2.38 CA$3.32
27.73%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.24 CA$1.73
$1.66 CA$2.32
-25.30%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$22.55 CA$31.51
$22.83 CA$31.91
-1.23%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.24 CA$1.74
$1.17 CA$1.64
5.98%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.9K CA$37.6K
$27.0K CA$37.8K
-0.43%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.4K CA$29.9K
$23.1K CA$32.2K
-7.22%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Toronto
St. Thomas
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$125 CA$174
$126 CA$176
-0.99%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.05 CA$46.19
$42.99 CA$60.1
-23.12%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$47.96 CA$67.0
$57.4 CA$80.2
-16.39%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Toronto
St. Thomas
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.69 CA$51.3
$39.32 CA$55.0
-6.69%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.67 CA$33.07
$17.06 CA$23.84
38.75%
Cinema Ticket
$13.08 CA$18.27
$10.65 CA$14.88
22.82%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Toronto
St. Thomas
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$759 CA$1,060
$421 CA$588
80.20%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.8K CA$33.2K
$17.3K CA$24.2K
37.24%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Toronto
St. Thomas
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.5 CA$74.8
$53.9 CA$75.4
-0.72%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.44 CA$56.5
$36.85 CA$51.5
9.74%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$100 CA$140
$82.4 CA$115
21.91%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$125 CA$175
$90.4 CA$126
38.51%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Toronto
St. Thomas
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,630 CA$2,277
$1,163 CA$1,625
40.16%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,416 CA$1,978
$1,245 CA$1,740
13.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,694 CA$3,765
$2,276 CA$3,180
18.37%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,101 CA$2,936
$1,659 CA$2,319
26.61%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,551 CA$10.6K
$4,403 CA$6,152
71.49%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,674 CA$9,325
$3,575 CA$4,996
86.66%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Toronto
St. Thomas
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,543 CA$4,951
$3,004 CA$4,197
17.97%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.45
4.99
-10.82%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 26, 2026

Last update for St. Thomas: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Toronto
$1.4K
St. Thomas
$1.2K 12% $170
Groceries & Markets
Toronto
$345
St. Thomas
$399 15.6% $54
Eating Out
Toronto
$285
St. Thomas
$299 5% $14
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Toronto
$206
St. Thomas
$226 10% $21
Clothing & Footwear
Toronto
$144
St. Thomas
$119 17.5% $25
Getting Around
Toronto
$131
St. Thomas
$88 33.2% $44
Sport & Entertainment
Toronto
$63
St. Thomas
$61 3.5% $2.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,630 in Toronto and $1,163 in St. Thomas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toronto pays 18% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $78 in Toronto vs $64 in St. Thomas. Groceries flip the comparison at $345 vs $399, with Toronto cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Toronto
🇨🇦 St. Thomas
🕒 Local time
18:03 6:03 PM
18:03 6:03 PM
Same time as Toronto
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,731,571
38,909
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Toronto St. Thomas 180 km
From you
  • Toronto
  • St. Thomas

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 St. Thomas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Toronto and in St. Thomas?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,589 in Toronto and $2,436 in St. Thomas, so St. Thomas is about 6% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Toronto or St. Thomas?
Average pay runs 18% higher in Toronto, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Toronto and in St. Thomas?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,630 in Toronto versus $1,163 in St. Thomas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Toronto and St. Thomas?
Childcare runs $759 in Toronto versus $421 in St. Thomas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Toronto pay roughly 14% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
How far does $3,000 go in Toronto compared to St. Thomas?
Either city works on $3,000 a month, though St. Thomas gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Where should families live: Toronto or St. Thomas?
For families, St. Thomas is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Toronto, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
How do I decide between Toronto and St. Thomas?
It comes down to priorities – St. Thomas wins on affordability, Toronto on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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