Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Sterling

For one person, living is cheaper in Toronto: $2,561 a month against $2,824 in Sterling, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Sterling
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Sterling Living Index

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,561

/mo nomad

Sterling

🇺🇸 United States

$2,824

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toronto and in Sterling

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

A single person spends $2,561 per month in Toronto vs $2,824 in Sterling, rent included.

Toronto $2,561
Sterling $2,824

A couple spends around $3,694 per month in Toronto vs $4,327 in Sterling, rent included.

Toronto $3,694
Sterling $4,327

A family of three spends $4,826 per month in Toronto vs $5,831 in Sterling, rent included.

Toronto $4,826
Sterling $5,831

Toronto is about 9% cheaper than Sterling, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Toronto and Sterling sit above the global median – Toronto by 90%, Sterling by 109%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.18 CA$24.29

$19.32 $19.32

-11.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 CA$107

$75.4 $75.4

0.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.89

$11.84 $11.84

-10.98%

Cappuccino

$4.02 CA$5.68

$5.90 $5.90

-31.86%

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

$2.12 CA$3.00

$2.98 $2.98

-28.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 CA$2.48

$2.48 $2.48

-29.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.24 CA$8.83

$5.42 $5.42

15.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.09 CA$10.02

$7.91 $7.91

-10.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 CA$3.45

$1.05 $1.05

132.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 CA$3.78

$4.01 $4.01

-33.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 CA$3.17

$5.11 $5.11

-56.16%

Eggs

$3.56 CA$5.03

$5.61 $5.61

-36.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.09 CA$12.85

$17.11 $17.11

-46.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.33 CA$16.01

$14.54 $14.54

-22.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.53 CA$20.55

$18.87 $18.87

-23.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 CA$5.12

$5.58 $5.58

-35.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$2.34 $2.34

-48.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.60 CA$5.09

$5.05 $5.05

-28.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.96

$5.88 $5.88

-28.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.53

$2.82 $2.82

-36.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 CA$2.25

$3.83 $3.83

-58.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$2.26 $2.26

0.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 CA$1.77

$2.64 $2.64

-52.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 CA$19.53

$9.90 $9.90

39.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.27 CA$20.18

$13.96 $13.96

2.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 CA$3.10

$2.32 $2.32

-5.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 CA$3.44

$5.54 $5.54

-56.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.39 CA$3.38

$4.96 $4.96

-51.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 CA$157

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 CA$4.12

$2.98 $2.98

-2.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 CA$1.69

$1.41 $1.41

-14.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.38 CA$30.23

$22.86 $22.86

-6.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.71

$1.04 $1.04

16.35%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$36.0K $36.0K

-21.65%

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

$20.3K CA$28.6K

$25.1K $25.1K

-19.26%

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

$120 CA$170

$156 $156

-23.00%

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

$32.26 CA$45.60

$50.5 $50.5

-36.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.93 CA$67.8

$79.1 $79.1

-39.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.48 CA$54.4

$29.37 $29.37

31.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.96 CA$32.46

Cinema Ticket

$12.38 CA$17.50

$18.12 $18.12

-31.68%

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

$830 CA$1,173

$1,918 $1,918

-56.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K CA$32.6K

$32.2K $32.2K

-28.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.7 CA$71.7

$52.8 $52.8

-4.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.02 CA$56.6

$45.11 $45.11

-11.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 CA$139

$87.7 $87.7

11.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 CA$171

$107 $107

12.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,592 CA$2,251

$1,255 $1,255

26.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,410 CA$1,994

$1,512 $1,512

-6.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,670 CA$3,775

$2,025 $2,025

31.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,152 CA$3,042

$2,875 $2,875

-25.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,945 CA$11.2K

$3,239 $3,239

145.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,542 CA$9,249

$2,372 $2,372

175.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,727 CA$5,269

$3,714 $3,714

0.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

6.63

-32.58%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 12, 2026

Last update for Sterling: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 55.1%

Sterling

$1.5K 53.6% 7.2% $101

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$340 13.3%

Sterling

$473 16.8% 39.2% $133

Eating Out

Toronto

$278 10.9%

Sterling

$326 11.5% 17.1% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$201 7.8%

Sterling

$286 10.1% 42.6% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$139 5.4%

Sterling

$132 4.7% 5.3% $7.3

Getting Around

Toronto

$129 5.1%

Sterling

$30 * 1.1% 76.9% $100

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$63 2.5%

Sterling

$66 2.3% 3.8% $2.4

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,592 in Toronto versus $1,255 in Sterling. 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 0% higher in Toronto, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76.0 in Toronto versus $75.0 in Sterling. Groceries tell a different story – $340 in Toronto vs $473 in Sterling – so Toronto wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇺🇸 Sterling

🕒 Local time

09:58 9:58 AM

08:58 8:58 AM

1 h behind Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

14,782

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Toronto Sterling 870 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Toronto
Sterling

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 Sterling: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sterling costs about 10% more than Toronto, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,841 per month in Toronto and $4,236 in Sterling. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,561 in Toronto and $2,824 in Sterling. That's a gap of about 10%.

Kindergarten costs $830 per month in Toronto and $1,918 in Sterling. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Toronto, where all-in costs run around $2,561, than in Sterling at $2,824. In Toronto it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sterling it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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