Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Surrey, Canada

For one person, living is cheaper in Surrey: $2,338 a month against $2,589 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Toronto outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Toronto, Canada
Surrey, Canada
Toronto
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,589
/mo nomad
Surrey
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,338
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toronto and in Surrey

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,589 in Toronto versus $2,338 in Surrey.

  • Toronto $2,589
  • Surrey $2,338

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,710 in Toronto versus $3,564 in Surrey.

  • Toronto $3,710
  • Surrey $3,564

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,831 in Toronto versus $4,791 in Surrey.

  • Toronto $4,831
  • Surrey $4,791

Living in Toronto is roughly 11% more expensive than in Surrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toronto 90% above, Surrey 72% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Toronto
Surrey
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.60 CA$24.59
$18.11 CA$25.31
-2.82%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$77.8 CA$109
$57.5 CA$80.3
35.37%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.59 CA$14.79
$10.06 CA$14.06
5.27%
Cappuccino
$4.16 CA$5.81
$3.52 CA$4.92
18.18%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.04 CA$2.86
$2.01 CA$2.81
1.49%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 CA$2.45
$1.50 CA$2.10
16.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.58 CA$9.19
$6.01 CA$8.40
9.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.11 CA$9.94
$5.63 CA$7.87
26.29%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Toronto
Surrey
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.53 CA$3.54
$2.47 CA$3.46
2.43%
White Bread (500g)
$2.70 CA$3.78
$2.10 CA$2.94
28.57%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.24 CA$3.13
$3.64 CA$5.09
-38.46%
Eggs
$3.48 CA$4.87
$3.22 CA$4.50
8.07%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.38 CA$13.10
$9.77 CA$13.65
-3.99%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.60 CA$16.21
$10.57 CA$14.78
9.74%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.68 CA$20.52
$20.34 CA$28.42
-27.83%
Apples (1kg)
$3.74 CA$5.23
$3.33 CA$4.65
12.31%
Banana (1kg)
$1.22 CA$1.71
$1.30 CA$1.82
-6.15%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.48 CA$4.86
$2.94 CA$4.10
18.37%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.32 CA$6.04
$3.02 CA$4.23
43.05%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 CA$2.59
$2.59 CA$3.62
-28.57%
Onion (1kg)
$1.69 CA$2.36
$2.15 CA$3.01
-21.40%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.23 CA$3.11
$2.00 CA$2.80
11.50%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 CA$1.78
$1.83 CA$2.56
-30.05%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.04 CA$19.62
$14.11 CA$19.72
-0.50%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.43 CA$20.16
$14.20 CA$19.85
1.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.16 CA$3.01
$2.45 CA$3.43
-11.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.52 CA$3.53
$3.23 CA$4.51
-21.98%
🚌 Getting Around
Toronto
Surrey
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.37 CA$3.31
$2.55 CA$3.57
-7.06%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$112 CA$157
$110 CA$154
1.86%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.04 CA$4.25
$2.64 CA$3.69
15.15%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.24 CA$1.73
$1.60 CA$2.23
-22.50%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$22.55 CA$31.51
$28.02 CA$39.15
-19.52%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.24 CA$1.74
$1.38 CA$1.92
-10.14%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.9K CA$37.6K
$28.2K CA$39.3K
-4.46%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.4K CA$29.9K
$21.7K CA$30.3K
-1.48%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Toronto
Surrey
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$125 CA$174
$187 CA$261
-33.17%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.05 CA$46.19
$37.14 CA$51.9
-11.01%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$47.96 CA$67.0
$65.7 CA$91.9
-27.05%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Toronto
Surrey
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.69 CA$51.3
$31.83 CA$44.48
15.27%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.67 CA$33.07
$25.35 CA$35.42
-6.63%
Cinema Ticket
$13.08 CA$18.27
$12.18 CA$17.02
7.39%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Toronto
Surrey
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$759 CA$1,060
$668 CA$934
13.53%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.8K CA$33.2K
$12.1K CA$16.9K
97.04%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Toronto
Surrey
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.5 CA$74.8
$55.0 CA$76.8
-2.60%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.44 CA$56.5
$61.1 CA$85.4
-33.81%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$100 CA$140
$99.5 CA$139
1.00%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$125 CA$175
$90.8 CA$127
37.98%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Toronto
Surrey
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,630 CA$2,277
$1,376 CA$1,923
18.46%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,416 CA$1,978
$1,094 CA$1,528
29.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,694 CA$3,765
$2,606 CA$3,641
3.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,101 CA$2,936
$2,095 CA$2,927
0.29%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,551 CA$10.6K
$6,631 CA$9,265
13.87%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,674 CA$9,325
$5,166 CA$7,218
29.20%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Toronto
Surrey
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,543 CA$4,951
$3,156 CA$4,410
12.26%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.45
4.87
-8.62%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 26, 2026

Last update for Surrey: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Toronto
$1.4K
Surrey
$1.1K 22.8% $322
Groceries & Markets
Toronto
$345
Surrey
$357 3.5% $12
Eating Out
Toronto
$285
Surrey
$273 4.2% $12
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Toronto
$206
Surrey
$289 40.7% $84
Clothing & Footwear
Toronto
$144
Surrey
$138 4.2% $6
Getting Around
Toronto
$131
Surrey
$131 0.1% $0.1
Sport & Entertainment
Toronto
$63
Surrey
$56 10.6% $6.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,630 in Toronto and $1,376 in Surrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toronto pays 12% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $78 in Toronto vs $57 in Surrey. Groceries flip the comparison at $345 vs $357, with Toronto cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Toronto
🇨🇦 Surrey
🕒 Local time
04:26 4:26 AM
02:26 2:26 AM
2 h behind Toronto
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,731,571
517,887
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 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 Surrey 3,340 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Toronto
  • Surrey

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 Surrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Toronto and in Surrey?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,589 in Toronto and $2,338 in Surrey, so Surrey is about 10% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Toronto or Surrey?
Average pay runs 12% 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 Surrey?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,630 in Toronto versus $1,376 in Surrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Toronto pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more expensive overall: Toronto or Surrey?
All in, you’ll spend $2,589 per month in Toronto versus $2,338 in Surrey – Surrey is about 10% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
How far does $3,000 go in Toronto compared to Surrey?
Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Surrey 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 Surrey?
For families, Surrey 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 Surrey?
It comes down to priorities – Surrey 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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