Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Sydney, NS

For one person, living is cheaper in Sydney, NS: $1,614 a month against $2,610 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Sydney, NS
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Sydney, NS Living Index

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,610

/mo nomad

Sydney, NS

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toronto and in Sydney, NS

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

A single person spends $2,610 per month in Toronto vs $1,614 in Sydney, NS, rent included.

Toronto $2,610
Sydney, NS $1,614

A couple spends around $3,727 per month in Toronto vs $2,535 in Sydney, NS, rent included.

Toronto $3,727
Sydney, NS $2,535

A family of three spends $4,844 per month in Toronto vs $3,456 in Sydney, NS, rent included.

Toronto $4,844
Sydney, NS $3,456

Toronto costs about 62% more than Sydney, NS, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Toronto and Sydney, NS sit above the global median – Toronto by 93%, Sydney, NS by 19%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 CA$24.87

$11.13 CA$15.74

58.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.8 CA$111

$62.3 CA$88.0

26.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 CA$15.16

$7.16 CA$10.12

49.86%

Cappuccino

$4.09 CA$5.78

$2.87 CA$4.06

42.51%

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

$2.10 CA$2.97

$2.33 CA$3.30

-9.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 CA$2.43

$2.07 CA$2.92

-16.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.36 CA$8.99

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.08 CA$10.01

Milk (1 liter)

$2.54 CA$3.59

$2.15 CA$3.04

18.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 CA$3.85

$2.56 CA$3.61

6.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 CA$3.09

$2.41 CA$3.41

-9.54%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.13

$3.32 CA$4.69

9.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.46 CA$13.37

$6.27 CA$8.87

50.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 CA$16.32

$8.23 CA$11.63

40.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.37 CA$20.32

$12.99 CA$18.36

10.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 CA$5.23

$7.01 CA$9.91

-47.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 CA$1.68

$1.16 CA$1.63

2.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.46 CA$4.90

Tomato (1kg)

$4.22 CA$5.97

$1.38 CA$1.95

205.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.52

$0.84 CA$1.18

113.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 CA$2.33

$1.90 CA$2.68

-13.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 CA$3.11

$6.30 CA$8.90

-65.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 CA$1.78

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.97 CA$19.75

$17.78 CA$25.14

-21.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.20 CA$20.07

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 CA$3.18

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 CA$3.58

$4.18 CA$5.92

-39.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$1.08 CA$1.53

114.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 CA$158

$48.48 CA$68.5

130.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 CA$4.33

$4.15 CA$5.87

-26.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 CA$1.72

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.69 CA$30.66

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$1.20 CA$1.70

0.83%

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

$26.1K CA$37.0K

$25.7K CA$36.4K

1.53%

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

$21.1K CA$29.9K

$19.1K CA$27.1K

10.31%

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

$120 CA$169

$86.3 CA$122

38.63%

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

$32.21 CA$45.54

$36.04 CA$51.0

-10.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.88 CA$69.1

$73.3 CA$104

-33.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.34 CA$55.6

$49.94 CA$70.6

-21.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.58 CA$33.34

$3.45 CA$4.88

583.48%

Cinema Ticket

$12.58 CA$17.79

$7.04 CA$9.96

78.69%

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

$832 CA$1,176

$721 CA$1,020

15.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K CA$33.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 CA$73.9

$68.1 CA$96.3

-23.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.44 CA$55.8

$67.2 CA$95.1

-41.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.0 CA$140

$99.7 CA$141

-0.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 CA$172

$105 CA$148

16.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,631 CA$2,306

$893 CA$1,262

82.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,448 CA$2,048

$724 CA$1,024

100.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,737 CA$3,869

$1,753 CA$2,479

56.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,129 CA$3,010

$1,374 CA$1,943

54.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,206 CA$11.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,838 CA$9,666

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,520 CA$4,976

$2,527 CA$3,573

39.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

5.8

-22.93%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 18, 2026

Last update for Sydney, NS: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 55.5%

Sydney, NS

$724 44.9% 50% $724

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$343 13.1%

Sydney, NS

$258 * 16% 24.9% $85

Eating Out

Toronto

$283 10.9%

Sydney, NS

$163 * 10.1% 42.6% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$201 7.7%

Sydney, NS

$196 12.1% 2.5% $5

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$141 5.4%

Sydney, NS

$153 9.5% 8.8% $12

Getting Around

Toronto

$130 5%

Sydney, NS

$57 * 3.5% 56.2% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$65 2.5%

Sydney, NS

$64 4% 0.7% $0.5

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,631 in Toronto versus $893 in Sydney, NS. 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 39% higher in Toronto, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Toronto versus $62.0 in Sydney, NS. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $343 vs $258 – making Sydney, NS the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇨🇦 Sydney, NS

🕒 Local time

00:13 12:13 AM

01:13 1:13 AM

1 h ahead of Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

30,960

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Toronto Sydney, NS 1,530 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Toronto
Sydney, NS

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 Sydney, NS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Toronto costs about 62% more than Sydney, NS, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,916 per month in Toronto and $2,421 in Sydney, NS. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sydney, NS, 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 $2,610 in Toronto and $1,614 in Sydney, NS. That's a gap of about 62%.

Public transport costs about 130% less in Sydney, NS. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sydney, NS, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in Toronto at $2,610. In Sydney, NS it covers expenses comfortably, while in Toronto it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sydney, NS – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Sydney, NS. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Toronto makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.