Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Sydney

For one person, living is cheaper in Toronto: $2,589 a month against $3,267 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Toronto, Canada
Sydney, Australia
Toronto
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,589
/mo nomad
Sydney
🇦🇺 Australia
$3,267
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toronto and in Sydney

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

A single person spends $2,589 per month in Toronto vs $3,267 in Sydney, rent included.

  • Toronto $2,589
  • Sydney $3,267

A couple spends around $3,710 per month in Toronto vs $4,847 in Sydney, rent included.

  • Toronto $3,710
  • Sydney $4,847

A family of three spends $4,831 per month in Toronto vs $6,428 in Sydney, rent included.

  • Toronto $4,831
  • Sydney $6,428

Toronto is about 21% cheaper than Sydney, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Toronto and Sydney sit above the global median – Toronto by 90%, Sydney by 140%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Toronto
Sydney
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.60 CA$24.73
$17.50 A$24.88
0.57%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$77.8 CA$109
$90.4 A$128
-13.89%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.59 CA$14.87
$11.96 A$17.00
-11.45%
Cappuccino
$4.16 CA$5.84
$4.00 A$5.69
4.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.04 CA$2.87
$2.81 A$4.00
-27.40%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 CA$2.46
$2.22 A$3.16
-21.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.58 CA$9.24
$8.13 A$11.57
-19.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.11 CA$9.99
$7.20 A$10.24
-1.25%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Toronto
Sydney
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.53 CA$3.56
$1.70 A$2.42
48.82%
White Bread (500g)
$2.70 CA$3.80
$2.94 A$4.18
-8.16%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.24 CA$3.15
$2.51 A$3.58
-10.76%
Eggs
$3.48 CA$4.89
$5.66 A$8.05
-38.52%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.38 CA$13.17
$12.22 A$17.37
-23.24%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.60 CA$16.29
$9.31 A$13.24
24.60%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.68 CA$20.63
$16.87 A$23.99
-12.98%
Apples (1kg)
$3.74 CA$5.26
$3.90 A$5.55
-4.10%
Banana (1kg)
$1.22 CA$1.72
$3.22 A$4.58
-62.11%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.48 CA$4.89
$3.43 A$4.88
1.46%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.32 CA$6.07
$4.33 A$6.16
-0.23%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 CA$2.60
$3.35 A$4.76
-44.78%
Onion (1kg)
$1.69 CA$2.38
$2.40 A$3.41
-29.58%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.23 CA$3.13
$2.34 A$3.33
-4.70%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 CA$1.79
$1.16 A$1.65
10.34%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.04 CA$19.73
$45.47 A$64.7
-69.12%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.43 CA$20.27
$13.99 A$19.89
3.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.16 CA$3.03
$4.11 A$5.84
-47.45%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.52 CA$3.55
$4.18 A$5.94
-39.71%
🚌 Getting Around
Toronto
Sydney
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.37 CA$3.33
$3.12 A$4.44
-24.04%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$112 CA$158
$152 A$216
-25.92%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.04 CA$4.27
$3.46 A$4.92
-12.14%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.24 CA$1.74
$1.56 A$2.22
-20.51%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$22.55 CA$31.69
$39.54 A$56.2
-42.97%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.24 CA$1.75
$1.45 A$2.06
-14.48%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.9K CA$37.8K
$29.9K A$42.5K
-10.02%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.4K CA$30.0K
$27.5K A$39.1K
-22.28%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Toronto
Sydney
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$125 CA$175
$251 A$357
-50.31%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.05 CA$46.44
$27.76 A$39.47
19.06%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$47.96 CA$67.4
$58.0 A$82.5
-17.30%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Toronto
Sydney
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.69 CA$51.6
$70.7 A$100
-48.08%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.67 CA$33.26
$23.25 A$33.06
1.81%
Cinema Ticket
$13.08 CA$18.37
$17.83 A$25.35
-26.64%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Toronto
Sydney
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$759 CA$1,066
$2,358 A$3,353
-67.82%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.8K CA$33.4K
$27.2K A$38.7K
-12.52%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Toronto
Sydney
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.5 CA$75.2
$80.5 A$114
-33.47%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.44 CA$56.8
$69.3 A$98.5
-41.65%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$100 CA$141
$111 A$157
-9.25%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$125 CA$176
$127 A$181
-1.72%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Toronto
Sydney
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,630 CA$2,290
$2,566 A$3,648
-36.48%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,416 CA$1,989
$1,792 A$2,549
-21.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,694 CA$3,785
$5,202 A$7,396
-48.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,101 CA$2,952
$3,156 A$4,488
-33.44%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,551 CA$10.6K
$13.4K A$19.0K
-43.60%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,674 CA$9,377
$8,727 A$12.4K
-23.53%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Toronto
Sydney
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,543 CA$4,978
$4,118 A$5,856
-13.96%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.45
5.92
-24.83%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 26, 2026

Last update for Sydney: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Toronto
$1.4K
Sydney
$1.8K 26.6% $377
Groceries & Markets
Toronto
$345
Sydney
$382 10.8% $37
Eating Out
Toronto
$285
Sydney
$299 5% $14
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Toronto
$206
Sydney
$337 63.7% $131
Clothing & Footwear
Toronto
$144
Sydney
$175 21.3% $31
Getting Around
Toronto
$131
Sydney
$176 33.9% $44
Sport & Entertainment
Toronto
$63
Sydney
$106 69.2% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,630 in Toronto versus $2,566 in Sydney. 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 16% higher in Sydney, 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 $78 in Toronto versus $90 in Sydney. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $345 vs $382 – making Toronto the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Toronto
🇦🇺 Sydney
🕒 Local time
23:46 11:46 PM
14:46 2:46 PM
15 h ahead of Toronto
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,731,571
4,840,600
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.712 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.638 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.631 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Toronto Sydney 15,570 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Toronto
  • Sydney

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: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Toronto and in Sydney compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,589 in Toronto, $3,267 in Sydney – roughly 26% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.
What salary covers living expenses in Toronto compared to Sydney?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,883 per month in Toronto and $4,900 in Sydney. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Toronto and Sydney?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Toronto, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,630 there versus $2,566 in Sydney.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $78 in Toronto and $90 in Sydney. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Toronto or Sydney?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,589 in Toronto and $3,267 in Sydney. That’s a gap of about 26%.
Which city is feasible on a $2,500 budget?
$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,589 in Toronto and $3,267 in Sydney. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Where should families live: Toronto or Sydney?
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.
How do I decide between Toronto and Sydney?
If budget matters most, go with Toronto. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sydney makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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