Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Tempe, AZ

For one person, living is cheaper in Toronto: $2,561 a month against $2,880 in Tempe, AZ, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 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
140

Cost of Living Index in Tempe, AZ
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Tempe, AZ Living Index

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,561

/mo nomad

Tempe, AZ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,880

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toronto and in Tempe, AZ

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,561 in Toronto versus $2,880 in Tempe, AZ.

Toronto $2,561
Tempe, AZ $2,880

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,694 in Toronto versus $3,836 in Tempe, AZ.

Toronto $3,694
Tempe, AZ $3,836

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,826 in Toronto versus $4,792 in Tempe, AZ.

Toronto $4,826
Tempe, AZ $4,792

Living in Toronto costs roughly 11% less than in Tempe, AZ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toronto 90% above, Tempe, AZ 113% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.18 CA$24.29

$19.77 $19.77

-13.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 CA$107

$81.6 $81.6

-6.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.89

$13.17 $13.17

-19.97%

Cappuccino

$4.02 CA$5.68

$5.25 $5.25

-23.43%

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

$2.12 CA$3.00

$3.10 $3.10

-31.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 CA$2.48

$2.44 $2.44

-28.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.24 CA$8.83

$6.01 $6.01

3.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.09 CA$10.02

$7.17 $7.17

-1.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 CA$3.45

$0.97 $0.97

151.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 CA$3.78

$4.20 $4.20

-36.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 CA$3.17

$6.19 $6.19

-63.81%

Eggs

$3.56 CA$5.03

$4.68 $4.68

-23.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.09 CA$12.85

$13.65 $13.65

-33.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.33 CA$16.01

$13.44 $13.44

-15.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.53 CA$20.55

$17.38 $17.38

-16.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 CA$5.12

$5.35 $5.35

-32.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$1.97 $1.97

-38.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.60 CA$5.09

$4.12 $4.12

-12.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.96

$4.96 $4.96

-15.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.53

$2.53 $2.53

-29.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 CA$2.25

$2.99 $2.99

-46.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$2.22 $2.22

2.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 CA$1.77

$2.27 $2.27

-44.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 CA$19.53

$10.89 $10.89

26.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.27 CA$20.18

$13.65 $13.65

4.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 CA$3.10

$2.41 $2.41

-8.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 CA$3.44

$3.15 $3.15

-22.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.39 CA$3.38

$1.94 $1.94

23.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 CA$157

$64.4 $64.4

72.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 CA$4.12

$2.83 $2.83

2.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 CA$1.69

$1.37 $1.37

-12.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.38 CA$30.23

$35.42 $35.42

-39.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.71

$1.17 $1.17

3.42%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$36.7K $36.7K

-23.31%

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

$20.3K CA$28.6K

$25.8K $25.8K

-21.41%

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

$120 CA$170

$240 $240

-49.94%

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

$32.26 CA$45.60

$61.4 $61.4

-47.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.93 CA$67.8

$78.0 $78.0

-38.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.48 CA$54.4

$30.16 $30.16

27.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.96 CA$32.46

$15.16 $15.16

51.45%

Cinema Ticket

$12.38 CA$17.50

$13.80 $13.80

-10.29%

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

$830 CA$1,173

$1,107 $1,107

-24.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K CA$32.6K

$15.4K $15.4K

50.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.7 CA$71.7

$62.6 $62.6

-19.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.02 CA$56.6

$44.61 $44.61

-10.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 CA$139

$98.4 $98.4

-0.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 CA$171

$113 $113

7.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,592 CA$2,251

$1,894 $1,894

-15.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,410 CA$1,994

$1,460 $1,460

-3.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,670 CA$3,775

$2,543 $2,543

4.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,152 CA$3,042

$1,683 $1,683

27.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,945 CA$11.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,542 CA$9,249

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,727 CA$5,269

$3,960 $3,960

-5.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

6.5

-31.23%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 12, 2026

Last update for Tempe, AZ: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 55.1%

Tempe, AZ

$1.5K 50.7% 3.5% $49

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$340 13.3%

Tempe, AZ

$431 15% 26.8% $91

Eating Out

Toronto

$278 10.9%

Tempe, AZ

$327 11.4% 17.6% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$201 7.8%

Tempe, AZ

$380 13.2% 89.4% $179

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$139 5.4%

Tempe, AZ

$143 5% 2.9% $4

Getting Around

Toronto

$129 5.1%

Tempe, AZ

$82 2.8% 36.8% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$63 2.5%

Tempe, AZ

$58 2% 8.7% $5.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,592 in Toronto and $1,894 in Tempe, AZ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tempe, AZ pays 6% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $76.0 in Toronto vs $82.0 in Tempe, AZ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 vs $431 per month, with Toronto cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇺🇸 Tempe, AZ

🕒 Local time

15:50 3:50 PM

12:50 12:50 PM

3 h behind Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

161,719

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 USD = 0.889 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 17, 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Toronto Tempe, AZ 3,030 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Toronto
Tempe, AZ

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 Tempe, AZ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Toronto is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 6% lower in Tempe, AZ. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,592 in Toronto versus $1,894 in Tempe, AZ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Toronto runs roughly 72% less than in Tempe, AZ. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $830 in Toronto versus $1,107 in Tempe, AZ. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Toronto is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Toronto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Tempe, AZ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.