Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Tena

For one person, living is cheaper in Tena: $831 a month against $2,561 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $20,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Tena
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Tena Living Index

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,561

/mo nomad

Tena

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$831

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toronto and in Tena

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

A single person spends $2,561 per month in Toronto vs $831 in Tena, rent included.

Toronto $2,561
Tena $831

A couple spends around $3,694 per month in Toronto vs $1,425 in Tena, rent included.

Toronto $3,694
Tena $1,425

A family of three spends $4,826 per month in Toronto vs $2,018 in Tena, rent included.

Toronto $4,826
Tena $2,018

Toronto costs about 208% more than Tena, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Toronto sits 90% above the global median, while Tena is 38% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.18 CA$24.29

$6.03 $6.03

184.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 CA$107

$54.9 $54.9

38.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.89

$7.61 $7.61

38.50%

Cappuccino

$4.02 CA$5.68

$3.39 $3.39

18.58%

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

$2.12 CA$3.00

$1.38 $1.38

53.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 CA$2.48

$1.10 $1.10

59.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.24 CA$8.83

$3.45 $3.45

80.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.09 CA$10.02

$6.09 $6.09

16.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 CA$3.45

$1.15 $1.15

112.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 CA$3.78

$1.53 $1.53

75.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 CA$3.17

$1.56 $1.56

43.59%

Eggs

$3.56 CA$5.03

$2.16 $2.16

64.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.09 CA$12.85

$6.41 $6.41

41.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.33 CA$16.01

$5.63 $5.63

101.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.53 CA$20.55

$7.77 $7.77

87.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 CA$5.12

$2.22 $2.22

63.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$1.18 $1.18

2.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.60 CA$5.09

$1.27 $1.27

183.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.96

$1.13 $1.13

272.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.53

$1.19 $1.19

50.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 CA$2.25

$1.07 $1.07

48.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$0.92 $0.92

146.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 CA$1.77

$1.05 $1.05

19.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 CA$19.53

$5.87 $5.87

135.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.27 CA$20.18

$9.91 $9.91

44.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 CA$3.10

$1.59 $1.59

38.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 CA$3.44

$3.17 $3.17

-23.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.39 CA$3.38

$0.33 $0.33

624.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 CA$157

$16.94 $16.94

554.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 CA$4.12

$1.51 $1.51

92.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 CA$1.69

$0.76 $0.76

57.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.38 CA$30.23

$9.95 $9.95

114.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.71

$0.80 $0.80

51.25%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$21.3K $21.3K

32.47%

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

$20.3K CA$28.6K

$28.5K $28.5K

-28.96%

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

$120 CA$170

$29.16 $29.16

312.72%

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

$32.26 CA$45.60

$17.66 $17.66

82.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.93 CA$67.8

$28.72 $28.72

66.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.48 CA$54.4

$32.43 $32.43

18.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.96 CA$32.46

$15.44 $15.44

48.70%

Cinema Ticket

$12.38 CA$17.50

$6.45 $6.45

91.94%

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

$830 CA$1,173

$226 $226

266.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K CA$32.6K

$8,840 $8,840

161.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.7 CA$71.7

$69.8 $69.8

-27.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.02 CA$56.6

$50.4 $50.4

-20.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 CA$139

$114 $114

-13.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 CA$171

$106 $106

13.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,592 CA$2,251

$300 $300

430.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,410 CA$1,994

$186 $186

660.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,670 CA$3,775

$728 $728

266.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,152 CA$3,042

$417 $417

416.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,945 CA$11.2K

$1,120 $1,120

609.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,542 CA$9,249

$717 $717

812.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,727 CA$5,269

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

10.12

-55.83%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 12, 2026

Last update for Tena: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 55.1%

Tena

$186 22.3% 86.8% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$340 13.3%

Tena

$197 23.8% 41.9% $142

Eating Out

Toronto

$278 10.9%

Tena

$151 18.2% 45.7% $127

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$201 7.8%

Tena

$76 9.1% 62.3% $125

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$139 5.4%

Tena

$153 18.4% 9.9% $14

Getting Around

Toronto

$129 5.1%

Tena

$24 2.8% 81.8% $106

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$63 2.5%

Tena

$45 5.5% 28.3% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,592 in Toronto versus $300 in Tena. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76.0 in Toronto versus $55.0 in Tena. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $340 vs $197 – making Tena the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇪🇨 Tena

🕒 Local time

01:50 1:50 AM

00:50 12:50 AM

1 h behind Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

16,669

💱 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Toronto Tena 4,970 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Toronto
Tena

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 Tena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Toronto is pricier by about 208%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,841 per month in Toronto and $1,247 in Tena. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $830 per month in Toronto and $226 in Tena. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 72% more in Toronto, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Tena, where all-in costs run around $831, than in Toronto at $2,561. In Tena it covers expenses comfortably, while in Toronto it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tena – 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 Tena. 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.