Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Tucson, AZ

For one person, living is cheaper in Tucson, AZ: $2,394 a month against $2,530 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Toronto outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index
114

Cost of Living Index in Tucson, AZ
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Tucson, AZ Living Index

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,530

/mo nomad

Tucson, AZ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,394

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toronto and in Tucson, 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 Tucson, AZ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,530 in Toronto versus $2,394 in Tucson, AZ.

Toronto $2,530
Tucson, AZ $2,394

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,646 in Toronto versus $3,411 in Tucson, AZ.

Toronto $3,646
Tucson, AZ $3,411

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,761 in Toronto versus $4,429 in Tucson, AZ.

Toronto $4,761
Tucson, AZ $4,429

Living in Toronto is roughly 6% more expensive than in Tucson, AZ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toronto 89% above, Tucson, AZ 79% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.67 CA$25.13

$19.42 $19.42

-9.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.4 CA$110

$79.1 $79.1

-2.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.47 CA$14.90

$13.06 $13.06

-19.83%

Cappuccino

$4.08 CA$5.80

$5.34 $5.34

-23.60%

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

$2.12 CA$3.01

$2.68 $2.68

-20.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 CA$2.50

$2.20 $2.20

-20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.17 CA$8.78

$6.94 $6.94

-11.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.89 CA$9.80

$7.42 $7.42

-7.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.43 CA$3.46

$1.00 $1.00

143.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 CA$3.91

$3.37 $3.37

-18.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 CA$3.17

$5.05 $5.05

-55.84%

Eggs

$3.45 CA$4.90

$4.77 $4.77

-27.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.93 CA$12.71

$13.64 $13.64

-34.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.44 CA$16.27

$11.21 $11.21

2.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.61 CA$20.78

$17.16 $17.16

-14.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 CA$5.33

$4.49 $4.49

-16.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 CA$1.63

$1.93 $1.93

-40.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.55 CA$5.05

$3.88 $3.88

-8.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.28 CA$6.09

$4.18 $4.18

2.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 CA$2.62

$2.56 $2.56

-27.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 CA$2.37

$2.90 $2.90

-42.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 CA$3.15

$2.12 $2.12

4.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$2.16 $2.16

-43.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.88 CA$19.74

$10.63 $10.63

30.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 CA$20.27

$13.69 $13.69

4.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 CA$3.12

$2.43 $2.43

-9.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 CA$3.44

$3.76 $3.76

-35.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 CA$3.44

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 CA$158

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.90 CA$4.12

$2.81 $2.81

3.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 CA$1.79

$1.35 $1.35

-6.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.03 CA$31.33

$35.74 $35.74

-38.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.74

$1.12 $1.12

8.93%

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

$27.6K CA$39.3K

$36.6K $36.6K

-24.61%

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

$19.8K CA$28.2K

$26.0K $26.0K

-23.68%

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

$122 CA$173

$196 $196

-37.92%

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

$32.03 CA$45.56

$61.9 $61.9

-48.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.92 CA$68.2

$75.0 $75.0

-36.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.90 CA$55.3

$36.79 $36.79

5.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.24 CA$33.05

$9.81 $9.81

136.90%

Cinema Ticket

$12.61 CA$17.94

$13.23 $13.23

-4.69%

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

$834 CA$1,186

$1,096 $1,096

-23.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K CA$33.2K

$15.6K $15.6K

49.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 CA$74.8

$56.2 $56.2

-6.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.26 CA$57.3

$43.71 $43.71

-7.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 CA$137

$99.9 $99.9

-3.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 CA$175

$115 $115

7.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 CA$2,273

$1,394 $1,394

14.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,435 CA$2,041

$1,074 $1,074

33.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,657 CA$3,779

$2,106 $2,106

26.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 CA$2,981

$1,655 $1,655

26.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,033 CA$11.4K

$3,436 $3,436

133.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,557 CA$9,327

$2,576 $2,576

154.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,743 CA$5,324

$4,250 $4,250

-11.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

6.44

-30.59%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 4, 2026

Last update for Tucson, AZ: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 55.4%

Tucson, AZ

$1.1K 45.8% 25.2% $361

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$340 13.1%

Tucson, AZ

$397 16.9% 16.6% $57

Eating Out

Toronto

$282 10.9%

Tucson, AZ

$328 14% 16.2% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$202 7.8%

Tucson, AZ

$333 14.2% 65.1% $131

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$140 5.4%

Tucson, AZ

$142 6% 0.8% $1.2

Getting Around

Toronto

$130 5%

Tucson, AZ

$9.6 * 0.4% 92.6% $120

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$64 2.5%

Tucson, AZ

$63 2.7% 1.3% $0.9

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,598 in Toronto and $1,394 in Tucson, AZ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tucson, AZ pays 14% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $77.0 in Toronto vs $79.0 in Tucson, AZ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 vs $397 per month, with Toronto cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇺🇸 Tucson, AZ

🕒 Local time

03:03 3:03 AM

00:03 12:03 AM

3 h behind Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

520,116

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.627 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Toronto Tucson, AZ 3,020 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Toronto
Tucson, 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 Tucson, AZ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tucson, AZ is cheaper overall, especially in transport and leisure. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 14% lower in Tucson, 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: $1,598 in Toronto versus $1,394 in Tucson, AZ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $834 in Toronto versus $1,096 in Tucson, AZ. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tucson, AZ – a meal for two runs $79.0 versus $77.0 in Toronto. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,394 in Tucson, AZ versus $2,530 in Toronto, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Tucson, AZ but tight or insufficient in Toronto. The gap between the two cities makes Tucson, AZ the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Tucson, AZ gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Toronto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.