Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Union City, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Toronto: $2,610 a month against $4,153 in Union City, CA, rent and utilities included – about $18,500 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
199

Cost of Living Index in Union City, CA
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Union City, CA Living Index

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,610

/mo nomad

Union City, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,153

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toronto and in Union City, CA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,610 in Toronto versus $4,153 in Union City, CA.

Toronto $2,610
Union City, CA $4,153

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,727 in Toronto versus $6,121 in Union City, CA.

Toronto $3,727
Union City, CA $6,121

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,844 in Toronto versus $8,090 in Union City, CA.

Toronto $4,844
Union City, CA $8,090

Living in Toronto costs roughly 37% less than in Union City, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toronto 93% above, Union City, CA 206% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 CA$24.87

$22.48 $22.48

-21.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.8 CA$111

$101 $101

-22.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 CA$15.16

$13.05 $13.05

-17.78%

Cappuccino

$4.09 CA$5.78

$5.59 $5.59

-26.83%

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

$2.10 CA$2.97

$2.95 $2.95

-28.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 CA$2.43

$2.45 $2.45

-29.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.36 CA$8.99

$8.02 $8.02

-20.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.08 CA$10.01

$9.84 $9.84

-28.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.54 CA$3.59

$1.27 $1.27

100.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 CA$3.85

$4.53 $4.53

-39.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 CA$3.09

$4.01 $4.01

-45.64%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.13

$5.99 $5.99

-39.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.46 CA$13.37

$20.01 $20.01

-52.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 CA$16.32

$13.12 $13.12

-12.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.37 CA$20.32

$9.05 $9.05

58.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 CA$5.23

$5.19 $5.19

-28.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 CA$1.68

$1.95 $1.95

-38.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.46 CA$4.90

$2.68 $2.68

29.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.22 CA$5.97

$4.35 $4.35

-2.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.52

$2.23 $2.23

-19.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 CA$2.33

$2.91 $2.91

-43.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 CA$3.11

$2.44 $2.44

-9.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 CA$1.78

$2.50 $2.50

-49.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.97 CA$19.75

$11.66 $11.66

19.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.20 CA$20.07

$15.61 $15.61

-9.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 CA$3.18

$2.45 $2.45

-8.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 CA$3.58

$3.30 $3.30

-23.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 CA$3.28

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 CA$158

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 CA$4.33

$3.52 $3.52

-13.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 CA$1.72

$1.87 $1.87

-34.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.69 CA$30.66

$29.63 $29.63

-26.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$1.52 $1.52

-20.39%

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

$26.1K CA$37.0K

$27.3K $27.3K

-4.25%

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

$21.1K CA$29.9K

$26.9K $26.9K

-21.50%

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

$120 CA$169

$279 $279

-57.19%

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

$32.21 CA$45.54

$47.53 $47.53

-32.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.88 CA$69.1

$82.7 $82.7

-40.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.34 CA$55.6

$42.49 $42.49

-7.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.58 CA$33.34

Cinema Ticket

$12.58 CA$17.79

$16.76 $16.76

-24.94%

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

$832 CA$1,176

$1,841 $1,841

-54.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K CA$33.4K

$39.2K $39.2K

-39.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 CA$73.9

$41.10 $41.10

27.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.44 CA$55.8

$51.6 $51.6

-23.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.0 CA$140

$87.7 $87.7

12.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 CA$172

$122 $122

0.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,631 CA$2,306

$3,505 $3,505

-53.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,448 CA$2,048

$2,728 $2,728

-46.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,737 CA$3,869

$4,794 $4,794

-42.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,129 CA$3,010

$4,944 $4,944

-56.94%

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

$7,169 $7,169

-50.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

6.67

-32.98%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 18, 2026

Last update for Union City, CA: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 55.5%

Union City, CA

$2.7K 65.7% 88.3% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$343 13.1%

Union City, CA

$423 10.2% 23.4% $80

Eating Out

Toronto

$283 10.9%

Union City, CA

$367 8.9% 29.7% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$201 7.7%

Union City, CA

$410 9.9% 104% $209

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$141 5.4%

Union City, CA

$136 3.3% 3.3% $4.7

Getting Around

Toronto

$130 5%

Union City, CA

$13 * 0.3% 90.1% $117

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$65 2.5%

Union City, CA

$76 1.8% 17.9% $12

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 $1,631 in Toronto and $3,505 in Union City, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Union City, CA pays 104% 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: $79.0 in Toronto vs $101 in Union City, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $343 vs $423 per month, with Toronto cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇺🇸 Union City, CA

🕒 Local time

04:43 4:43 AM

01:43 1:43 AM

3 h behind Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

63,930

💱 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 22, 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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Toronto Union City, CA 3,620 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Toronto
Union City, CA

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 Union City, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Toronto is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 59% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 104% lower in Union City, CA. 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: $1,631 in Toronto versus $3,505 in Union City, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $832 in Toronto versus $1,841 in Union City, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Toronto – a meal for two runs $79.0 versus $101 in Union City, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.

Safety-wise, Toronto and Union City, CA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Toronto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Union City, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.