Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Urbana, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Urbana, IL: $1,871 a month against $2,610 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Toronto
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,610
/mo nomad
Urbana, IL
🇺🇸 United States
$1,871
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toronto and in Urbana, IL

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,610 in Toronto versus $1,871 in Urbana, IL.

  • Toronto $2,610
  • Urbana, IL $1,871

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,727 in Toronto versus $2,123 in Urbana, IL.

  • Toronto $3,727
  • Urbana, IL $2,123

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,844 in Toronto versus $2,374 in Urbana, IL.

  • Toronto $4,844
  • Urbana, IL $2,374

Living in Toronto is roughly 40% more expensive than in Urbana, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toronto 93% above, Urbana, IL 38% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Toronto
Urbana, IL
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.59 CA$24.87
$14.83 $14.83
18.61%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$78.8 CA$111
$59.0 $59.0
33.57%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.73 CA$15.16
$9.95 $9.95
7.84%
Cappuccino
$4.09 CA$5.78
$4.71 $4.71
-13.16%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.10 CA$2.97
$2.25 $2.25
-6.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.72 CA$2.43
$1.77 $1.77
-2.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.36 CA$8.99
$5.46 $5.46
16.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.08 CA$10.01
$5.65 $5.65
25.31%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Toronto
Urbana, IL
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.54 CA$3.59
$0.78 $0.78
225.64%
White Bread (500g)
$2.72 CA$3.85
$3.03 $3.03
-10.23%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.18 CA$3.09
$3.01 $3.01
-27.57%
Eggs
$3.63 CA$5.13
$3.82 $3.82
-4.97%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.46 CA$13.37
$12.23 $12.23
-22.65%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.54 CA$16.32
$8.95 $8.95
28.94%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.37 CA$20.32
$14.14 $14.14
1.63%
Apples (1kg)
$3.70 CA$5.23
$4.02 $4.02
-7.96%
Banana (1kg)
$1.19 CA$1.68
$1.63 $1.63
-26.99%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.46 CA$4.90
$3.18 $3.18
8.81%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.22 CA$5.97
$4.54 $4.54
-7.05%
Potato (1kg)
$1.79 CA$2.52
$2.23 $2.23
-19.73%
Onion (1kg)
$1.65 CA$2.33
$2.65 $2.65
-37.74%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.20 CA$3.11
$2.30 $2.30
-4.35%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.26 CA$1.78
$1.37 $1.37
-8.03%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.97 CA$19.75
$12.21 $12.21
14.41%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.20 CA$20.07
$15.22 $15.22
-6.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.25 CA$3.18
$2.08 $2.08
8.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.53 CA$3.58
$3.51 $3.51
-27.92%
🚌 Getting Around
Toronto
Urbana, IL
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.32 CA$3.28
$0.99 $0.99
134.34%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$112 CA$158
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.06 CA$4.33
$3.03 $3.03
0.99%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.22 CA$1.72
$0.59 $0.59
106.78%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$21.69 CA$30.66
$25.08 $25.08
-13.52%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.21 CA$1.72
$1.16 $1.16
4.31%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.1K CA$37.0K
$27.7K $27.7K
-5.60%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.1K CA$29.9K
$26.3K $26.3K
-19.66%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Toronto
Urbana, IL
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$120 CA$169
$242 $242
-50.49%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$32.21 CA$45.54
$44.28 $44.28
-27.26%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$48.88 CA$69.1
$60.7 $60.7
-19.47%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Toronto
Urbana, IL
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.34 CA$55.6
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.58 CA$33.34
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.58 CA$17.79
$13.14 $13.14
-4.26%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Toronto
Urbana, IL
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$832 CA$1,176
$1,003 $1,003
-17.09%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.6K CA$33.4K
$20.4K $20.4K
16.01%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Toronto
Urbana, IL
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.3 CA$73.9
$48.69 $48.69
7.37%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.44 CA$55.8
$50.8 $50.8
-22.33%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.0 CA$140
$97.7 $97.7
1.32%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 CA$172
$121 $121
1.16%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Toronto
Urbana, IL
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,631 CA$2,306
$866 $866
88.44%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,448 CA$2,048
$746 $746
94.26%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,737 CA$3,869
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,129 CA$3,010
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,206 CA$11.6K
$1,774 $1,774
362.54%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,838 CA$9,666
$1,732 $1,732
294.87%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Toronto
Urbana, IL
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,520 CA$4,976
$6,774 $6,774
-48.04%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.47
6.82
-34.46%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 18, 2026

Last update for Urbana, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Toronto
$1.4K
Urbana, IL
$746 48.5% $703
Groceries & Markets
Toronto
$343
Urbana, IL
$340 0.8% $2.9
Eating Out
Toronto
$283
Urbana, IL
$260 8.3% $24
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Toronto
$201
Urbana, IL
$347 72.7% $146
Clothing & Footwear
Toronto
$141
Urbana, IL
$143 1.6% $2.3
Getting Around
Toronto
$130
Urbana, IL
$10 * 92.4% $120
Sport & Entertainment
Toronto
$65
Urbana, IL
$26 * 59.3% $38

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 $866 in Urbana, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Urbana, IL pays 92% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $79.0 in Toronto vs $59.0 in Urbana, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $343 vs $340 per month, with Urbana, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Toronto
🇺🇸 Urbana, IL
🕒 Local time
16:24 4:24 PM
15:24 3:24 PM
1 h behind Toronto
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,731,571
41,250
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Toronto Urbana, IL 830 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Toronto
  • Urbana, IL

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 Urbana, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Urbana, IL cheaper than Toronto?
Urbana, IL is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Toronto or Urbana, IL?
On paper, salaries run 92% lower in Urbana, IL. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Toronto and Urbana, IL?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,631 in Toronto versus $866 in Urbana, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $832 in Toronto versus $1,003 in Urbana, IL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Toronto or in Urbana, IL?
Dining out is cheaper in Urbana, IL – a meal for two runs $59.0 versus $79.0 in Toronto. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Toronto or in Urbana, IL?
At $1,871 in Urbana, IL versus $2,610 in Toronto, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Urbana, IL but tight or insufficient in Toronto. The gap between the two cities makes Urbana, IL the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Toronto or in Urbana, IL?
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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Urbana, IL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Toronto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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