Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Urbandale, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Urbandale, IA: $2,310 a month against $2,610 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index
113

Cost of Living Index in Urbandale, IA
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Urbandale, IA Living Index

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,610

/mo nomad

Urbandale, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,310

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toronto and in Urbandale, IA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,610 in Toronto versus $2,310 in Urbandale, IA.

Toronto $2,610
Urbandale, IA $2,310

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,727 in Toronto versus $3,374 in Urbandale, IA.

Toronto $3,727
Urbandale, IA $3,374

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,844 in Toronto versus $4,437 in Urbandale, IA.

Toronto $4,844
Urbandale, IA $4,437

Living in Toronto is roughly 13% more expensive than in Urbandale, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toronto 93% above, Urbandale, IA 70% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 CA$24.87

$14.86 $14.86

18.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.8 CA$111

$50.9 $50.9

54.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 CA$15.16

$9.96 $9.96

7.73%

Cappuccino

$4.09 CA$5.78

$4.97 $4.97

-17.71%

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

$2.10 CA$2.97

$1.21 $1.21

73.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 CA$2.43

$0.99 $0.99

73.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.36 CA$8.99

$5.15 $5.15

23.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.08 CA$10.01

$7.58 $7.58

-6.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.54 CA$3.59

$1.01 $1.01

151.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 CA$3.85

$3.25 $3.25

-16.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 CA$3.09

$3.84 $3.84

-43.23%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.13

$2.05 $2.05

77.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.46 CA$13.37

$14.07 $14.07

-32.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 CA$16.32

$9.88 $9.88

16.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.37 CA$20.32

$13.88 $13.88

3.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 CA$5.23

$3.21 $3.21

15.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 CA$1.68

$1.61 $1.61

-26.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.46 CA$4.90

$3.47 $3.47

-0.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.22 CA$5.97

$3.29 $3.29

28.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.52

$3.09 $3.09

-42.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 CA$2.33

$3.37 $3.37

-51.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 CA$3.11

$2.14 $2.14

2.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 CA$1.78

$2.10 $2.10

-40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.97 CA$19.75

$8.16 $8.16

71.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.20 CA$20.07

$12.04 $12.04

17.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 CA$3.18

$1.82 $1.82

23.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 CA$3.58

$1.87 $1.87

35.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$2.05 $2.05

13.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 CA$158

$66.0 $66.0

69.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 CA$4.33

$2.46 $2.46

24.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 CA$1.72

$1.20 $1.20

1.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.69 CA$30.66

$60.2 $60.2

-63.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$0.98 $0.98

23.47%

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

$26.1K CA$37.0K

$34.6K $34.6K

-24.37%

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

$21.1K CA$29.9K

$25.6K $25.6K

-17.55%

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

$120 CA$169

$140 $140

-14.36%

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

$32.21 CA$45.54

$14.79 $14.79

117.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.88 CA$69.1

$25.01 $25.01

95.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.34 CA$55.6

$35.57 $35.57

10.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.58 CA$33.34

$20.34 $20.34

15.93%

Cinema Ticket

$12.58 CA$17.79

$14.81 $14.81

-15.06%

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

$832 CA$1,176

$1,164 $1,164

-28.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K CA$33.4K

$20.7K $20.7K

14.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 CA$73.9

$61.3 $61.3

-14.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.44 CA$55.8

$21.96 $21.96

79.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.0 CA$140

$45.54 $45.54

117.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 CA$172

$75.1 $75.1

62.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,631 CA$2,306

$933 $933

74.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,448 CA$2,048

$1,290 $1,290

12.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,737 CA$3,869

$1,237 $1,237

121.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,129 CA$3,010

$2,164 $2,164

-1.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,206 CA$11.6K

$2,777 $2,777

195.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,838 CA$9,666

$2,710 $2,710

152.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,520 CA$4,976

$3,637 $3,637

-3.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

6.56

-31.86%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 18, 2026

Last update for Urbandale, IA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 55.5%

Urbandale, IA

$1.3K 55.9% 10.9% $158

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$343 13.1%

Urbandale, IA

$342 14.8% 0.2% $0.7

Eating Out

Toronto

$283 10.9%

Urbandale, IA

$258 11.2% 8.8% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$201 7.7%

Urbandale, IA

$179 7.8% 10.6% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$141 5.4%

Urbandale, IA

$92 4% 34.8% $49

Getting Around

Toronto

$130 5%

Urbandale, IA

$83 3.6% 36.4% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$65 2.5%

Urbandale, IA

$65 2.8% 1.1% $0.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,631 in Toronto and $933 in Urbandale, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Urbandale, IA pays 3% 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 $51.0 in Urbandale, IA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $343 vs $342 per month, with Urbandale, IA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇺🇸 Urbandale, IA

🕒 Local time

21:30 9:30 PM

20:30 8:30 PM

1 h behind Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

45,580

💱 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 21, 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 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Between locations

Toronto Urbandale, IA 1,190 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Toronto
Urbandale, IA

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 Urbandale, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Urbandale, IA is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 3% lower in Urbandale, IA. 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 $933 in Urbandale, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% higher in Toronto. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Urbandale, IA – a meal for two runs $51.0 versus $79.0 in Toronto. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,310 in Urbandale, IA versus $2,610 in Toronto, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Urbandale, IA but tight or insufficient in Toronto. The gap between the two cities makes Urbandale, IA 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.

Safety-wise, Toronto and Urbandale, IA 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 Urbandale, IA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Toronto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.