Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Victoria

For one person, living is cheaper in Victoria: $2,017 a month against $2,530 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 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
97

Cost of Living Index in Victoria
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Victoria Living Index

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,530

/mo nomad

Victoria

🇸🇨 Seychelles

$2,017

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toronto and in Victoria

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,530 in Toronto versus $2,017 in Victoria.

Toronto $2,530
Victoria $2,017

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,646 in Toronto versus $3,144 in Victoria.

Toronto $3,646
Victoria $3,144

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,761 in Toronto versus $4,271 in Victoria.

Toronto $4,761
Victoria $4,271

Living in Toronto is roughly 25% more expensive than in Victoria, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toronto 89% above, Victoria 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.67 CA$25.19

$17.68 SCR 256

-0.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.4 CA$110

$50.5 SCR 731

53.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.47 CA$14.93

$12.40 SCR 180

-15.56%

Cappuccino

$4.08 CA$5.81

$3.98 SCR 57.7

2.51%

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

$2.12 CA$3.02

$2.33 SCR 33.72

-9.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 CA$2.51

$2.57 SCR 37.20

-31.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.17 CA$8.80

$4.08 SCR 59.1

51.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.89 CA$9.82

$4.02 SCR 58.2

71.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.43 CA$3.46

$1.86 SCR 26.93

30.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 CA$3.92

$1.78 SCR 25.75

54.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 CA$3.18

$2.62 SCR 37.90

-14.89%

Eggs

$3.45 CA$4.91

$3.69 SCR 53.4

-6.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.93 CA$12.73

$31.07 SCR 450

-71.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.44 CA$16.31

$6.12 SCR 88.7

86.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.61 CA$20.83

$12.47 SCR 181

17.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 CA$5.34

$2.29 SCR 33.17

63.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 CA$1.64

$2.75 SCR 39.85

-58.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.55 CA$5.06

$2.40 SCR 34.74

47.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.28 CA$6.10

$6.06 SCR 87.7

-29.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 CA$2.63

$1.91 SCR 27.60

-3.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 CA$2.38

$1.84 SCR 26.57

-9.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 CA$3.16

$1.48 SCR 21.36

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$1.34 SCR 19.34

-9.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.88 CA$19.78

$24.31 SCR 352

-42.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 CA$20.31

$10.15 SCR 147

40.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 CA$3.13

$4.26 SCR 61.7

-48.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 CA$3.45

$5.58 SCR 80.7

-56.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 CA$3.44

$0.73 SCR 10.56

231.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 CA$158

$32.68 SCR 473

238.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.90 CA$4.13

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 CA$1.80

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.03 CA$31.40

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.74

$1.64 SCR 23.70

-25.61%

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

$27.6K CA$39.4K

$26.9K SCR 388.9K

2.87%

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

$19.8K CA$28.3K

$32.7K SCR 473.3K

-39.36%

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

$122 CA$174

$138 SCR 1,993

-11.44%

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

$32.03 CA$45.66

$41.62 SCR 603

-23.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.92 CA$68.3

$136 SCR 1,972

-64.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.90 CA$55.5

$76.7 SCR 1,111

-49.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.24 CA$33.12

$7.95 SCR 115

192.33%

Cinema Ticket

$12.61 CA$17.97

$6.96 SCR 101

81.18%

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

$834 CA$1,189

$141 SCR 2,036

493.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K CA$33.3K

$8,597 SCR 124.5K

171.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 CA$75.0

$36.66 SCR 531

43.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.26 CA$57.4

$24.11 SCR 349

66.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 CA$137

$88.0 SCR 1,274

9.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 CA$175

$99.1 SCR 1,434

24.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 CA$2,278

$959 SCR 13.9K

66.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,435 CA$2,045

$787 SCR 11.4K

82.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,657 CA$3,787

$2,261 SCR 32.7K

17.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 CA$2,988

$1,756 SCR 25.4K

19.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,033 CA$11.5K

$442 SCR 6,400

1717.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,557 CA$9,347

$1,145 SCR 16.6K

472.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,743 CA$5,335

$956 SCR 13.8K

291.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

-62.75%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 4, 2026

Last update for Victoria: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 55.4%

Victoria

$787 39.5% 45.2% $648

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$340 13.1%

Victoria

$375 18.8% 10.2% $35

Eating Out

Toronto

$282 10.9%

Victoria

$274 13.8% 2.6% $7.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$202 7.8%

Victoria

$315 15.9% 56.3% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$140 5.4%

Victoria

$112 5.6% 20.6% $29

Getting Around

Toronto

$130 5%

Victoria

$36 * 1.8% 72.5% $94

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$64 2.5%

Victoria

$91 4.6% 41.3% $27

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 $959 in Victoria. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toronto pays 292% 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: $77.0 in Toronto vs $50.0 in Victoria. Groceries flip the comparison at $340 vs $375, with Toronto cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇸🇨 Victoria

🕒 Local time

08:14 8:14 AM

16:14 4:14 PM

8 h ahead of Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

26,450 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Seychellois Rupee SCR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

100 SCR = 6.91 USD

100 SCR = 6.16 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SCR, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

Seychellois Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 14.48 SCR (100 SCR = 6.91 USD). 1 EUR = 16.23 SCR (100 SCR = 6.16 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Toronto Victoria 13,830 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Toronto
Victoria

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 Victoria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Victoria is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and transport. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 292% higher in Toronto, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,598 in Toronto versus $959 in Victoria. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Toronto pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Victoria – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $77.0 in Toronto. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,017 in Victoria versus $2,530 in Toronto, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Victoria but tight or insufficient in Toronto. The gap between the two cities makes Victoria 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 Victoria 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 Victoria gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Toronto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.