Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Walnut Creek, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Toronto: $2,561 a month against $3,696 in Walnut Creek, CA, rent and utilities included – about $13,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index
180

Cost of Living Index in Walnut Creek, CA
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Walnut Creek, CA Living Index

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,561

/mo nomad

Walnut Creek, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,696

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,561 in Toronto versus $3,696 in Walnut Creek, CA.

Toronto $2,561
Walnut Creek, CA $3,696

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,694 in Toronto versus $5,404 in Walnut Creek, CA.

Toronto $3,694
Walnut Creek, CA $5,404

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,826 in Toronto versus $7,112 in Walnut Creek, CA.

Toronto $4,826
Walnut Creek, CA $7,112

Living in Toronto costs roughly 31% less than in Walnut Creek, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toronto 90% above, Walnut Creek, CA 174% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.18 CA$24.29

$20.05 $20.05

-14.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 CA$107

$91.6 $91.6

-17.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.89

$15.07 $15.07

-30.06%

Cappuccino

$4.02 CA$5.68

$5.58 $5.58

-27.96%

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

$2.12 CA$3.00

$2.92 $2.92

-27.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 CA$2.48

$2.29 $2.29

-23.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.24 CA$8.83

$7.98 $7.98

-21.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.09 CA$10.02

$7.81 $7.81

-9.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 CA$3.45

$1.38 $1.38

76.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 CA$3.78

$3.80 $3.80

-29.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 CA$3.17

$3.36 $3.36

-33.33%

Eggs

$3.56 CA$5.03

$5.66 $5.66

-37.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.09 CA$12.85

$25.93 $25.93

-64.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.33 CA$16.01

$18.63 $18.63

-39.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.53 CA$20.55

$22.55 $22.55

-35.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 CA$5.12

$8.00 $8.00

-54.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$2.13 $2.13

-43.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.60 CA$5.09

$3.35 $3.35

7.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.96

$6.64 $6.64

-36.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.53

$1.12 $1.12

59.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 CA$2.25

$3.01 $3.01

-47.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$2.57 $2.57

-11.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 CA$1.77

$2.95 $2.95

-57.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 CA$19.53

$11.70 $11.70

18.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.27 CA$20.18

$20.13 $20.13

-29.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 CA$3.10

$1.70 $1.70

29.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 CA$3.44

$2.30 $2.30

5.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.39 CA$3.38

$6.32 $6.32

-62.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 CA$157

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 CA$4.12

$3.17 $3.17

-8.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 CA$1.69

$2.36 $2.36

-49.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.38 CA$30.23

$40.60 $40.60

-47.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.71

$1.55 $1.55

-21.94%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$37.7K $37.7K

-25.28%

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

$20.3K CA$28.6K

$25.8K $25.8K

-21.61%

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

$120 CA$170

$186 $186

-35.14%

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

$32.26 CA$45.60

$77.3 $77.3

-58.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.93 CA$67.8

$68.4 $68.4

-29.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.48 CA$54.4

$87.6 $87.6

-56.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.96 CA$32.46

$15.24 $15.24

50.66%

Cinema Ticket

$12.38 CA$17.50

$15.22 $15.22

-18.66%

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

$830 CA$1,173

$2,250 $2,250

-63.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K CA$32.6K

$36.8K $36.8K

-37.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.7 CA$71.7

$70.5 $70.5

-28.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.02 CA$56.6

$62.6 $62.6

-36.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 CA$139

$106 $106

-7.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 CA$171

$201 $201

-40.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,592 CA$2,251

$2,324 $2,324

-31.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,410 CA$1,994

$2,126 $2,126

-33.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,670 CA$3,775

$4,431 $4,431

-39.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,152 CA$3,042

$3,527 $3,527

-38.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,945 CA$11.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,542 CA$9,249

$6,539 $6,539

0.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,727 CA$5,269

$6,693 $6,693

-44.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

6.58

-32.07%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 12, 2026

Last update for Walnut Creek, CA: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 55.1%

Walnut Creek, CA

$2.1K 57.5% 50.7% $715

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$340 13.3%

Walnut Creek, CA

$534 14.5% 57.2% $194

Eating Out

Toronto

$278 10.9%

Walnut Creek, CA

$349 9.4% 25.4% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$201 7.8%

Walnut Creek, CA

$331 9% 65.2% $131

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$139 5.4%

Walnut Creek, CA

$198 5.4% 42.2% $59

Getting Around

Toronto

$129 5.1%

Walnut Creek, CA

$40 * 1.1% 68.9% $89

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$63 2.5%

Walnut Creek, CA

$118 3.2% 86.7% $55

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 $1,592 in Toronto and $2,324 in Walnut Creek, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Walnut Creek, CA pays 80% 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: $76.0 in Toronto vs $92.0 in Walnut Creek, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 vs $534 per month, with Toronto cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇺🇸 Walnut Creek, CA

🕒 Local time

10:16 10:16 AM

07:16 7:16 AM

3 h behind Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

70,166

💱 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 18, 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Toronto Walnut Creek, CA 3,610 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Toronto
Walnut Creek, 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 Walnut Creek, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Toronto is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 44% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 80% lower in Walnut Creek, 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: $1,592 in Toronto versus $2,324 in Walnut Creek, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $830 in Toronto versus $2,250 in Walnut Creek, 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 $76.0 versus $92.0 in Walnut Creek, 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 Walnut Creek, 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 44% less than in Walnut Creek, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.