Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Waukegan, IL

For one person, living costs are similar in Toronto and in Waukegan, IL: $2,610 and $2,588 a month, rent and utilities included.

126

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Waukegan, IL
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Waukegan, IL Living Index

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,610

/mo nomad

Waukegan, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,588

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,610 in Toronto versus $2,588 in Waukegan, IL.

Toronto $2,610
Waukegan, IL $2,588

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,727 in Toronto versus $3,760 in Waukegan, IL.

Toronto $3,727
Waukegan, IL $3,760

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,844 in Toronto versus $4,931 in Waukegan, IL.

Toronto $4,844
Waukegan, IL $4,931

Living in Toronto is roughly 1% more expensive than in Waukegan, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toronto 93% above, Waukegan, IL 91% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 CA$24.87

$18.80 $18.80

-6.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.8 CA$111

$73.9 $73.9

6.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 CA$15.16

$11.09 $11.09

-3.25%

Cappuccino

$4.09 CA$5.78

$5.04 $5.04

-18.85%

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

$2.10 CA$2.97

$2.47 $2.47

-14.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 CA$2.43

$1.95 $1.95

-11.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.36 CA$8.99

$6.12 $6.12

3.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.08 CA$10.01

$7.15 $7.15

-0.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.54 CA$3.59

$1.01 $1.01

151.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 CA$3.85

$3.44 $3.44

-20.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 CA$3.09

$4.19 $4.19

-47.97%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.13

$4.06 $4.06

-10.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.46 CA$13.37

$12.46 $12.46

-24.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 CA$16.32

$11.48 $11.48

0.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.37 CA$20.32

$15.19 $15.19

-5.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 CA$5.23

$4.94 $4.94

-25.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 CA$1.68

$1.56 $1.56

-23.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.46 CA$4.90

$4.15 $4.15

-16.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.22 CA$5.97

$4.60 $4.60

-8.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.52

$2.77 $2.77

-35.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 CA$2.33

$2.86 $2.86

-42.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 CA$3.11

$2.02 $2.02

8.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 CA$1.78

$2.08 $2.08

-39.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.97 CA$19.75

$9.56 $9.56

46.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.20 CA$20.07

$13.83 $13.83

2.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 CA$3.18

$1.77 $1.77

27.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 CA$3.58

$3.28 $3.28

-22.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$1.96 $1.96

18.37%

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

$1.58 $1.58

-22.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.69 CA$30.66

$28.94 $28.94

-25.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$0.91 $0.91

32.97%

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

$26.1K CA$37.0K

$29.7K $29.7K

-12.13%

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

$21.1K CA$29.9K

$25.6K $25.6K

-17.48%

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

$120 CA$169

$188 $188

-36.48%

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

$32.21 CA$45.54

$51.9 $51.9

-37.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.88 CA$69.1

$66.3 $66.3

-26.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.34 CA$55.6

$42.42 $42.42

-7.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.58 CA$33.34

Cinema Ticket

$12.58 CA$17.79

$13.37 $13.37

-5.91%

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

$832 CA$1,176

$1,314 $1,314

-36.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K CA$33.4K

$23.5K $23.5K

0.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 CA$73.9

$51.5 $51.5

1.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.44 CA$55.8

$40.19 $40.19

-1.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.0 CA$140

$87.5 $87.5

13.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 CA$172

$114 $114

6.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,631 CA$2,306

$1,631 $1,631

0.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,448 CA$2,048

$1,373 $1,373

5.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,737 CA$3,869

$2,587 $2,587

5.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,129 CA$3,010

$2,235 $2,235

-4.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,206 CA$11.6K

$2,798 $2,798

193.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,838 CA$9,666

$2,430 $2,430

181.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,520 CA$4,976

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

6.51

-31.34%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 18, 2026

Last update for Waukegan, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 55.5%

Waukegan, IL

$1.4K 53.1% 5.2% $75

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$343 13.1%

Waukegan, IL

$382 14.7% 11.3% $39

Eating Out

Toronto

$283 10.9%

Waukegan, IL

$307 11.9% 8.3% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$201 7.7%

Waukegan, IL

$306 11.8% 52.7% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$141 5.4%

Waukegan, IL

$132 5.1% 6.2% $8.7

Getting Around

Toronto

$130 5%

Waukegan, IL

$19 * 0.7% 85.2% $111

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$65 2.5%

Waukegan, IL

$69 2.7% 7.2% $4.7

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 $1,631 in Waukegan, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $79.0 in Toronto vs $74.0 in Waukegan, IL. Groceries flip the comparison at $343 vs $382, with Toronto cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇺🇸 Waukegan, IL

🕒 Local time

01:18 1:18 AM

00:18 12:18 AM

1 h behind Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

89,321

💱 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

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Between locations

Toronto Waukegan, IL 700 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Toronto
Waukegan, 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 Waukegan, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Waukegan, IL is cheaper overall, especially in clothing and transport. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,916 in Toronto and $3,882 in Waukegan, IL to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,631 in Toronto versus $1,631 in Waukegan, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $832 in Toronto versus $1,314 in Waukegan, IL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Waukegan, IL – a meal for two runs $74.0 versus $79.0 in Toronto. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Waukegan, IL 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.

Expats usually find Waukegan, IL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Toronto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.