Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Wausau, WI

For one person, living is cheaper in Wausau, WI: $1,726 a month against $2,530 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 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
85

Cost of Living Index in Wausau, WI
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Wausau, WI Living Index

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,530

/mo nomad

Wausau, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$1,726

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toronto and in Wausau, WI

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,530 in Toronto versus $1,726 in Wausau, WI.

Toronto $2,530
Wausau, WI $1,726

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,646 in Toronto versus $2,735 in Wausau, WI.

Toronto $3,646
Wausau, WI $2,735

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,761 in Toronto versus $3,743 in Wausau, WI.

Toronto $4,761
Wausau, WI $3,743

Living in Toronto is roughly 47% more expensive than in Wausau, WI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toronto 89% above, Wausau, WI 29% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.67 CA$25.19

$19.87 $19.87

-11.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.4 CA$110

$75.2 $75.2

2.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.47 CA$14.93

$8.71 $8.71

20.21%

Cappuccino

$4.08 CA$5.82

$4.85 $4.85

-15.88%

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

$2.12 CA$3.02

$2.82 $2.82

-24.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 CA$2.51

$1.94 $1.94

-9.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.17 CA$8.80

$5.62 $5.62

9.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.89 CA$9.83

$5.42 $5.42

27.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.43 CA$3.47

$0.85 $0.85

185.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 CA$3.92

$2.84 $2.84

-3.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 CA$3.18

$5.26 $5.26

-57.60%

Eggs

$3.45 CA$4.91

$4.66 $4.66

-25.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.93 CA$12.74

$8.62 $8.62

3.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.44 CA$16.31

$6.80 $6.80

68.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.61 CA$20.83

$13.53 $13.53

7.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 CA$5.34

$4.17 $4.17

-10.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 CA$1.64

$1.53 $1.53

-24.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.55 CA$5.06

$4.02 $4.02

-11.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.28 CA$6.11

$4.10 $4.10

4.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 CA$2.63

$1.86 $1.86

-0.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 CA$2.38

$2.44 $2.44

-31.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 CA$3.16

$2.25 $2.25

-1.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$0.99 $0.99

22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.88 CA$19.79

$8.60 $8.60

61.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 CA$20.32

$8.92 $8.92

59.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 CA$3.13

$1.95 $1.95

12.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 CA$3.45

$2.20 $2.20

10.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 CA$3.45

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 CA$158

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.90 CA$4.13

$2.76 $2.76

5.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 CA$1.80

$1.58 $1.58

-20.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.03 CA$31.41

$20.77 $20.77

6.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.74

$0.81 $0.81

50.62%

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

$27.6K CA$39.4K

$36.3K $36.3K

-23.95%

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

$19.8K CA$28.3K

$25.0K $25.0K

-20.58%

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

$122 CA$174

$157 $157

-22.53%

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

$32.03 CA$45.67

$68.3 $68.3

-53.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.92 CA$68.3

$71.5 $71.5

-32.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.90 CA$55.5

$30.56 $30.56

27.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.24 CA$33.13

Cinema Ticket

$12.61 CA$17.98

$5.93 $5.93

112.65%

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

$834 CA$1,189

$1,806 $1,806

-53.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K CA$33.3K

$24.6K $24.6K

-5.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 CA$75.0

$24.53 $24.53

114.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.26 CA$57.4

$40.50 $40.50

-0.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 CA$137

$65.8 $65.8

46.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 CA$175

$83.5 $83.5

47.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 CA$2,279

$928 $928

72.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,435 CA$2,046

$698 $698

105.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,657 CA$3,788

$1,565 $1,565

69.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 CA$2,989

$1,398 $1,398

49.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,033 CA$11.5K

$1,662 $1,662

383.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,557 CA$9,350

$1,714 $1,714

282.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,743 CA$5,337

$3,486 $3,486

7.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

6.65

-32.78%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 4, 2026

Last update for Wausau, WI: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 55.4%

Wausau, WI

$698 39.8% 51.4% $737

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$340 13.1%

Wausau, WI

$307 17.5% 9.7% $33

Eating Out

Toronto

$282 10.9%

Wausau, WI

$301 17.2% 6.9% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$202 7.8%

Wausau, WI

$297 17% 47.2% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$140 5.4%

Wausau, WI

$96 5.5% 31.3% $44

Getting Around

Toronto

$130 5%

Wausau, WI

$11 * 0.6% 91.8% $119

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$64 2.5%

Wausau, WI

$42 2.4% 33.8% $22

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 $928 in Wausau, WI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toronto pays 7% 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 $75.0 in Wausau, WI for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 vs $307 per month, with Wausau, WI cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇺🇸 Wausau, WI

🕒 Local time

13:17 1:17 PM

12:17 12:17 PM

1 h behind Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

38,435

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.701 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 12, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.701 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Toronto Wausau, WI 830 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Toronto
Wausau, WI

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 Wausau, WI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wausau, WI is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. The 47% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 7% 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 $928 in Wausau, WI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $834 in Toronto versus $1,806 in Wausau, WI. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Wausau, WI – a meal for two runs $75.0 versus $77.0 in Toronto. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,726 in Wausau, WI versus $2,530 in Toronto, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Wausau, WI but tight or insufficient in Toronto. The gap between the two cities makes Wausau, WI 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 Wausau, WI 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 Wausau, WI gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Toronto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.