Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Toronto

For one person, living is cheaper in Toronto: $2,589 a month against $2,725 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,725

/mo nomad

Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,589

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Toronto

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Vancouver and in Toronto actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,725 in Vancouver versus $2,589 in Toronto.

Vancouver $2,725
Toronto $2,589

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,039 in Vancouver versus $3,710 in Toronto.

Vancouver $4,039
Toronto $3,710

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,352 in Vancouver versus $4,831 in Toronto.

Vancouver $5,352
Toronto $4,831

Living in Vancouver is roughly 5% more expensive than in Toronto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 100% above, Toronto 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.65 CA$24.77

$17.60 CA$24.70

0.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.4 CA$102

$77.8 CA$109

-6.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.84 CA$15.21

$10.59 CA$14.86

2.36%

Cappuccino

$3.91 CA$5.49

$4.16 CA$5.83

-6.01%

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

$2.10 CA$2.95

$2.04 CA$2.87

2.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 CA$2.30

$1.75 CA$2.46

-6.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 CA$8.06

$6.58 CA$9.23

-12.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.36 CA$8.93

$7.11 CA$9.98

-10.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CA$3.10

$2.53 CA$3.56

-12.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 CA$3.71

$2.70 CA$3.79

-2.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.68 CA$6.56

$2.24 CA$3.14

108.93%

Eggs

$4.24 CA$5.95

$3.48 CA$4.89

21.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.92 CA$16.73

$9.38 CA$13.16

27.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.12 CA$18.42

$11.60 CA$16.28

13.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.40 CA$28.63

$14.68 CA$20.61

38.96%

Apples (1kg)

$4.10 CA$5.76

$3.74 CA$5.26

9.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.93

$1.22 CA$1.72

13.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.83 CA$5.37

$3.48 CA$4.88

10.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 CA$5.50

$4.32 CA$6.07

-9.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 CA$3.89

$1.85 CA$2.60

49.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.84 CA$3.98

$1.69 CA$2.37

68.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 CA$3.65

$2.23 CA$3.13

16.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CA$2.24

$1.28 CA$1.79

24.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.87 CA$22.27

$14.04 CA$19.71

13.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.00 CA$19.64

$14.43 CA$20.25

-2.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 CA$3.61

$2.16 CA$3.03

18.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 CA$4.23

$2.52 CA$3.54

19.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.59

$2.37 CA$3.32

7.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.1 CA$118

$112 CA$158

-25.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 CA$3.74

$3.04 CA$4.27

-12.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 CA$2.22

$1.24 CA$1.74

27.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.19 CA$45.17

$22.55 CA$31.65

42.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 CA$2.04

$1.24 CA$1.75

16.94%

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

$27.5K CA$38.6K

$26.9K CA$37.8K

2.17%

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

$21.3K CA$29.9K

$21.4K CA$30.0K

-0.29%

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

$82.5 CA$116

$125 CA$175

-33.83%

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

$37.46 CA$52.6

$33.05 CA$46.39

13.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 CA$72.5

$47.96 CA$67.3

7.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.52 CA$56.9

$36.69 CA$51.5

10.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.69 CA$17.81

$23.67 CA$33.22

-46.39%

Cinema Ticket

$12.66 CA$17.77

$13.08 CA$18.35

-3.21%

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

$1,080 CA$1,515

$759 CA$1,065

42.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.1K CA$28.3K

$23.8K CA$33.4K

-15.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$82.0

$53.5 CA$75.1

9.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.10 CA$47.85

$40.44 CA$56.8

-15.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 CA$136

$100 CA$141

-3.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.4 CA$137

$125 CA$176

-22.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,813 CA$2,545

$1,630 CA$2,287

11.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 CA$2,211

$1,416 CA$1,987

11.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,217 CA$4,514

$2,694 CA$3,781

19.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,651 CA$3,721

$2,101 CA$2,949

26.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,590 CA$12.1K

$7,551 CA$10.6K

13.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,649 CA$9,331

$6,674 CA$9,366

-0.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,733 CA$5,239

$3,543 CA$4,973

5.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

4.45

-3.82%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 27, 2026

Last update for Toronto: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.6K 57.8%

Toronto

$1.4K 54.7% 10.1% $160

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$401 14.7%

Toronto

$345 13.3% 14% $56

Eating Out

Vancouver

$277 10.2%

Toronto

$285 11% 2.8% $7.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$172 6.3%

Toronto

$206 7.9% 19.8% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$129 4.7%

Toronto

$144 5.6% 11.4% $15

Getting Around

Vancouver

$105 3.9%

Toronto

$131 5.1% 25% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$66 2.4%

Toronto

$63 2.4% 4.6% $3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,813 in Vancouver and $1,630 in Toronto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 5% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $72 in Vancouver vs $78 in Toronto. Groceries flip the comparison at $401 vs $345, with Toronto cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇨🇦 Toronto

🕒 Local time

15:05 3:05 PM

18:05 6:05 PM

3 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

2,731,571

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Vancouver Toronto 3,360 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Vancouver
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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

Vancouver vs Toronto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Toronto is about 5% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 5% higher in Vancouver, 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: $1,813 in Vancouver versus $1,630 in Toronto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Vancouver. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Vancouver – a meal for two runs $72 versus $78 in Toronto. 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.

For families, Toronto is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Vancouver, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

It comes down to priorities – Toronto wins on affordability, Vancouver on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.