Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Varanasi and Toronto

For one person, living is cheaper in Varanasi: $289 a month against $2,561 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $27,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

14

Cost of Living Index in Varanasi
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Varanasi Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index

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Varanasi

🇮🇳 India

$289

/mo nomad

Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,561

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $289 in Varanasi versus $2,561 in Toronto.

Varanasi $289
Toronto $2,561

Estimated couple costs with rent: $476 in Varanasi versus $3,694 in Toronto.

Varanasi $476
Toronto $3,694

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $663 in Varanasi versus $4,826 in Toronto.

Varanasi $663
Toronto $4,826

Living in Varanasi costs roughly 89% less than in Toronto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Varanasi is 79% below, Toronto is 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.82 ₹173

$17.18 CA$24.29

-89.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$7.99 ₹759

$76.0 CA$107

-89.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.10 ₹295

$10.54 CA$14.89

-70.59%

Cappuccino

$1.57 ₹149

$4.02 CA$5.68

-60.95%

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

$0.41 ₹39.31

$2.12 CA$3.00

-80.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.11 ₹10.47

$1.75 CA$2.48

-93.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.60 ₹152

$6.24 CA$8.83

-74.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 ₹194

$7.09 CA$10.02

-71.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.62 ₹58.5

$2.44 CA$3.45

-74.59%

White Bread (500g)

$0.31 ₹29.90

$2.68 CA$3.78

-88.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.53 ₹50.5

$2.24 CA$3.17

-76.34%

Eggs

$0.81 ₹77.3

$3.56 CA$5.03

-77.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.20 ₹304

$9.09 CA$12.85

-64.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.19 ₹208

$11.33 CA$16.01

-80.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.53 CA$20.55

Apples (1kg)

$1.40 ₹133

$3.62 CA$5.12

-61.33%

Banana (1kg)

$0.60 ₹57.3

$1.21 CA$1.72

-50.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.87 ₹82.7

$3.60 CA$5.09

-75.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.32 ₹30.20

$4.21 CA$5.96

-92.40%

Potato (1kg)

$0.23 ₹21.68

$1.79 CA$2.53

-87.15%

Onion (1kg)

$0.25 ₹23.77

$1.59 CA$2.25

-84.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 ₹42.08

$2.27 CA$3.21

-80.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 ₹26.68

$1.25 CA$1.77

-77.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.19 ₹303

$13.82 CA$19.53

-76.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.83 ₹553

$14.27 CA$20.18

-59.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ₹150

$2.20 CA$3.10

-28.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 ₹178

$2.43 CA$3.44

-23.05%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$4.19 ₹398

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 ₹50.7

$2.39 CA$3.38

-77.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.63 ₹914

$111 CA$157

-91.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.26 ₹24.88

$2.91 CA$4.12

-91.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.10 ₹9.62

$1.20 CA$1.69

-91.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 ₹96.9

$21.38 CA$30.23

-95.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 ₹100

$1.21 CA$1.71

-13.22%

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

$12.5K ₹1.2M

$28.2K CA$39.8K

-55.57%

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

$21.8K ₹2.1M

$20.3K CA$28.6K

7.59%

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

$12.47 ₹1,185

$120 CA$170

-89.64%

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

$3.66 ₹348

$32.26 CA$45.60

-88.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.98 ₹663

$47.93 CA$67.8

-85.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.63 ₹1,199

$38.48 CA$54.4

-67.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.96 CA$32.46

Cinema Ticket

$2.86 ₹271

$12.38 CA$17.50

-76.90%

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

$38.92 ₹3,696

$830 CA$1,173

-95.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,003 ₹95.2K

$23.1K CA$32.6K

-95.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.70 ₹2,156

$50.7 CA$71.7

-55.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.30 ₹2,403

$40.02 CA$56.6

-36.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$37.80 ₹3,589

$98.0 CA$139

-61.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$25.24 ₹2,397

$121 CA$171

-79.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$111 ₹10.5K

$1,592 CA$2,251

-93.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$47.37 ₹4,499

$1,410 CA$1,994

-96.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$196 ₹18.6K

$2,670 CA$3,775

-92.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$140 ₹13.3K

$2,152 CA$3,042

-93.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$569 ₹54.0K

$7,945 CA$11.2K

-92.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$333 ₹31.6K

$6,542 CA$9,249

-94.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$578 ₹54.9K

$3,727 CA$5,269

-84.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.53

4.47

90.83%

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

Last update for Varanasi: October 11, 2026

Last update for Toronto: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Varanasi

$81 27.9%

Toronto

$340 13.3% 322% $259

Eating Out

Varanasi

$57 19.7%

Toronto

$278 10.9% 390% $221

Clothing & Footwear

Varanasi

$50 17.3%

Toronto

$139 5.4% 179% $89

Accommodation & Living

Varanasi

$47 16.4%

Toronto

$1.4K 55.1% 2877% $1.4K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Varanasi

$23 8%

Toronto

$201 7.8% 767% $177

Sport & Entertainment

Varanasi

$18 6.4%

Toronto

$63 2.5% 245% $45

Getting Around

Varanasi

$13 4.3%

Toronto

$129 5.1% 933% $117

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $111 in Varanasi and $1,592 in Toronto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toronto pays 545% 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: $8.00 in Varanasi vs $76.0 in Toronto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $81.0 vs $340 per month, with Varanasi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Varanasi

🇨🇦 Toronto

🕒 Local time

08:24 8:24 AM

22:54 10:54 PM

9 h 30 min behind Varanasi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,100,000

2,731,571

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

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).

USD to INR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Varanasi Toronto 12,140 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Varanasi
Toronto

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

Varanasi vs Toronto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Varanasi is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 787% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 545% lower in Toronto. 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: $111 in Varanasi versus $1,592 in Toronto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 322% higher in Toronto. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Varanasi – a meal for two runs $8.00 versus $76.0 in Toronto. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $289 in Varanasi versus $2,561 in Toronto, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Varanasi but tight or insufficient in Toronto. The gap between the two cities makes Varanasi 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.

Expats usually find Varanasi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 787% less than in Toronto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.