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AverageCostOfLiving

Toronto vs Vancouver — Cost of Living Compared

Side-by-side prices for rent, groceries, transport, utilities, and salaries. Toronto is roughly 6% cheaper for a single person per month.

Headline numbers

Metric Toronto Vancouver
Monthly cost (single) $2,022 $2,149
Monthly cost (family of 4) $3,984 $4,882
Rent · 1bd centre $1,649 $1,934
Rent · 1bd outside $1,453 $1,623
Rent · 3bd centre $2,716 $3,657
Groceries (monthly, 1p) $82 $96
Utilities (electric + internet + mobile) $231 $182
Transit pass (monthly) $114 $82
Average net salary $3,655 $3,574
Cost-of-living index 46 48.8
On this page 3 sections
Section Description
Cities Snapshot of both cities side by side.
Headline numbers Monthly cost, rent, groceries, transit, salary.
Detailed comparison Item-by-item across every category.

Detailed comparison

Item-by-item, across every category in our basket.

Housing

1 Bedroom Apartment in City Centre $1,649 $1,934
1 Bedroom Apartment Outside of City Centre $1,453 $1,623
3 Bedroom Apartment in City Centre $2,716 $3,657
3 Bedroom Apartment Outside of City Centre $2,250 $2,702
Price per Square Meter to Buy Apartment in City Centre $8,590 $9,233
Price per Square Meter to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre $6,867 $7,010

Food & Groceries

Milk (Regular, 1 Liter) $2.80 $2.12
Fresh White Bread (500 g Loaf) $2.95 $2.76
White Rice (1 kg) $2.68 $4.51
Eggs (12, Large Size) $3.62 $4.13
Local Cheese (1 kg) $11 $13
Chicken Fillets (1 kg) $13 $14
Beef Round or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat (1 kg) $16 $16
Apples (1 kg) $3.78 $4.19
Bananas (1 kg) $1.30 $1.40
Oranges (1 kg) $3.51 $4.03
Tomatoes (1 kg) $3.72 $4.73
Potatoes (1 kg) $1.86 $2.93
Onions (1 kg) $1.35 $2.88
Lettuce (1 Head) $2.32 $2.77
Bottled Water (1.5 Liter) $1.83 $1.92
Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) $14 $15
Domestic Beer (0.5 Liter Bottle) $2.44 $3.14
Imported Beer (0.33 Liter Bottle) $3.00 $3.60
Cigarettes (Pack of 20, Marlboro) $15 $16

Transportation

One-Way Ticket (Local Transport) $2.45 $2.51
Monthly Public Transport Pass (Regular Price) $114 $82
Taxi Start (Standard Tariff) $3.11 $2.93
Taxi 1 km (Standard Tariff) $1.28 $1.67
Taxi 1 Hour Waiting (Standard Tariff) $23 $33
Gasoline (1 Liter) $1.05 $1.26
Volkswagen Golf 1.5 (or Equivalent New Compact Car) $27,859 $28,949
Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6 (or Equivalent New Mid-Size Car) $21,036 $21,238

Utilities

Basic Utilities for 85 m2 Apartment (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) $142 $90
Mobile Phone Plan (Monthly, with Calls and 10GB+ Data) $37 $39
Broadband Internet (Unlimited Data, 60 Mbps or Higher) $52 $53

Childcare

Private Full-Day Preschool or Kindergarten, Monthly Fee per Child $920 $1,150
International Primary School, Annual Tuition per Child $21,281 $21,391

Education

Private Full-Day Preschool or Kindergarten, Monthly Fee per Child $920 $1,150
International Primary School, Annual Tuition per Child $21,281 $21,391

Clothing & Shoes

Jeans (Levi's 501 or Similar) $60 $63
Summer Dress in a Chain Store (e.g. Zara or H&M) $44 $45
Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) $97 $92
Men's Leather Business Shoes $127 $117

Sports & Leisure

Monthly Fitness Club Membership $55 $43
Tennis Court Rental (1 Hour, Weekend) $22 $17
Cinema Ticket (International Release) $14 $12

Restaurants

Meal at an Inexpensive Restaurant $18 $22
Meal for Two at a Mid-Range Restaurant (Three Courses, Without Drinks) $88 $88
Combo Meal at McDonald's (or Equivalent Fast-Food Meal) $12 $11
Domestic Draft Beer (0.5 Liter) $6.58 $5.85
Imported Beer (0.33 Liter Bottle) $7.31 $6.58
Cappuccino (Regular Size) $4.11 $4.22
Soft Drink (Coca-Cola or Pepsi, 0.33 Liter Bottle) $2.12 $2.18
Bottled Water (0.33 Liter) $1.79 $1.72

Salaries

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) $3,655 $3,574
Annual Mortgage Interest Rate (20-Year Fixed, in %) $4.46 $4.39

Green = cheaper; red = more expensive. Salaries displayed in net monthly USD. See methodology for how categories are normalized.