How Much Does It Cost to Live In Toronto?
When people speak about Canada as their future tourist destination or place of relocation, most of them think about the city of Toronto, which is the largest in Canada and the most attractive to both tourists and settlers.
How multicultural this city is proves the fact that almost half of the population in Toronto were born outside Canada.
With Ottawa, it is definitely a place which offers many job opportunities to newcomers.
Canada : Cost of Living by City
- Abbotsford
- Barrie
- Brampton
- Burlington
- Burnaby
- Calgary
- Coquitlam
- Edmonton
- Halifax
- Hamilton
- Kelowna
- Kingston
- Kitchener
- London
- Mississauga
- Moncton
- Montreal
- Nanaimo, BC
- Oshawa
- Ottawa
- Quebec City
- Red Deer
- Regina
- Saskatoon
- St. John’s, NL
- Surrey
- Toronto
- Vancouver
- Victoria
- Windsor
- Winnipeg
RESTAURANTS
Alcohol is important when dining out and do not be surprised if you are asked to paya bottle of beer between $6 and $10, depending on the type of the restaurant you have visited.
Meals can be found at the price of $15 in some inexpensive restaurants, while the more luxurious ones are far too expensive.
MARKETS
Food is expensive here as in whole Canada, but if your laziness does not stop you from preparing food at home, you will be able to save quite a lot of money.
Fresh fruit and vegetable at reasonable prices can be found at the local markets, while large supermarkets offer discounted items.
TRANSPORTATION
In order to make Toronto more affordable for people it is necessary to lower the prices of transportation.
Newcomers cannot provide enough money neither for buying their own vehicle, nor paying all the costs that go with it.
So they need to use public transport system which is pretty expensive.
UTILITIES (MONTHLY)
Standard monthly expenses related to utilities are not so high in Toronto, and are even less expensive than in some other less developed Canadian cities.
Services such as phone, electricity and water cost around $130 per month.
The Internet access is expensive as in the whole country, approximately $50 a month.
SPORTS & LEISURE
Beautiful beaches, parks and marinas allow people to enjoy outdoor activities, thus determining the price of fitness clubs which is not at all low.
Tennis court rents are quite expensive in Toronto, exceeding $20 per hour.
Toronto has to offer many ways of entertainment on a daily basis.
CLOTHING & SHOES
As a newcomer you might think that clothes are rather inexpensive here, due to teh fact that the prices are really lower than in some European countries.
However, if you are earning the minimum wage here, it would be difficult to find anything that will suit your budget.
RENT PER MONTH
Living costs in Toronto are huge as the rents are among the highest in Canada.
If you plan to rent an apartment here, you should be aware that the prices can range from $1200 to $2700, depending on the size and location of it.
Cost of Living Averages Table for Toronto
*Note: All prices are indicated in USD.| Average Restaurant Prices | |
|---|---|
| Meal (Inexpensive Restaurant) | $15.09 |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 Liter) | $5.85 |
| Water (0.33 Liter) | $1.50 | Average Market Prices |
| Milk (1 Liter) | $7.53 |
| Loaf Bread (500g) | $2.20 |
| Eggs (12) | $2.72 | Average Transport Prices |
| One Way Ticket | $2.45 |
| Monthly Pass | $110.35 |
| Gasoline | $3.69 | Average Utilities Prices |
| Basic (Water, Electricity, Garbage, Heating, Cooling) | $123.30 |
| 1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local | $0.28 |
| Internet (Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | $51.24 | Average Leisure Prices |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | $44.26 |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour) | $22.78 |
| Cinema, 1 Seat, International Release | $11.32 | Average Clothing Prices |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Comparable) | $51.83 |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, etc...) | $36.49 |
| 1 Pair of Adidas Walking Shoes (Mid-Range) | $86.05 | Average Rent Prices |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Center | $1530.43 |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Center | $1193.06 |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Center | $2669.84 |
How Does the Average Person Spend Their Money in Toronto?
A lot of people in Toronto cut out the luxuries like entertainment, clothing and fitness expenses so as to be able to provide for the crucial necessities for living, thus spending less than 6% of monthly salary on all of them together.
Utilities and transportation are not too expensive, so not much money is spent on them.
However, the most of your salary would go on food and rent, and get ready that these two will take almost 70% of your income.
Average Costs Breakdown
Toronto: Average Salary, Minimum Wage & Mortgages
When comparing the minimum and the average monthly wage in Toronto, you can notice a huge difference, exceeding $1200.
Actually, the income you would earn making minimum wage cannot satisfy the average cost of living in Toronto.
If you have to pay for the rent, it will take you almost the whole monthly salary leaving you nothing for other expenses.
Only those who earn at least the average income can lead a decent life in Toronto.
Toronto Safety Overview
READ THE FULL REPORT: Toronto Safety Review
Safety Index:
- OVERALL RISK: LOW
- TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: LOW
- PICKPOCKETS RISK: MEDIUM
- NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: LOW
- MUGGING RISK: LOW
- TERRORISM RISK: LOW
- SCAMS RISK: MEDIUM
- WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: LOW
Cost of Living by City in Toronto
| City | Cost of Living Index |
|---|---|
| Abbotsford | 58.95 |
| Barrie | 77.37 |
| Brampton | 68.79 |
| Burlington | 73.13 |
| Burnaby | 64.94 |
| Calgary | 68.93 |
| Coquitlam | 67.43 |
| Edmonton | 67.03 |
| Halifax | 70.88 |
| Hamilton | 60.75 |
| Kelowna | 66.6 |
| Kingston | 66.45 |
| Kitchener | 58.93 |
| London | 59.15 |
| Mississauga | 65.08 |
| Moncton | 61.15 |
| Montreal | 63.52 |
| Nanaimo, BC | 65.28 |
| Oshawa | 65.44 |
| Ottawa | 62.88 |
| Quebec City | 66.1 |
| Red Deer | 67.42 |
| Regina | 68.46 |
| Saskatoon | 74.26 |
| St. John’s, NL | 74.05 |
| Surrey | 59.18 |
| Vancouver | 69.63 |
| Victoria | 66.17 |
| Windsor | 64.42 |
| Winnipeg | 63.15 |
