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Los Angeles vs Toronto cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐บ๐ธ Los Angeles
๐จ๐ฆ Toronto
At a glance
- Where Toronto is clearly cheaper: Scooter rental (58%โ), Taxi (31%โ), Street food (26%โ)
- Where Los Angeles is clearly cheaper: Transit (29%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Toronto is easier to travel (1.4 vs 2.0). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Los Angeles 2 vs Toronto 1. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Los Angeles | Toronto | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | $ 18$18 | C$ 25$18.4 | similar |
| Street food1 item | $ 11$11 | C$ 11$8.09 | Toronto โ26% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | $ 48$48 | C$ 57$41.9 | Toronto โ13% |
| Coffeeone cup | $ 5.5$5.5 | C$ 5.9$4.34 | Toronto โ21% |
| Beerone bottle | $ 9$9 | C$ 9$6.62 | Toronto โ26% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | $ 17$17 | C$ 17$12.5 | Toronto โ26% |
| Bottled water | $ 2$2 | C$ 2.5$1.84 | Toronto โ8% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | $ 3$3 | C$ 3$2.21 | Toronto โ26% |
| Taxi5 km in town | $ 18$18 | C$ 17$12.5 | Toronto โ31% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | $ 10$10 | C$ 11$8.09 | Toronto โ19% |
| Transitone ride | $ 1.75$1.75 | C$ 3.35$2.46 | Los Angeles โ29% |
| Scooter rentalper day | $ 35$35 | C$ 20$14.7 | Toronto โ58% |
| Hotel night3-star | $ 200$200 | C$ 260$191 | similar |
| Studio rent (month) | $ 2,100$2,100 | C$ 2,150$1,581 | Toronto โ25% |
| Laundry | $ 4$4 | C$ 5.5$4.04 | similar |
| SIM card1 week data | $ 26$26 | C$ 34$25 | similar |
| Haircutcut | $ 30$30 | C$ 35$25.7 | Toronto โ14% |
| Massage1 hour | $ 75$75 | C$ 100$73.5 | similar |
| Half-day tourper person | $ 75$75 | C$ 100$73.5 | similar |
| Entry ticketTourist town | $ 28$28 | C$ 30$22.1 | Toronto โ21% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Los Angeles or Toronto?
Toronto is 14% cheaper than Los Angeles. Daily budget $368 vs $336; a month $7,222 vs $5,782.
Which is easier to travel, Los Angeles or Toronto?
Toronto is easier: Toronto 1.4/5 vs Los Angeles 2.0/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Los Angeles and Toronto?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Los Angeles is about $7,222 and Toronto about $5,782 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.