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San Francisco 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 San Francisco
๐จ๐ฆ Toronto
At a glance
- Where Toronto is clearly cheaper: Scooter rental (67%โ), Studio rent (month) (52%โ), Street food (46%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Toronto is easier to travel (1.4 vs 1.6). Biggest gap: safety โ San Francisco 3 vs Toronto 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | San Francisco | Toronto | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | $ 25$25 | C$ 25$18.4 | Toronto โ26% |
| Street food1 item | $ 15$15 | C$ 11$8.09 | Toronto โ46% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | $ 55$55 | C$ 57$41.9 | Toronto โ24% |
| Coffeeone cup | $ 6.5$6.5 | C$ 5.9$4.34 | Toronto โ33% |
| Beerone bottle | $ 9$9 | C$ 9$6.62 | Toronto โ26% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | $ 17$17 | C$ 17$12.5 | Toronto โ26% |
| Bottled water | $ 2.5$2.5 | C$ 2.5$1.84 | Toronto โ26% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | $ 3$3 | C$ 3$2.21 | Toronto โ26% |
| Taxi5 km in town | $ 16$16 | C$ 17$12.5 | Toronto โ22% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | $ 11$11 | C$ 11$8.09 | Toronto โ26% |
| Transitone ride | $ 2.85$2.85 | C$ 3.35$2.46 | Toronto โ14% |
| Scooter rentalper day | $ 45$45 | C$ 20$14.7 | Toronto โ67% |
| Hotel night3-star | $ 200$200 | C$ 260$191 | similar |
| Studio rent (month) | $ 3,300$3,300 | C$ 2,150$1,581 | Toronto โ52% |
| Laundry | $ 5$5 | C$ 5.5$4.04 | Toronto โ19% |
| SIM card1 week data | $ 25$25 | C$ 34$25 | similar |
| Haircutcut | $ 38$38 | C$ 35$25.7 | Toronto โ32% |
| Massage1 hour | $ 110$110 | C$ 100$73.5 | Toronto โ33% |
| Half-day tourper person | $ 70$70 | C$ 100$73.5 | San Francisco โ5% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | $ 35$35 | C$ 30$22.1 | Toronto โ37% |
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, San Francisco or Toronto?
Toronto is 29% cheaper than San Francisco. Daily budget $391 vs $336; a month $10,400 vs $5,782.
Which is easier to travel, San Francisco or Toronto?
Toronto is easier: Toronto 1.4/5 vs San Francisco 1.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between San Francisco and Toronto?
With a short-term studio and living costs, San Francisco is about $10,400 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.