CostTrek

✦ Compare

Toronto vs Vancouver

Cost-of-living comparison and salary equivalence. Enter your current salary to see what you'd need to earn to live equally well.

Toronto, CA vs Vancouver, CA at a glance — Vancouver, CA is 4% more expensive than Toronto, CA overall. Median 1-bed rent runs about $2,100/mo versus $1,900/mo. The top national income-tax rate is 33%.

$/ year

To keep the same standard of living in Vancouver, CA, you'd need

$78,315 / year

Vancouver, CA is 4% more expensive overall

Category breakdown (Vancouver, CA vs Toronto, CA)

  • Housing+11%
  • Food & groceries+2%
  • Transport0%
  • Utilities-5%
  • Healthcare0%
  • Goods & services+2%

◎ How Toronto, CA and Vancouver, CA compare

HousingFood & groceriesTransportUtilitiesHealthcareGoods & services
Toronto, CAVancouver, CA

Index vs the US average — the line marks 100. Lower is cheaper.

▤ Full comparison

Toronto, CAVancouver, CA
Cost of living
Overall cost index119124
Housing152168
Food108110
Transport100100
Utilities105100
Healthcare8585
Goods & services110112
Housing
Rent, 1-bed centre$1,900/mo$2,100/mo
Rent, 1-bed outside$1,500/mo$1,650/mo
Rent, 3-bed centre$3,800/mo$4,200/mo
Buy price / m² centre$9,000$12,000
Money & purchasing power
$1,000 goes as far as$840$805
Inexpensive meal$18$18
Monthly transit pass$115$75
Taxes
Income tax (top rate)33%33%
VAT / sales tax5%5%
Corporate tax26.5%26.5%
Economy & salaries
Avg net salary$3,300/mo$3,300/mo
Minimum wage$1,900/mo$1,900/mo
GDP per capita$55,698✓$55,698✓
Inflation (annual)2.1%✓2.1%✓
Work & digital nomad
Digital-nomad visaYesYes
English proficiencyNativeNative
Coworking spaces9060
Time zoneUTC-5UTC-8
Quality of life
Quality of life (overall)7274
Safety index7068
Healthcare index8282
Pollution index4030
Internet speed180 Mbps180 Mbps
Walkability8080
Public transport7878
Family-friendly7272
Tap waterSafe to drinkSafe to drink
Life expectancy82 yr✓82 yr✓
LGBTQ+ acceptanceHighHigh
Climate
January avg-4 °C+4 °C
July avg+22 °C+18 °C
Sunny days / year100130
Rainfall / year830 mm1,150 mm
Connectivity
Flight to nearest hub1.5 h1.5 h

Taxes & Economy & salaries: Canada vs Canada. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.

✓ = official statistics (World Bank 2025, World Bank 2024). Unmarked figures are CostTrek estimates. How we calculate these figures →

Cost of living: Toronto vs Vancouver — in your currency

TorontoVancouver
1-bed rent, city centre$1,900$2,100
1-bed rent, outside centre$1,500$1,650
Inexpensive meal$18$18
Monthly transit pass$115$75
Utilities (monthly)$150$110

Converted from USD at approximate rates (2026-09).

Good to know before you move to Toronto

Canada's diverse economic engine — a smooth immigration path and strong salaries, weighed against steep rents and long winters.

Currency
Canadian dollar ($ CAD)
Languages
English, French
Time zone
UTC-5
Internet
180 Mbps
English
Native language
Safety
70/100
Climate
❄ -4°C · ☀ 22°C · 100 sunny days/yr
Tap water
Safe to drink
Power
A/B · 120V
Driving
Right-hand side
Popular areas
Downtown · Leslieville · West End

Good to know before you move to Vancouver

Mountains meet ocean in Canada's mildest big city — stunning and outdoorsy, with punishing housing costs.

Currency
Canadian dollar ($ CAD)
Languages
English, French
Time zone
UTC-8
Internet
180 Mbps
English
Native language
Safety
68/100
Climate
❄ 4°C · ☀ 18°C · 130 sunny days/yr
Tap water
Safe to drink
Power
A/B · 120V
Driving
Right-hand side
Popular areas
Kitsilano · Yaletown · Mount Pleasant

? Frequently asked questions

Moving from Toronto to Vancouver: cheaper or more expensive?

Moving from Toronto to Vancouver, your cost of living will be roughly 4% more expensive. Vancouver’s cost-of-living index is 124 versus 119 for Toronto (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.

Is Toronto cheaper than Vancouver?

Vancouver is about 4% more expensive than Toronto overall — its cost-of-living index is 124 versus 119 for Toronto.

Which is more expensive, Toronto or Vancouver?

Vancouver is more expensive than Toronto. Its cost-of-living index is 124 vs 119 (US = 100) — about 4% higher.

Is rent cheaper in Toronto or Vancouver?

Rent is cheaper in Toronto — about $1,900/month for a one-bedroom in the city centre, vs $2,100 in Vancouver.

How much do you need to earn in Vancouver to live like in Toronto?

To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Toronto is worth about $78,315 in Vancouver. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.

Which has lower taxes, Toronto or Vancouver?

Both cities are in the same country, so national income tax (33%) and VAT are identical; only local cost of living differs.

◷ More comparisons from Toronto

How we calculate these figures →

Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.