Cost of Living: Toronto vs Edmonton 2026

Quick answer: Edmonton is notably more affordable than Toronto — especially on housing and rent — while Toronto offers higher salaries and a bigger job market. This guide compares housing, transport, groceries, and childcare so you can decide which city fits your budget, and then covers what the roughly 3,470 km (driving) move between them actually involves.

Last updated: July 2026.

I’m Mete Kalfa, director at MTS Moving. We’re a Mississauga-based long-distance mover and a member of the Canadian Association of Movers, and the Ontario–Alberta corridor is one of the routes our crews run most. So this comparison comes from two angles: the published market data, and what we see loading and unloading trucks at both ends of the haul.

The headline difference is housing: a one-bedroom in Edmonton rents for roughly a third less than in Toronto, and the average Edmonton home costs less than half of Toronto’s. Toronto offsets some of that with a larger job market and higher salaries, but on day-to-day spending Edmonton is the more budget-friendly city.

Monthly / one-time cost	Toronto	Edmonton
Average 1-bedroom rent (monthly)	~$2,500	~$1,600
Adult monthly transit pass	~$156 (TTC)	~$100 (ETS)
Utilities (monthly)	~$200	~$340
Daycare (monthly)	~$1,500–$2,000	~$1,000–$1,500
Milk (1 L)	~$3.84	~$2.60
Loaf of bread	~$4.00	~$3.05

Average 1-bedroom rent (monthly)

Toronto: ~$2,500
Edmonton: ~$1,600

Adult monthly transit pass

Toronto: ~$156 (TTC)
Edmonton: ~$100 (ETS)

Utilities (monthly)

Toronto: ~$200
Edmonton: ~$340

Daycare (monthly)

Toronto: ~$1,500–$2,000
Edmonton: ~$1,000–$1,500

Milk (1 L)

Toronto: ~$3.84
Edmonton: ~$2.60

Loaf of bread

Toronto: ~$4.00
Edmonton: ~$3.05

Sources: Zolo and Zumper rent; TTC and ETS transit passes; Numbeo utilities and groceries; CCPA childcare market fees — reviewed July 2026. These are market averages, not MTS quotes — your own move estimate depends on your home size, dates, and inventory.

How much does housing cost in Toronto vs. Edmonton?

Both cities offer diverse housing, but the costs differ sharply. According to Zolo, the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Toronto sits around $2,500, while a similar unit in Edmonton averages $1,600 (as of July 2026).

When it comes to buying, the gap widens further. The average home price in Toronto was about $1.06 million in June 2026, per TRREB, while Edmonton’s average home price was roughly $490,000 (May 2026, per CREA). These are averages, and prices vary widely by neighbourhood and dwelling type.

Average home price: Toronto vs. Edmonton ($CAD, 2026)

Edmonton$490KToronto$1.06M

Source: CREA / TRREB

Recent market data tells the story: Toronto prices have softened year over year (the TRREB MLS Home Price Index benchmark was down 5.4% year over year in June 2026), but affordability remains a real challenge, while Edmonton has held at less than half the Toronto average — a more attainable path to homeownership.

Beyond the sticker price, factor in other housing costs. Property taxes in Toronto are generally higher than in Edmonton. First-time buyers in Alberta may also be eligible for incentives and programs that help with down payments or closing costs.

What does getting around cost in each city?

Both cities run public transit, but costs and coverage differ. In Toronto, a monthly TTC pass runs around $156. Edmonton’s ETS offers a comparable pass for approximately $100 (as of July 2026).

Both cities are also investing in transit. Edmonton’s LRT system is undergoing expansion, which should improve commute times and connectivity. Toronto is likewise expanding service, but the city’s traffic remains a real challenge.

If you drive, expect Edmonton gas prices to run slightly lower than Toronto’s, and car insurance premiums tend to be higher in Toronto. Downtown Toronto parking is expensive and scarce; Edmonton is generally more accessible on both counts. Both cities are increasingly bike-friendly — Toronto has an extensive bike-lane network, and Edmonton’s river valley trails offer scenic routes.

What are everyday expenses like in Toronto vs. Edmonton?

Beyond housing and transport, groceries and utilities shape your monthly budget. Here the picture is more mixed than the housing gap suggests.

On groceries, Toronto runs higher. According to Numbeo (retrieved July 2026), a litre of milk averages about $3.84 in Toronto versus $2.60 in Edmonton, and a loaf of fresh bread runs roughly $4.00 in Toronto against $3.05 in Edmonton. These small differences add up over a year, especially for larger families.

Utilities carry seasonal swings in both cities: Edmonton’s cold winters drive heating bills, while Toronto summers push air-conditioning use. Per Numbeo (retrieved July 2026), basic utilities for a typical apartment average about $200 per month in Toronto and roughly $340 in Edmonton — the higher Edmonton figure reflecting those colder winters.

Dining and entertainment, however, are closer to a wash. Per the same Numbeo comparison, a mid-range dinner for two costs about $120 in Toronto versus $108 in Edmonton, and a cinema ticket is nearly identical (~$19 in Toronto, ~$18.50 in Edmonton). Numbeo’s inexpensive-meal samples actually run slightly higher in Edmonton, so don’t assume every category is cheaper out west — the decisive savings are in housing, not the odd restaurant bill.

It’s also wise to budget for ongoing inflation. Food prices continue to rise across Canada year over year, so build a buffer into your budget.

How do healthcare and childcare compare?

Both provinces run publicly funded healthcare. Toronto residents are covered by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP), while Albertans use the Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan (AHCIP). Both cover essential care, though wait times for certain procedures and specialists vary.

On childcare, sticker fees run higher in Toronto — roughly $1,500 to $2,000 per month at unsubsidized market rates, versus about $1,000 to $1,500 in Edmonton — but the federal Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) system has changed the math in both provinces:

Ontario: has capped parent fees at a maximum of $22 per day for eligible children in CWELCC-enrolled centres, effective January 1, 2025, with affordability grants to providers and the agreement extended through the end of 2026.
Alberta: runs a $10-a-day childcare plan with federal funding, aimed at creating more affordable spaces and reducing fees.

Access to a CWELCC-enrolled space matters more than the headline rate in either city, so join waitlists early when you plan your move.

What does the Toronto-to-Edmonton move itself involve?

Cost of living tells you what life looks like once you arrive — but the move between these two cities is a major project of its own, and it’s a route we run regularly. Toronto and Edmonton sit roughly 3,470 km apart by road, a cross-country haul spanning four provinces. That distance is the single biggest cost driver in a long-distance move: pricing is based mainly on the weight or volume of your shipment and the kilometres travelled, so the most effective way to control your budget is to move less.

That’s where the cost-of-living gap works in your favour. Heading to Edmonton’s larger, cheaper homes, you may be tempted to ship everything — but here’s the industry math a lot of people miss: on a long haul, transport is priced by weight, so bulky low-value items (old mattresses, flat-pack particle-board furniture, basement clutter) routinely cost more to ship than to replace once you arrive. To keep costs down on this corridor we consolidate household shipments onto shared trailers, which means you pay for the space you actually use rather than a dedicated truck — another reason trimming the inventory pays off directly.

A few things to expect on a corridor this long: transit time is measured in days, not hours; your belongings usually travel on a shared trailer alongside other shipments to keep the price down; and packing matters more than on a local move, because everything is handled and re-handled over thousands of kilometres. Plan for a delivery window rather than a single delivery day, and keep essentials with you for the gap. For an estimate based on your actual inventory and dates — not the market averages above — use our moving calculator.

So which city is cheaper?

There’s no single winner — it depends on your priorities. Edmonton wins clearly on housing, rent, groceries, gas, and parking, which is where most households feel the biggest month-to-month difference. Toronto’s higher costs come with a larger job market, higher salaries in many fields, and deeper cultural and transit options. Dining out and entertainment are roughly comparable. If affordable housing and lower fixed costs top your list, Edmonton is the more budget-friendly move; if career reach and big-city amenities matter more, Toronto’s premium may be worth it.

How we sourced these figures

The cost figures here are market averages compiled from Canadian-focused providers and reviewed as of July 2026. Rents come from Zolo and Zumper, home prices from CREA and TRREB, transit fares from the TTC and ETS directly, grocery and utility costs from Numbeo, and childcare market fees from the CCPA. Figures change as markets move, so treat them as a planning baseline rather than a quote.

Zolo (Toronto rent data): https://www.zolo.ca/toronto-real-estate/1-bedroom-apartments-for-rent

Zumper (Edmonton rent data): https://www.zumper.com/rent-research/edmonton-ab

CREA (Edmonton home prices): https://creastats.crea.ca/mls/edmo-median-price/

TRREB (Toronto home prices): https://trreb.ca/market-data/mls-home-price-index/

Government of Ontario Property Taxes: https://www.ontario.ca/page/property-tax-0

City of Edmonton Property Taxes: https://www.edmonton.ca/residential_neighbourhoods/property-taxes

TTC: https://www.ttc.ca/Fares-and-passes

ETS: https://www.edmonton.ca/ets/fares-passes

GasBuddy: https://www.gasbuddy.com/

Numbeo (Toronto vs Edmonton comparison): https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?country1=Canada&city1=Toronto&country2=Canada&city2=Edmonton

CCPA (childcare fees): https://www.policyalternatives.ca/news-research/the-price-is-not-right-yet-10-a-day-child-care-falling-short-of-target/

OHIP: https://www.ontario.ca/page/apply-ohip-and-get-health-card