This guide collects published figures from four official sources: CMHC for rent (2025 report), the Toronto Transit Commission for fares (checked October 2026), the City of Toronto for water and waste fees (2026) and Statistics Canada for price changes (September 2026). It does not invent a household average. Each figure is labelled with what it covers, and all of them change, so confirm them with the organization before you budget or pay.
How to read these figures
No single number describes the cost of living in Toronto. Rent depends on the building and the date you sign. Grocery bills depend on the store and the household. Transit depends on how often you ride. This guide therefore quotes published figures one at a time, names the organization that published each, and gives the year it applies to.
- Rent: Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), 2025 Rental Market Report.
- Transit: Toronto Transit Commission, fares page and fare capping notice, accessed in October 2026.
- Water and waste: City of Toronto news releases of December 16, 2025, and February 10, 2026.
- Price changes: Statistics Canada, Consumer Price Index release for September 2026, published October 19, 2026.
Prices, fares and fees are reset regularly. Treat everything below as a snapshot, and check the operator’s current page before you travel, sign a lease or pay a bill.
Rent
CMHC surveys rental buildings every year. The 2025 report for the Toronto area gives these figures for purpose-built rental apartments, which CMHC defines as privately initiated rental apartments with three or more units:
- Vacancy rate: 3.0 per cent.
- Average two-bedroom rent: $2,034 per month, up 3.5 per cent from the previous year.
- Rented condominium apartments: a vacancy rate of 1.0 per cent and an average two-bedroom rent of $2,904.
CMHC also reports that the average rent for two-bedroom units that changed tenants fell by 2.5 per cent, while rents in units where the tenant stayed were largely flat. In other words, an average across all units is not the same as what a new tenant is asked today. CMHC’s report states that the average earner needs 42 per cent of after-tax income to rent a vacant one-bedroom unit.
These are averages from a survey of existing buildings, not asking prices on a listing site, and the 2025 report does not cover rents set after it was published. For a different type of data, Statistics Canada’s September 2026 release shows the national rent index up 2.8 per cent from a year earlier. That figure measures change across Canada, not the level of rent in Toronto. For how to search, what to ask and how tenancies work, see the guide to renting an apartment in Toronto.
Groceries
Statistics Canada does not publish one official “Toronto grocery bill.” What it publishes monthly is the Consumer Price Index, which tracks how prices change over time. In its September 2026 release, the price of food purchased from stores rose 1.7 per cent from a year earlier, down from 2.8 per cent in August. That is a national figure. It describes the change in prices, not what a household in Toronto spends.
To estimate your own budget, use your store’s current prices and your own household size. A published index cannot do that for you. This guide does not quote a Toronto-specific grocery number because none was confirmed in the release it used. Statistics Canada’s website carries more detailed tables if you want to look further.
Transit
The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) changed how it sells monthly passes in 2026. Its fares page lists these fares:
| Fare type | PRESTO card | Debit or credit card | Cash |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult | $3.30 | $3.30 | $3.35 |
| Youth (13 to 19) | $2.35 | $3.30 | $2.40 |
| Senior (65 and over) | $2.25 | $3.30 | $2.30 |
Children 12 and under ride free. The TTC lists a PRESTO day pass ticket at $13.50. Paying with a PRESTO card, debit or credit card includes a two-hour transfer, so a trip that continues within two hours of your first tap is not charged again. Cash fares work differently: they come with a paper transfer for continuous one-way trips.
Since September 1, 2026, the TTC has used monthly fare capping. After 47 eligible fares in a calendar month, the rest of that month’s trips are free, provided you use the same payment method each time. It does not apply to cash, PRESTO tickets or paper transfers. Most monthly passes were discontinued on August 31, 2026. Two products remain on the TTC’s list: the post-secondary monthly pass at $128.15 and the adult 12-month pass at $143.00. Confirm the billing terms of the 12-month pass before you buy.
As a calculation, 47 adult fares at $3.30 comes to $155.10. That is arithmetic from the published numbers, not a TTC figure. The City’s 2026 budget release says TTC fares were frozen for a third consecutive year. For the history of the system, see the article on the Toronto subway. GO Transit and airport rail fares are separate and are not covered here.
Water, waste and utility bills
The City of Toronto approved 2026 interim rates in December 2025 and kept them in the final budget it announced on February 10, 2026. The release says Toronto Water and solid waste rates rose 3.75 per cent from January 1, 2026.
- Water: the City estimates that an average household using 230 cubic metres of water per year will pay about $1,118 in 2026, an increase of about $40. The charge covers drinking water, wastewater treatment, stormwater management and work on aging pipes.
- Garbage and organics: estimated annual fees for single-family homes are $317.85 (small bin), $385.86 (medium), $524.06 (large) and $607.86 (extra-large). The fee covers garbage, organics, yard waste, oversized items, electronics collection and other waste services.
The City notes that from January 1, 2026, it no longer manages residential recycling for houses and multi-residential buildings, so recycling arrangements changed. Whether a tenant pays water costs directly depends on the lease, so ask your landlord. Electricity and natural gas are billed by the utilities that serve you, and the City’s releases do not set those prices. To see how to access a bill, read the guide on the Toronto utility bill, and for the history of electricity supply see Toronto Hydro.
Owning a home and property tax
If you own, the City’s 2026 budget release says the combined residential property tax and City Building Fund levy rose 2.2 per cent. For the average Toronto home assessment of $692,140, that works out to $91.53 more per year. The release does not state the total tax bill, so this article does not either. Purchase prices change often and depend on the property. For market background, see the article on the Toronto real estate market, and verify prices with a current listing or a licensed professional.
Checking figures before you decide
Use the sources above as starting points and go back to them. CMHC publishes its rental reports on a yearly cycle. The TTC sets its own fares and passes. The City sets water and waste fees through its budget each year. Statistics Canada updates its price index every month. If a figure here disagrees with the current page of the organization that publishes it, trust the organization.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the TTC adult fare?
The Toronto Transit Commission lists $3.30 for an adult paying with a PRESTO card, debit card or credit card, and $3.35 in cash, as checked in October 2026. Fares can change, so check the TTC before you travel.
What is the average rent in Toronto?
CMHC’s 2025 Rental Market Report gives an average two-bedroom rent of $2,034 for purpose-built rental apartments in the Toronto area. That is a survey average for existing buildings, not what a new tenant is necessarily asked today.
Are the TTC monthly passes still sold?
Most were discontinued on August 31, 2026, when monthly fare capping started on September 1. The post-secondary monthly pass and the adult 12-month pass remain on the TTC’s list.
How much do water and garbage cost in Toronto?
The City estimates about $1,118 for 2026 water service for a household using 230 cubic metres, and lists annual single-family waste fees from $317.85 to $607.86 depending on bin size.
Why are these figures different from other websites?
Different sources measure different things, in different months. This page uses only the named official sources and states what each covers. Check the publisher’s current page for updates.
Sources
- Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Rental Market Report 2025, Greater Toronto Area section (accessed October 2026)
- Toronto Transit Commission, fares and passes page (accessed October 2026)
- Toronto Transit Commission, news notice “Monthly fare capping now in effect at the TTC” (September 2026)
- City of Toronto, news release “City of Toronto approves 2026 interim rates and fees for Toronto Water and Solid Waste Management Services” (December 16, 2025)
- City of Toronto, news release on the final 2026 Budget (February 10, 2026)
- Statistics Canada, The Daily, “Consumer Price Index, September 2026” (October 19, 2026)
Related reading
- Renting an apartment in Toronto
- Toronto real estate market
- History of the Toronto subway
- Toronto utility bill online
- Toronto drinking water
- Toronto Hydro history
Last verified: October 2026
Cite this page
APA: History of Toronto. (2026, October 31). Cost of Living in Toronto: Rent, Groceries, Transit and Utilities. https://historyoftoronto.ca/blog/cost-of-living-in-toronto
MLA: “Cost of Living in Toronto: Rent, Groceries, Transit and Utilities.” History of Toronto, 31 Oct 2026, https://historyoftoronto.ca/blog/cost-of-living-in-toronto. Accessed .
Chicago: History of Toronto. “Cost of Living in Toronto: Rent, Groceries, Transit and Utilities.” Last modified October 31, 2026. https://historyoftoronto.ca/blog/cost-of-living-in-toronto.
The pages have no named author, so the site is given as the author. Add the date you read the page if your style asks for it.