Budget · Toronto · Canada
Toronto on a budget
What a trip to Toronto really costs, and where the savings are.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
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Quick answer
Toronto is expensive for most international visitors. Budget roughly $80–$130 per person per day on a tight budget, $200–$350 mid-range and $450–$1,000 for luxury, excluding flights. Hotel prices are usually lowest in January–March and November.
Key facts
- Budget traveller
- $80–$130 a day
- Mid-range
- $200–$350 a day
- Luxury
- $450–$1,000 a day
- Local currency
- CAD
- Free sights
- 8
Daily budget and trip cost
AMZBooking estimates per person in US dollars, excluding flights, reviewed October 2026. Accommodation is the biggest variable; prices rise in peak months.
| Style | Per day | 3 days | 5 days | 7 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | $80–$130 | $240–$390 | $400–$650 | $560–$910 |
| Mid-range | $200–$350 | $600–$1,050 | $1,000–$1,750 | $1,400–$2,450 |
| Luxury | $450–$1,000 | $1,350–$3,000 | $2,250–$5,000 | $3,150–$7,000 |
Typical prices
Approximate prices in Toronto, October 2026. They change; use them for planning, not as quotes.
| Item | Typical price |
|---|---|
| TTC fare (subway, streetcar or bus) | about C$3.30–C$3.50 |
| UP Express, Pearson to Union | about C$10–C$13 |
| Coffee | about C$3–C$6 |
| Peameal bacon sandwich | about C$10–C$15 |
| Pint of local beer | about C$8–C$12 |
| CN Tower LookOut ticket | about C$45–C$60 |
| Mid-range dinner with a drink | about C$45–C$80 per person |
Money-saving tips
- Menu and shop prices exclude 13% HST, and restaurant tips of 15–20% go on top, so budget about a third more than menu prices when eating out.
- One tap on the TTC gives two hours of transfers, so group short trips within that window.
- Toronto CityPASS bundles several headline attractions, including the CN Tower, and saves money if you plan to visit most of them.
- Winterlicious and Summerlicious set menus are a cheaper way to eat at well-known restaurants.
- Hotel prices spike during TIFF in September and on big event weekends; January to March is the least expensive time to stay.
- Free sights include High Park and its zoo, Allan Gardens, Graffiti Alley, Kensington Market and the Distillery District.
Free things to do
- Distillery District — The Victorian brick buildings of the former Gooderham and Worts distillery, once among the largest in the world, form a car-free quarter of galleries, cafés, chocolate shops and a craft brewery on cobbled lanes.
- Kensington Market — A tangle of streets west of Spadina Avenue, Kensington Market mixes vintage clothing shops, cheese and spice stores and food counters from Jamaica, El Salvador, Portugal and beyond, in Victorian houses painted every colour.
- High Park — Toronto's largest park covers about 160 hectares of oak savannah, ravines and Grenadier Pond, with a free small zoo of bison, llamas and capybaras, an adventure playground and cherry trees that draw crowds when they bloom, usually in late April or early May.
- Nathan Phillips Square — The square in front of New City Hall — two curved towers by Viljo Revell, opened in 1965 — holds the illuminated Toronto sign and a reflecting pool that becomes a free skating rink in winter, with concerts and markets in summer.
- Evergreen Brick Works — A former quarry and brickworks in the Don Valley has become a park and community hub with restored kilns, wetlands, walking trails and a Saturday farmers' market.
- Graffiti Alley — Rush Lane, running behind Queen Street West between Spadina Avenue and Portland Street, is an alley of about a kilometre covered in murals and graffiti that change constantly.
Where to stay on a budget
$ · Best for budget, food lovers, solo travellers and culture
Kensington Market and Chinatown
Vintage shops, global cheap eats and Spadina's dim sum halls
$$ · Best for budget, quiet stays and culture
The Annex
Victorian houses, the university and Bloor Street cafés and bars
$$ · Best for food lovers, quiet stays and families
Leslieville
Brunch cafés, vintage furniture and a village feel on Queen Street East
Eating well for less
- Peameal bacon sandwich — Carousel Bakery and other counters at St. Lawrence Market.
- Jamaican beef patty — Caribbean bakeries in Little Jamaica on Eglinton Avenue West, in Kensington Market and at corner stores citywide.
Getting around for less
PRESTO card
The reloadable fare card for the TTC, GO Transit and UP Express; contactless bank cards and phones also work at the same readers across most of the network.
Questions travellers ask
+How much does a trip to Toronto cost?
About $1,000–$1,750 per person for five days mid-range, excluding flights (estimate), or $400–$650 on a tight budget.
+Is Toronto expensive?
It is expensive for international visitors. Menu and shop prices exclude 13% HST, and restaurant tips of 15–20% go on top, so budget about a third more than menu prices when eating out.
+How much money do I need per day in Toronto?
Roughly $80–$130 on a budget and $200–$350 mid-range (estimates).
+When are hotel prices lowest in Toronto?
Usually in January–March and November.