Moving to Toronto, Canada

Toronto is Canada’s largest city and its business capital, set on Lake Ontario with a skyline that mixes glassy high-rises, leafy ravines, and a revitalized waterfront. It is one of the most diverse cities on earth. According to the 2021 Census, 46.6 percent of residents in the City of Toronto were born outside Canada, which shapes everything from the food scene to the languages you hear on the subway. The City counted 2.79 million residents in 2021, and the broader metro area includes more than six million people, giving you a big city market with neighborhood feel.

For tech professionals, Toronto’s ecosystem is mature, well funded, and still growing. CBRE’s Scoring Tech Talent release ranked Toronto third in North America for overall tech talent and noted the city added about 42,900 tech jobs between 2021 and 2024. That momentum is reinforced by anchor institutions, including MaRS Discovery District, which describes itself as North America’s largest urban innovation hub that supports more than 1,200 startups, and the Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence, a globally recognized research institute that partners with industry and universities.

If you are curious about the city’s day-to-day lifestyle, Toronto scores highly on global livability benchmarks, with strong ratings across stability, healthcare, education, and infrastructure. In the 2025 Economist Intelligence Unit Global Liveability Index, Toronto placed 16th worldwide, still among North America’s top performers. That means you get big city arts and dining, plus abundant green space, beaches on the lake, and a sports calendar that runs year round.

Economic opportunity extends well beyond software. Toronto’s strengths include fintech, AI, healthtech, media, and cleantech, supported by a deep university pipeline and active venture investors. Recent examples include large AI-focused funds headquartered in the city, a sign that late-stage capital is available for scaling teams as well as early founders. For founders and operators alike, the combination of talent density and capital makes lateral moves and cross-industry pivots easier.

Relocation is comparatively straightforward for in-demand tech roles. Canada’s Global Talent Stream offers an expedited work permit pathway for highly skilled occupations on the national list, with employer eligibility outlined by Employment and Social Development Canada. Many Toronto companies use this route to bring in engineers and data specialists quickly, which reduces friction for international hires and their families.

Everyday practicality matters, and Toronto delivers. Two airports serve different needs. Toronto Pearson is Canada’s busiest airport, with 46.8 million passengers in 2024 and extensive international connections. Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport sits on the downtown island and offers frequent short-haul service to Canadian and U.S. cities, which saves time for quick trips. Major transit investments are underway, including the Ontario Line, a new 15.6 km subway that will link Exhibition Place to the Eglinton Crosstown at Don Mills. These upgrades improve cross-city commutes and open more neighborhoods to car-light living.

Why it appeals to movers in tech and the simply curious

• For tech professionals: deep talent pool, global AI research leadership, a steady stream of roles across product, data, platform, and security, and an immigration framework that supports rapid hiring. The city’s scale lets you grow within one market without constant re-location.
• For curious individuals: multicultural neighborhoods, festivals through every season, beaches and parks reachable by streetcar, and a dining scene that mirrors the city’s global roots. Strong livability scores and ongoing transit expansion make exploring easy.

City Lifestyle

Toronto’s vibe is friendly, worldly, and practical. On weekdays you will see a steady rhythm of commuters, strollers, and cyclists, then a late buzz as galleries, live music spots, and restaurants fill up across Queen West, King West, College, and the Danforth. People value balance, so it is common to pair long office or lab days with runs along the waterfront trail, weekend ferry rides to the Islands, and strolls through neighborhood high streets for coffee, produce, and playlists from around the globe. The calendar stays busy year round, anchored by civic festivals that bring art, food, and film into the streets. For a sense of how constant that drumbeat feels, browse the City’s official Festivals and Events calendar.

Cultural Highlights and Attractions

First timers make a beeline for the CN Tower and nearby waterfront, then branch out to marquee institutions like the Royal Ontario Museum and the Art Gallery of Ontario, plus neighborhood icons such as St. Lawrence Market, the Distillery Historic District, and the Toronto Islands. The film scene peaks each September when TIFF turns the city into a rolling premiere party and industry summit, with screenings scattered across downtown. For an easy shortlist of what to see on day one, Destination Toronto’s guide to must-see attractions is a solid starting point. Expect seasonal anchors like Nuit Blanche, Winterlicious, Doors Open, Pride Month, and Cavalcade of Lights to punctuate the year.

Popular Neighborhoods

For tech professionals

• Liberty Village. Loft conversions and new condos sit beside coffee shops, gyms, and studios. It is a short streetcar or bike ride to downtown offices, with a concentration of creative and tech firms that makes networking feel effortless. Housing is mostly condos and townhomes, plus a few hard-loft buildings.
• King West and Queen West. Lively after work, with cocktail bars, music venues, galleries, and boutique gyms. Most housing is mid to high-rise condos and soft lofts, walkable to core offices and the waterfront trail.
• Leslieville and Riverside. East side standbys for engineers, designers, and young founders who want a calmer street life, good brunch, and quick streetcar access to the core. Expect semis, rowhouses, and low-rise condos, plus parks and family friendly cafés.

For families and the simply curious

• High Park and Bloor West Village. Leafy streets, strong community feel, and instant access to the city’s signature park for playgrounds, trails, and weekend picnics. Housing skews to detached and semi-detached homes with some low-rise apartments near the subway.
• The Beaches. A relaxed east end pocket with boardwalk strolls, volleyball courts, and summer festivals. Mix of detached homes, duplexes, and a handful of condos, with quick access to Lake Ontario and parks.
• Leaside and Davisville Village. Midtown neighborhoods prized for schools, transit connections, and a high share of family amenities, with detached homes, semis, and low-rise apartments near the Yonge Street spine.

If you like to sample before you settle, spend a Saturday doing a west side loop through High Park and Roncesvalles, then a Sunday east side loop from Leslieville to the Beaches. The contrast is part of the fun, and the commute times to the core are reasonable from both.

Below is a practical, numbers-first snapshot of what most newcomers actually spend in Toronto. I include typical prices and the best available public sources so you can sanity-check your budget.

Numbers are rounded so you can budget quickly, and each item links to a reliable source if you want to dig deeper.

Breakdown of major expenses

Housing

• Market listings show the typical apartment or condo in the City of Toronto asking about $2,600/month. One-bedrooms are often in the low to mid $2,000s. Two-bedrooms tend to land around $3,000 depending on neighbourhood and building. These figures come from ongoing rent reports and GTA brokerage data. Rentals.ca

Utilities

• Electricity for a small to mid-size apartment is commonly $60–90/month with normal usage. You choose a price plan, but most renters just need the ballpark, not the tariff details. Toronto Hydro
• Water is usually included in condo and many apartment rents. If you pay it directly in a house, the City’s published rates work out to about $90/month for a typical household. City of Toronto
• Home internet averages about $65/month in Toronto across plans and providers. PlanHub.ca

Getting around

• A TTC Monthly Pass for unlimited city transit is $156. Tap with PRESTO and you are set. TTC

Groceries

• For a simple, realistic budget, plan roughly $350–500 per adult per month. Public health tracking across Ontario puts a family’s nutritious basket near the low-$1,000s, which lines up with that per-person range once you scale it down and account for downtown price differences. For current prices on staples, check Statistics Canada’s Food Price Hub. Public Health Ontario

Insurance

• Tenant insurance is inexpensive and often required by landlords. Typical policies run about $20–30/month. rates.ca

Entertainment

• A standard movie ticket in Toronto is about $16, with weekly discount days available. NOW Toronto

Healthcare note

• Eligible residents are covered by OHIP. You can apply when you arrive and coverage begins once approved, which keeps routine medical costs low by North American standards. Ontario

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How Toronto compares

• Versus Canada overall: Toronto’s asking rents sit above the national average, so housing is your biggest budget driver. Day-to-day items like groceries and internet are closer to Canadian norms. Rentals.ca
• Versus global hubs: International cost-of-living rankings typically place Toronto below ultra-expensive cities like New York and London, though housing is still the item most people feel here. Mercer

Here are easy, rounded annual ranges in CAD for common tech roles in Toronto. Think of them as typical offers for entry, mid, and senior levels. Exact numbers vary by company size, domain, and whether equity or bonuses are included.

Software developer

Entry ~ $60k • Mid ~ $99k • Senior ~ $160k. These come from Toronto’s official wage bands and line up with what most teams budget for core engineering roles.

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DevOps or SRE

Entry ~ $70k • Mid ~ $115k • Senior ~ $175k. Platform and reliability skills tend to price above general software roles.

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Data scientist

Entry ~ $57k • Mid ~ $101k • Senior ~ $167k. Applied ML, MLOps fluency, and model deployment experience nudge offers higher.

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Data analyst or database admin

Entry ~ $53k • Mid ~ $91k • Senior ~ $130k. Roles that blend SQL, warehousing, and governance stay in this band.

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Cybersecurity analyst

Entry ~ $60k • Mid ~ $100k • Senior ~ $144k. Security roles benefit from certifications and regulated industry experience.

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QA and testing

Entry ~ $40k • Mid ~ $70k • Senior ~ $107k. Test automation and performance testing can lift pay within this band.

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Quick comparisons

• Toronto usually sits a notch above national medians for core roles. For example, software developers are about $99k median in Toronto versus roughly $96k at the Canada median when converted to annual terms. DevOps and data science show a similar pattern.

What can move your offer up or down

• Proven impact in production, not just projects.
• Skills that save money or unlock features fast, like cloud cost tuning, security hardening, or MLOps.
• Domain expertise in fintech or health, where compliance matters.
• Total compensation mix. Equity, bonuses, and on-call pay can shift the final number.

Overview of family services

• Schooling, ages, and boards

Toronto has two large publicly funded school boards, the Toronto District School Board and the Toronto Catholic District School Board, plus French-language boards and many independent schools. Kindergarten in Ontario is a free two-year program. Children who turn four by December 31 of the school year can start Junior Kindergarten the following September. The TDSB’s 2025–26 guide spells this out and explains how to register online or at your local school, while the TCDSB site walks through elementary and secondary registration and school locators. See the TDSB’s kindergarten booklet and the TCDSB’s registration pages for step-by-step details. tdsb.on.ca

• Childcare and fee supports

Licensed childcare is in high demand, so most families apply before arrival. The City’s Child Care Fee Subsidy can reduce your out-of-pocket cost if you meet eligibility criteria, and there is a waitlist, so applying early matters. Programs that opted into the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care system provide additional fee reductions, which stack with the subsidy if you qualify. Start with the City’s subsidy overview and application page. City of Toronto

• Free early years drop-ins

EarlyON Child and Family Centres host free, play-based programs for children 0 to 6 and their caregivers across the city. You can search by address to find your nearest site. Toronto Public Library branches add free storytimes and literacy programs for little ones, which are perfect for rainy-day routines. Browse the provincial EarlyON locator and TPL’s Ready for Reading program listings. Ontario

• Healthcare for kids

Ontario’s public health insurance plan, OHIP, has no waiting period now for eligible newcomers, which helps families avoid interim private coverage once approved. If you need a family doctor or nurse practitioner, Health Care Connect can place you on the matching list for providers accepting new patients. For specialized pediatric care, The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) is one of the top children’s hospitals in the world and offers family-centred services and supports. Start with the province’s OHIP page, Health Care Connect, and SickKids’ family resources. Ontario

• Immunizations and school

Toronto Public Health enforces Ontario’s Immunization of School Pupils Act. Families must report required vaccines for school-aged children or provide valid exemption documentation. Review Toronto Public Health’s reporting page and the ISPA statute to stay compliant before the first day of class. City of Toronto

• Recreation and after-school care

The City runs a huge roster of low-cost programs year-round. Many drop-in options such as leisure skating are free, and there is a Welcome Policy fee subsidy for registered programs if you meet income thresholds. Create a City recreation account to register for swimming lessons, after-school programs, camps, and more. Start with program registration and free or lower-cost options. City of Toronto

Appealing features for families

• Parks, playgrounds, and nature

High Park is a weekend staple with the Jamie Bell Adventure Playground, ponds, trails, and a small animal paddock. It is stroller-friendly and anchored by plenty of shaded picnic space. Riverdale Farm in Cabbagetown is a free, 7.5-acre working farm that is open daily and beloved by toddlers and school-age kids. Read the City’s High Park overview and Riverdale Farm visitor details. City of Toronto

• Island adventures and beaches

Toronto Island Park delivers sandy beaches, car-free cycling, splash pads, and plenty of green space minutes from downtown by ferry. Service runs year-round to Ward’s Island with seasonal boats to Centre Island and Hanlan’s Point. Check routes and schedules on the City’s ferry pages before you go. City of Toronto

• Zoo days that never get old

The Toronto Zoo is open all year, offers camps and learning programs, and has family memberships that can quickly pay for themselves if you visit often. Plan your visit and compare membership benefits on the Zoo’s official site. torontozoo.com

• Low-cost things to do on short notice

On cold days, drop into a free City leisure skate or borrow skates at Nathan Phillips Square during the season. On any day, duck into a library branch for storytime and crafts without spending a dollar. See the City’s drop-in skating page and TPL’s kids program listings. City of Toronto

If you want, I can tailor this to your child’s ages, preferred neighborhoods, and commute, then map out a weekly routine with the nearest EarlyON, library branch, rink, and park.

Below are vetted, high-signal resources to help you land housing fast, avoid common pitfalls, set up utilities, and tap into free newcomer support. I keep it simple, with one or two authoritative links per item.

Find a home: listings and market checks

• REALTOR.ca rentals. The national MLS portal with real, agent-listed rentals across the city. Useful filters for neighbourhoods, transit, and price bands. Browse the Toronto apartments for rent section to see current inventory. Realtor
• Rentals.ca rent reports. Monthly data on asking rents by city and bedroom type. Handy for sanity-checking what landlords are charging right now. See the latest National Rent Report summary. Rentals.ca

Know your rights and the paperwork

• Ontario Standard Lease. Most private rentals must use the provincial standard lease. Read the government guide and download the form so you know what should be in your contract. Ontario
• Landlord and Tenant Board: Information for New Tenants. Official brochure that landlords must provide, outlining key rights and responsibilities under Ontario’s Residential Tenancies Act. Tribunals Ontario
• Settlement.Org: Renting basics and avoiding scams. Clear, multilingual guidance on where to search, how to apply, and what red flags to watch for during your hunt. settlement.org

Check building quality before you apply

• RentSafeTO. The City inspects larger apartment buildings and publishes scores. Use the RentSafeTO portal and evaluation results map to review inspection history and building ratings before you sign. City of Toronto

Short-term and furnished options

• What short-term housing exists. Overview of apartment hotels, shared accommodation, and where to look while you scout neighbourhoods. Great primer if you want a 30–90 day landing pad first. settlement.org
• DelSuites furnished suites. Local provider of move-in ready condos suitable for corporate stays and relocations, with housekeeping and utilities bundled. DelSuites is part of Tridel’s group of companies, which helps with building quality and locations. delsuites.com

Set up utilities

• Electricity: Toronto Hydro. Open, transfer, or close your account online. New accounts include a regulated set-up charge that appears on your first bill. torontohydro.com
• Natural gas: Enbridge Gas. Check if your address is in the service area and submit your move or new-account request in a few minutes. enbridgegas.com
• City water and wastewater billing. If you are a homeowner, manage your utility account with the City. Many condo and apartment tenants have water included, but owners handle billing directly. City of Toronto

Free newcomer help: housing, forms, and settlement

• City of Toronto Newcomer Services Kiosks. Meet a settlement worker for free help with housing searches, childcare, schools, and City programs. In-person and virtual options available. City of Toronto
• Government of Canada: Newcomer services locator. Find IRCC-funded organizations near your address that provide free housing navigation, language classes, and more. IRCC
• YMCA Newcomer Information Centre. Trusted first stop for many arrivals. Staff can review rental applications, point you to housing leads, and explain provincial documents. Online and in-person. ymcagta.org
• COSTI Immigrant Services. Long-standing GTA nonprofit with housing help programs, drop-ins, and newcomer counseling across multiple locations. COSTI
• Access Alliance. Settlement workers who can help with rental forms, landlord communication, and referrals to housing supports, available at several Toronto sites. Access Alliance

If you need lower-cost housing

• Rent-Geared-to-Income (RGI). Apply and manage your application through MyAccesstoHousingTO. Housing Help Centres and the City’s Access to Housing Resource Centre can assist with applications and options. City of Toronto

Tip for tech pros and the simply curious: combine these like a playbook. Start with a 60-day furnished stay while you tour buildings on RentSafeTO’s map, track price trends with Rentals.ca, and submit two to three rental applications with the Ontario Standard Lease attached so your paperwork is friction-free. If you get stuck, book a YMCA NIC or COSTI appointment and let a settlement worker pressure-test your approach.

Current job openings

If you are actively looking, browse tech roles in Toronto on TieTalent here: 👉 Jobs opportunities in Toronto

What is hiring right now in Toronto

• AI, data, and platform engineering. Toronto ranks No. 3 in North America for overall tech talent and has one of the continent’s largest AI-skilled worker pools. Even with slower overall hiring, demand is strongest for roles that add AI capability to products and infrastructure. Expect opportunities across ML engineering, data science, MLOps, and platform teams.
• Fintech, enterprise SaaS, and health tech. Toronto’s innovation hubs and research institutes continue to anchor growth sectors. AI adoption across finance and health care is a consistent theme mentioned by local institutions, which translates into roles that blend data, security, and compliance.
• Reality check on the macro picture. Canada’s broader labour market softened over summer 2025, and Ontario’s unemployment rate remains elevated by recent standards. In practice, that means longer recruiting cycles and more emphasis on proven impact for senior hires.

Tip for candidates: lead with quantifiable outcomes, show fluency with AI tooling where relevant, and be ready to discuss cost, security, and governance alongside feature work.

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Income tax overview for Toronto (Ontario)

In Canada you pay federal income tax plus provincial income tax. Employers withhold income tax, Canada Pension Plan contributions, and Employment Insurance from each pay. You reconcile everything when you file your return the following spring.

Federal tax rates for 2025

The lowest federal bracket is reduced mid-year. For 2025 the effective lowest rate is 14.5% because it was 15% from January to June and 14% from July to December. From 2026 the lowest rate is scheduled to be 14% for the full year. Higher brackets stay at 20.5%, 26%, 29%, and 33% at the usual thresholds. Employers began withholding at the 14% rate starting July 1, 2025. Government of Canada

Ontario provincial tax rates for 2025

Ontario uses five brackets that stack on top of federal tax:

5.05% on the first $52,886 of taxable income, 9.15% to $105,775, 11.16% to $150,000, 12.16% to $220,000, and 13.16% above that. Ontario also levies a surtax on higher provincial tax amounts, which effectively raises the top marginal rates as income rises. Government of Canada

Basic personal amounts

Non-refundable credits reduce the tax you owe. For 2025 the federal Basic Personal Amount is between $14,538 and $16,129 depending on income, and Ontario’s Basic Personal Amount is $12,747. EY

Ontario Health Premium

Ontario charges a separate Health Premium of up to $900 based on taxable income. Many newcomers are surprised by this line on their assessment since it is not part of the bracket rates. EY

Payroll deductions you will see on a pay stub

• CPP and CPP2. In 2025 employees contribute 5.95% on earnings between $3,500 and the YMPE $71,300. There is also a second tier, CPP2, at 4% on earnings between $71,300 and the YAMPE $81,200. Maximum employee amounts are $4,034.10 for CPP and $396 for CPP2. Employers match these amounts. Government of Canada
• EI. Employees pay 1.64% on insurable earnings up to $65,700 for a maximum annual premium of $1,077.48. Employers pay 1.4 times the employee amount. Government of Canada

Sales tax you will pay day to day

Ontario uses HST at 13% on most goods and services. This is separate from income tax and appears on your receipts. Government of Canada

What this means for a typical tech salary

Compared with many U.S. hubs, total tax is higher at the same pre-tax salary, but net pay is offset by lower health insurance costs and public services. Your exact take-home depends on credits, RRSP contributions, and whether you max CPP2 or EI during the year. Use the official CRA and employer payroll documents above as your source of truth when estimating. Government of Canada