About this site

Sources and methodology

Cost-of-living comparisons are only as good as their data. Here's how we approach it, and where to find the official figures yourself.

Last reviewed October 30, 2026

Our approach

• We link to original sources. Government agencies, regulators, real estate boards and official city websites, rather than other comparison sites.
• We avoid stale averages. Housing prices and rents change monthly. Rather than repeating a number that will soon be out of date, we explain what drives the difference and link to where the current figure is published.
• We leave out what we can't source. If we can't confirm a current figure from an official source, we don't print one. We point you to where it is published.
• We show our working. Where we calculate something, like the land transfer tax example, we show the brackets and rates so you can check it.
• We compare like with like. The same home type, the same month or survey year, and the same geography (city vs census metropolitan area) where possible.

Key sources by topic

Housing

• London and St. Thomas Association of REALTORS (LSTAR): monthly market reports and MLS® HPI benchmarks for London.
• Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (TRREB): Market Watch and HPI benchmarks for Toronto and the GTA.
• Government of Ontario: land transfer tax rates and first-time buyer refunds.
• City of Toronto: Municipal Land Transfer Tax.

Rent

• Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC): Rental Market Survey and Housing Market Information Portal.
• Government of Ontario: rent increase guideline; Landlord and Tenant Board.

Property tax

• City of London and City of Toronto: annual tax rate by-laws and property tax pages.
• MPAC: property assessments.

Utilities and insurance

• Ontario Energy Board: electricity prices and bill calculator.
• Enbridge Gas, London Hydro, Toronto Hydro: rates and service areas.
• FSRA: auto insurance regulation and consumer information.

Transport

• CAA Driving Costs Calculator.
• London Transit Commission and TTC fares; VIA Rail schedules.

Family and income

• Government of Ontario: CWELCC childcare fees.
• Statistics Canada: Census income data by CMA.
• Government of Canada Job Bank: wages by occupation and region.

Figures used and their dates

• London home prices (MLS® HPI benchmarks, September 2026): LSTAR, Housing Sales Pick Up In September, released October 1, 2026.
• GTA home prices (MLS® HPI benchmarks, all TRREB areas, September 2026): TRREB MLS® HPI Public Tables, September 2026.
• Rents and vacancy (2025 survey, purpose-built rental): CMHC Rental Market Reports, December 2025.
• London 2026 residential tax rate (1.727111%): City of London, 2026 Tax Rates.
• Toronto 2026 residential tax rate (0.767311%): City of Toronto, Property Tax Rates and Fees.
• Water billing in London: City of London, Your water bill (London Hydro bills water on the City's behalf).
• Childcare: Ontario's Early Years and Child Care Annual Report 2025 and the Canada-Ontario agreement; the $10-a-day average is a target, not a confirmed current fee.

Income: we don't print a median household income figure because we couldn't confirm the Statistics Canada Census Profile values for both CMAs. Find them in the Census Profile.

Geography note

"London" and "Toronto" can mean the city or the wider census metropolitan area (CMA). The London CMA includes surrounding municipalities such as Strathroy-Caradoc, Middlesex Centre, Thames Centre and Central Elgin. The Toronto CMA includes much of the GTA. Real estate boards also use their own boundaries. We note which geography each source uses, and you should too when comparing.

What we don't do

• We don't publish a single "London is X% cheaper" headline. It hides too much.
• We don't invent or estimate figures we can't source.
• We don't give personal financial, tax or legal advice. For decisions, talk to a qualified professional.

Corrections

If you spot an error or an out-of-date figure, we want to fix it. Rules and rates change, and we review these pages periodically. Every page shows when it was last reviewed.

Disclosure

This site is sponsored by Rayna Elabed, Sales Representative, CENTURY 21 First Canadian Corp., Brokerage, in London. The sponsorship pays for the site. It doesn't change the data. Where a fact favours Toronto, we say so.