Example cost of living in Toronto during the pandemic as a single

For anyone who’s planning to move to Toronto or curious to see how they stack with others, here’s my spending data over the past year (2020) and the four years prior.TL;DR: you need at least 40k net (52k gross) to live by yourself and have some extras on hobbies/fun, while saving nothing (which I would not recommend!) This is 4k lower than last year, because housing (rents) came down hard and all the expensive entertainment is closed. However, groceries went up by quite a bit so I’m not spending less on food even though I ate out less.I live alone and have uncomplicated tastes. I bought a condo in 2017 and rented prior to that; the location allows me to remain car-free, using Communauto when I need some wheels. I do not make an effort to be particularly frugal.Everyone’s situation is different; more than anything, your mileage may vary on any money issues. But it would be interesting to see similar breakdowns from others, figure out where I might be overspending, figure out where I could be allocating more. Feel free to ask any questions.There is a market rent comparison since my housing costs no longer accurately represent the situation of someone who just moved to town. At market conditions, it definitely pays to rent in Toronto in 2020.Discussions from 2019 (TO, PFC), 2018, 2017, 2016A few other cost of living threads from the past year:https://ift.tt/36aSACS (27k net as a couple!)https://ift.tt/3sZZPrp (50k net)StatsCan on average Canadians’ spending in 2019Also, this year marks a 5-year streak doing this yearly post! As long as the discussion is interesting, I’m happy to keep the series alive..20202019201820172016HouseholdRent16,20016,10015,90015,70016,200Appliances/Electronics1,4202,7302,4601,5301,900Cleaning, Repairs etc5105601,4607301,290Furniture2,070506509902,150Bills55050053056071020,20019,94021,00019,51022,250TransportationCar rental, gas, parking5705080290100Public transportation4002,0001,6002,2001,800Taxis0290290310809702,3401,9702,8001,980LivingGroceries4,8002,9702,4802,7904,080Dining out3,4304,1303,0402,7801,680Clothes1,5006308004801,000Personal care470350420340480Taxes350001001,100Insurance350330410300770Phone480510520600950Health40200610300350Bank charges, fees4302501701021011,8509,3708,4507,70010,620HobbiesLeisure7401,7901,4101,4901,240Sports2201,2606701,020800Going out7001,3401,5701,130550Computers1,0402,1401,3901,3001,250Photography00080002,7006,5305,0405,7403,840Small stuffGifts280450630640300Mail, office120130404010Misc3101703502001207107501,020880430Total spent36,43038,93037,48036,63039,120LoansMortgage Principal8,0008,0007,4007,400Total net income required44,43046,93044,88044,030.Market rent ($1700/1br)20,40022,800Less appliances, repairs-1,930Net required w/market rent38,70043,930.”Rent” and cost of housing explained:20202019201820172016Rent16,200Mortgage Interest6,2006,4006,6006,800Property Taxes2,1002,1002,1002,100Condo Fees7,9007,6007,2006,800Net housing costs16,20016,10015,90015,70016,200Mortgage Principal8,0008,0007,4007,400Total housing costs24,20024,10023,30023,10016,200and, comparing to an average Canadian household (2019, so this is pre-pandemic)….ShelterTransportationFoodHouseholdRecreationHealthClothingVicesEducationMiscAverage29.3%18.5%14.9%11.5%6.7%6.0%4.8%2.9%2.7%2.7%Me54%2.1%18.5%10.2%6.1%0.9%3.4%1.0%<1%3.8% via /r/PersonalFinanceCanada https://www.reddit.com/r/PersonalFinanceCanada/comments/l3eloa/example_cost_of_living_in_toronto_during_the/?utm_source=ifttt