Toronto's Transit System Is One Of The Most Expensive In The World & It's About To Get Worse

© Provided by Narcity Canada

If you sweat every time you tap your Presto Card, you're probably not alone. A new study revealed the most expensive public transport fares in major cities around the world and Toronto ranked high on the list.

The study, which was published by bargain-hunting platform Picodi on March 15, 2023, compared the cost of public transit to the average net wage in 45 cities across the globe.

All prices were converted into USD and all forms of public transport were considered in the study.

Toronto's single tickets cost an average of $2.38 USD which is pretty standard when compared to other cities. The highest-ranked spots in this portion of the study are London ($5.19), Zurich ($4.75) and Oslo ($3.91).

As for monthly passes, Toronto scores a bit higher up at $116. The most expensive cities are London ($271), Dublin ($166) and New York ($127).

Picodi then looked at the monthly pass prices compared to average monthly wages. Toronto ranked 4th for the highest proportion of income spent on transit.

The study revealed that a monthly pass costs 3.7% of the average net wage in Toronto. While London is still more expensive at 7.4%, Toronto beats New York which has an average of 2.1% of income spent on transit.

When looking at only Canadian cities, Calgary comes in at the top of the list for the most expensive single fare at $3.60 CAD. Toronto has the most expensive monthly pass which costs $156 CAD.

The bad news is, the cost of transit in Toronto is about to get worse. Starting April 3, 2023, the Toronto Transit Commission is increasing fares for youth and adults by 10 cents. Monthly passes will remain the same for now.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.