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The Internet Compass

North America · Canada

Toronto

North America's largest non-US technology market, with strong AI research and immigration advantages.

Hub score
80

Composite of talent, capital, output

Cost of living
96

100 = US national average

Median rent
$1,980

Per month

Internet speed
178 Mbps

Toronto combines a deep engineering pipeline with immigration policy that is materially faster than the United States. For US companies, it is the standard answer to H-1B constraints without leaving the time zone.

Strengths

  • Fast, predictable immigration routes
  • Strong machine-learning research base
  • US time-zone alignment
  • Compensation 30–40% below US benchmarks

Watch-outs

  • Senior talent frequently recruited by US remote offers
  • Housing costs have risen sharply
  • Smaller local venture market
Population
2.9M
Timezone
UTC−5 / −4
Currency
CAD
Talent pool
290,000 technology workers
Visa note
Global Skills Strategy delivers work permits in roughly two weeks for eligible roles.

Compensation

What tech roles pay in Toronto

Median base salary by role, adjusted for the Toronto market.

Related

Compare with other markets