The tax is added at the till
Ontario charges 13 per cent HST and it is not included in displayed prices. A $20 restaurant main is $22.60 before service; a $200 hotel room is $226 plus a municipal accommodation tax.
Basic groceries are exempt. This surprises visitors from almost everywhere except the United States.
Tipping is expected
15 to 20 per cent in restaurants and bars, calculated on the pre-tax total. Card terminals prompt with suggested percentages, sometimes computed on the post-tax figure — entering a custom amount is entirely normal.
A dollar or two per drink at a bar. 10 to 15 per cent for taxis. A few dollars a night for housekeeping.
Not tipping in a sit-down restaurant will be noticed.
Money
The Canadian dollar. Canada is largely cashless — cards and contactless everywhere, including transit and markets.
There is no $1 or $2 note; those are coins, the loonie and the toonie.
Transit
One tap gives two hours of unlimited travel on the TTC including transfers and return journeys. Tap even when boarding a streetcar through a rear door.
The winter
Genuinely cold from December to March. Boots with grip matter more than a heavier coat — freeze-thaw produces ice on every pavement.
Watch the wind chill rather than the temperature. See winter in Toronto.
Alcohol and cannabis
Legal drinking age in Ontario is 19. Alcohol is sold at the LCBO, The Beer Store, some grocery stores and — since 2024 — convenience stores.
Cannabis is legal in Canada for adults, sold in licensed shops, of which Toronto has a great many. Public consumption is permitted where smoking is permitted, which does not include indoor public places, restaurant patios or most parks. Do not attempt to take any across a border, including back to the United States.
Safety
Toronto is a safe city by North American standards. Ordinary care downtown at night.
There is a visible homelessness and opioid crisis in parts of the core, particularly around Moss Park and parts of the subway system, and it has become a live political issue. It is a public health failure rather than a danger to visitors.
Health
Canada’s healthcare is not free to visitors. Travel insurance is essential — a hospital stay is expensive.
Pharmacies are Shoppers Drug Mart and Rexall, widely open late.
Emergency numbers
911 for police, fire and ambulance.
Odds and ends
Driving is on the right. Turning right on a red light is permitted after stopping, unless signed otherwise.
Plugs are North American two- or three-pin, 120V — the same as the United States.
Tap water is excellent and free everywhere.
Smoking and vaping are banned in enclosed public places and on restaurant and bar patios.