Apply for your Social Insurance Number (SIN) on day one
Required for any paid work in Canada. Free, takes 10 minutes at a Service Canada office. Bring passport + Canadian study permit + proof of address. Get it in your first week.
Living in Toronto
Cold, cosmopolitan, expensive housing — Canada's biggest international student magnet. Playbook for UofT, Toronto Metropolitan, York.
Photo: Unsplash · representative city image
Toronto hosts the University of Toronto (Canada's largest + most international university), Toronto Metropolitan (TMU, formerly Ryerson), and York. The city is the most multicultural metro in the world by some metrics — 50%+ of residents were born outside Canada. Housing is the conversation: rent has roughly doubled since 2015, and StudentHousing-style operators have proliferated to fill the gap. This guide covers the TTC + PRESTO setup, the SIN-number application, why January in Toronto is a different sport than January in the US Midwest, and the small things that make Toronto feel like home.
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Living in Toronto
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Specific, actionable things that change your life.
Get a PRESTO card or open Apple Pay tap for TTC
PRESTO is Toronto's transit card. Adult fare is $3.30, student concession is $2.40 with PRESTO + valid student ID. Or use Apple Pay / Google Pay tap-to-pay on subway turnstiles + bus readers.
Open a Canadian bank account immediately
RBC, TD, Scotiabank all have international student programs with no monthly fees in your first 1-2 years. Walk in with passport + study permit + admission letter — no SIN needed for a basic chequing account.
Get OHIP coverage (if eligible) or activate UHIP
Ontario residents are eligible for OHIP (public health insurance) after 3 months. Until then, UHIP (University Health Insurance Plan) covers you. UofT auto-enrols you; opt-out only if you have equivalent.
Buy a real winter coat by mid-November
Toronto winters drop to -20°C with wind-chill. A normal jacket doesn't work. Canada Goose, Mountain Equipment Co-op, or thrift store finds at Value Village. Budget CAD $200-400.
Don't do this
Mistakes other students consistently make.
Don't sign a Kensington Market basement without checking the heating
Many Toronto basement apartments are notoriously cold + damp in winter. Ask about heating type (radiator > forced air > electric baseboard). Visit in person before committing.
Don't ignore the SCS (Student Conduct Standard) at UofT
UofT has stricter academic-integrity rules than most non-Canadian universities. International students get caught most often. Read your faculty's academic-integrity orientation.
Don't jaywalk downtown
Toronto police give jaywalking tickets ($35-100) more often than other Canadian cities. Cross at intersections.
Don't tip below 15% at restaurants
Canadian tipping is similar to US — 15-20% at restaurants. 18% is the standard. Tipping less is a social violation.
First week
In your first 7 days.
Ordered by urgency. Top items have hard deadlines.
- 1
Apply for SIN at the nearest Service Canada office
- 2
Open a Canadian bank account (RBC, TD, or Scotiabank with international student program)
- 3
Get a PRESTO card at any subway station or load TTC fares to Apple/Google Pay
- 4
Activate UHIP (or apply for OHIP if eligible)
- 5
Get a Canadian SIM (Public Mobile, Koodo, or Fido — student rates available)
- 6
Register your Canadian address with the international office
- 7
Visit your faculty's international student advising office in week 1
Local customs
The unwritten rules.
Toronto is multicultural by default
Half of Toronto residents were born outside Canada. The 'mainstream' assumes diversity. Don't expect to encounter the same culture-shock interactions as in smaller Canadian cities.
Hockey is the city's secular religion
Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL) + Toronto Raptors (NBA) + Toronto FC (MLS) — but hockey is the dominant winter conversation. Even a casual 'who's playing tonight' helps with small talk.
Tim Hortons coffee is a national ritual
Order a 'double-double' (two cream, two sugar) to fit in. Tim Hortons is everywhere. Coffee quality is middling; cultural significance is unmatched.
Safety
Honest, not paranoid.
Toronto is among the safer big North American cities
Violent crime rates are well below US peer cities. Standard urban awareness. Subway is safe even late at night, though crowded weekend cars near downtown clubs can have issues.
Winter safety: salt the sidewalk, watch for black ice
Hidden black ice on sidewalks causes more student injuries than crime does. Wear boots with grip. Watch your step at intersections.
Save 911 emergency + 311 non-emergency
Standard North American emergency numbers. 311 for noise complaints, missed garbage, transit issues. Toronto Police non-emergency: 416-808-2222.
Insider savings
Where the math wins.
Toronto Public Library card is free + powerful
Free library card with proof of Toronto address. Includes free streaming (Hoopla, Kanopy), free e-books, free museum passes (Toronto Zoo, Royal Ontario Museum), free 3-month subscriptions to Globe and Mail / NYT.
Loblaws + Metro PC Optimum points are real
Loblaws (and its budget chain No Frills) plus Metro have PC Optimum points programs. Sign up — point-redemption can save CAD $40-60/month on groceries over a year.
Student concession at all major museums
ROM, AGO, Aga Khan Museum all do student rates. AGO is free on Wednesday evenings for students.
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