You do not need a car in Toronto, especially if you live in the central area. Very few of my friends who live downtown, own a car and I gave up driving since I moved downtown. Everything you need is usually close by. As far as living expenses go, it's no more expensive than any other major city in Canada, except for the cost of housing. If you can find an inexpensive apartment, you'll be fine. Food is actually cheaper than most other parts of Canada. There are so many free events in this city, you don't need to spend a lot on entertainment. I think you can have a very good quality life in Toronto, even on a modest income.
Ibid.
I moved away from the spoils of deepest Willowdale 30 years ago, in my youth, destination downtown (Church/Isabella). I had a car at the time. Subsequently my parents went on vacation to Europe, and on the eve of their return, my dad called expecting that I would pick them up at the airport next day ...
"I've sold my car, dad, I can't meet you with my car".
My dad said "What????".
I responded that I just wasn't using the thing, it had been parked in the basement of the apartment all the time, collecting dust, so I seized the moment and got rid of the darned monster.
...
Then I spent the bulk of my career (downtown, of course) without a car, using mostly my feet to get to work and back, and sometimes the TTC. We would patronise little grocery stores and delis for our food and preparations, no big supermarkets for us, no need to buy in bulk ... and we always have fresh stuff in our kitchen; in other words, shopping's better that way.
Thirty years later we have a car, and for only one reason --- care of our aged parents. My Mom still lives in outermost Willowdale and my partner's parents are way out of town, and we are their appointed powers ... that's the only reason why we have an auto. Life is better on foot, and we are fit, baby, fit as fiddles, no spongey tissue around our middles. The human body is better maintained when
used, not transported by a ton of mechanics (handicaps aside of course).
Having said all of that, Toronto is two places, two cultures: the large, dense, well transit-served urban core and the car-driving 'burbs around it, and I have suburban friends who still find two things incredible: (1) that I did so well without an auto for years, and (2) that I don't carry extra weight around "at my age". Maybe I own a car but I still walk a lot.
Basically I am well travelled, I've seen lots of this world, and coming back to Toronto, I can say this place is a joy because we can live life in the way I have described. Toronto is not overrated.