Hey Man. Congrats on the new job. I grew up in Mississauga and work in the "downtown" area. I live in Toronto, however, because Mississauga is not for everybody.

Have you considered living in the west end of Toronto? It's much more appropriate for someone young who is new to the area.

You need to keep in mind that Mississauga is a massive suburb and not a proper city in a traditional sense. There is no walkable downtown or "main st", just a big shopping mall that everyone drives to. People who live in Mississauga stick to themselves and mostly socialize exclusively with family or people they've known since high school. It's likely going to be very lonely for you. You could hang out in a park or go to the mall, or a chain restaurant, but that's about it.

Toronto, on the other hand is a massive city with young people from all over the world looking to make friends and have fun. There's unlimited stuff to do and you can walk or take transit to all of it.

Commuting to Mississauga will be a bit of a hassle, but it will be worth it for how much richer the rest of your life will be in the city.

I would look for an apartment in a house in one of the more reasonable-ish west Toronto neighbourhoods. Wallace Emerson, Brockton, Bloordale Village and the Junction Triangle - one of those. Accommodations won't be fancy, but you'll be in the shit, living the prime of your life in literally one of the most exciting communities in North America. Toronto is already a bigger city than Chicago and growing exponentially.

Don't sell your life short just to be close to work, it's not worth it. When you're 40 with two kids looking for some space, sure, head to Mississauga, but not now dude.