Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Scarborough

For one person, living is cheaper in Scarborough: $2,130 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
103

Cost of Living Index in Scarborough
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Scarborough Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Scarborough

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,130

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Scarborough

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Austin, TX and in Scarborough actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,130 in Scarborough.

Austin, TX $2,698
Scarborough $2,130

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,096 in Scarborough.

Austin, TX $4,160
Scarborough $3,096

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,062 in Scarborough.

Austin, TX $5,622
Scarborough $4,062

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 27% more expensive than in Scarborough, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Scarborough 57% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$15.36 £11.53

34.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$71.1 £53.4

18.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$12.12 £9.09

-0.41%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$3.51 £2.63

56.13%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 $3.80

$2.05 £1.53

85.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.02 £0.77

142.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$4.58 £3.44

75.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$4.29 £3.22

106.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.29 £0.97

-13.95%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$1.37 £1.03

171.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$1.08 £0.81

212.04%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$3.60 £2.70

20.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$7.92 £5.94

65.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$7.18 £5.39

97.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$13.94 £10.46

17.14%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$3.13 £2.35

45.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.99 £1.49

-26.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$2.65 £1.99

77.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$2.09 £1.57

98.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.74 £1.30

48.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.62 £1.21

45.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.15 £0.87

53.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.91 £1.43

12.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$22.58 £16.94

-55.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$9.59 £7.19

58.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$3.65 £2.74

-22.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.60 £2.70

-4.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$3.30 £2.48

-53.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$86.0 £64.5

-52.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$5.73 £4.30

-51.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$4.97 £3.73

-67.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$33.58 £25.19

2.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.98 £1.48

-52.53%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.0K $34.0K

$36.0K £27.0K

-5.53%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.8K $26.8K

$39.9K £29.9K

-32.94%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$223 $223

$356 £267

-37.47%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$58.9 $58.9

$25.99 £19.50

126.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$32.74 £24.56

115.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$66.1 £49.59

-12.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

$12.67 £9.50

30.47%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$10.66 £7.99

33.77%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,511 $1,511

$1,804 £1,353

-16.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$14.7K £11.1K

41.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$66.3 £49.73

-22.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$35.54 £26.66

24.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$108 £81.3

-19.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$114 £85.2

-8.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$867 £651

123.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$831 £624

58.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,524 £1,143

140.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,365 £1,024

87.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$910 £683

480.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

5.53

22.78%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Scarborough: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Scarborough

$831 39% 36.9% $485

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Scarborough

$276 13% 32% $130

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Scarborough

$415 19.5% 17.8% $63

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Scarborough

$245 11.5% 30% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Scarborough

$146 6.8% 12.9% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Scarborough

$87 4.1% 1.4% $1.2

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Scarborough

$130 6.1% 124% $72

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $867 in Scarborough. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 481% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $71.0 in Scarborough for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $276 per month, with Scarborough cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇬🇧 Scarborough

🕒 Local time

07:28 7:28 AM

13:28 1:28 PM

6 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

61,749

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇬🇧 British Pound (£)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

GBP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Scarborough 7,760 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Scarborough

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Austin, TX vs Scarborough: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Scarborough wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Scarborough the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 481% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $867 in Scarborough. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,698 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,130 in Scarborough – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Scarborough runs roughly 110% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,130 in Scarborough versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Scarborough but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Scarborough the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Scarborough are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Scarborough gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.