Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Scarborough

For one person, living costs are similar in Berlin and in Scarborough: $2,551 and $2,466 a month, rent and utilities included.

124

Cost of Living Index in Berlin
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Berlin Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Scarborough
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Scarborough Living Index

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Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,551

/mo nomad

Scarborough

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,466

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Berlin 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 Berlin and in Scarborough actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,551 per month in Berlin vs $2,466 in Scarborough, rent included.

Berlin $2,551
Scarborough $2,466

A couple spends around $3,845 per month in Berlin vs $3,385 in Scarborough, rent included.

Berlin $3,845
Scarborough $3,385

A family of three spends $5,139 per month in Berlin vs $4,304 in Scarborough, rent included.

Berlin $5,139
Scarborough $4,304

Berlin costs about 3% more than Scarborough, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Berlin and Scarborough sit above the global median – Berlin by 89%, Scarborough by 83%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.81

$16.49 CA$23.31

0.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.7 €68.2

$68.8 CA$97.2

11.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.47 €11.98

$10.56 CA$14.93

27.56%

Cappuccino

$4.37 €3.89

$3.87 CA$5.47

12.92%

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

$3.48 €3.09

$2.07 CA$2.92

68.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 €2.77

$1.37 CA$1.94

127.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.34 €4.75

$6.24 CA$8.82

-14.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 €3.91

$7.08 CA$10.01

-37.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$2.51 CA$3.56

-49.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 €2.08

$2.68 CA$3.78

-13.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.40 €3.02

$2.13 CA$3.01

59.62%

Eggs

$4.50 €4.00

$3.45 CA$4.88

30.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.78 €14.93

$8.94 CA$12.63

87.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.91 €10.59

$11.01 CA$15.56

8.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.90 €15.92

$12.57 CA$17.77

42.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 €3.07

$3.22 CA$4.56

7.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 €1.73

$1.21 CA$1.71

61.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 €2.90

$3.39 CA$4.79

-3.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 €3.30

$4.00 CA$5.65

-7.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$1.65 CA$2.33

27.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$1.58 CA$2.24

32.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 €1.27

$2.28 CA$3.22

-37.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.84

$1.19 CA$1.68

-20.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.44 €9.29

$13.74 CA$19.43

-24.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.58 €5.85

$12.75 CA$18.03

-48.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.13

$2.11 CA$2.99

-39.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.85

$2.51 CA$3.55

-17.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.34 €3.86

$2.35 CA$3.32

84.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.6 €63.7

$103 CA$146

-30.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.26 €4.68

$2.95 CA$4.17

78.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.09 €2.75

$1.26 CA$1.79

145.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.34 €32.32

$21.32 CA$30.14

70.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.05

$1.21 CA$1.72

90.91%

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

$32.4K €28.8K

$27.5K CA$38.8K

18.12%

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

$38.6K €34.3K

$19.9K CA$28.1K

94.33%

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

$382 €340

$141 CA$199

171.54%

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

$18.83 €16.75

$34.98 CA$49.45

-46.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.57 €43.20

$47.92 CA$67.7

1.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.21 €35.76

$35.43 CA$50.1

13.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.90 €31.04

$35.38 CA$50.0

-1.36%

Cinema Ticket

$15.73 €14.00

$12.45 CA$17.60

26.35%

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

$142 €126

$808 CA$1,142

-82.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K €14.0K

$10.4K CA$14.7K

51.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.4 €84.8

$51.5 CA$72.9

85.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.32 €41.20

$39.00 CA$55.1

18.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.4

$84.4 CA$119

23.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €128

$103 CA$146

38.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 €1,306

$1,695 CA$2,396

-13.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 €991

$1,342 CA$1,898

-16.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,751 €2,447

$2,130 CA$3,011

29.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 €1,875

$1,736 CA$2,454

21.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,454 €7,520

$7,564 CA$10.7K

11.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,435 €4,834

$6,121 CA$8,653

-11.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,543 €3,151

$2,908 CA$4,111

21.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

4.55

-16.48%

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

Last update for Berlin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Scarborough: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Berlin

$1.1K 43.7%

Scarborough

$1.3K 54.4% 20.5% $228

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Berlin

$449 17.6%

Scarborough

$223 9.1% 50.2% $226

Groceries & Markets

Berlin

$343 13.4%

Scarborough

$323 13.1% 5.7% $20

Eating Out

Berlin

$288 11.3%

Scarborough

$269 10.9% 6.5% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Berlin

$175 6.9%

Scarborough

$125 5.1% 28.5% $50

Getting Around

Berlin

$110 4.3%

Scarborough

$122 5% 11.3% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Berlin

$72 2.8%

Scarborough

$60 2.5% 15.8% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,469 in Berlin versus $1,695 in Scarborough. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 22% higher in Berlin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77.0 in Berlin versus $69.0 in Scarborough. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $343 vs $323 – making Scarborough the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Berlin

🇨🇦 Scarborough

🕒 Local time

23:47 11:47 PM

17:47 5:47 PM

6 h behind Berlin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,769,962 Capital

29,960

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Berlin Scarborough 6,460 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Berlin
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

Berlin vs Scarborough: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 3%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,826 per month in Berlin and $3,699 in Scarborough. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Scarborough, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,551 in Berlin and $2,466 in Scarborough. That's a gap of about 3%.

Public transport costs about 44% less in Scarborough. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,551 in Berlin and $2,466 in Scarborough. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Scarborough – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Scarborough. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Berlin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.