Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Scarborough Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Scarborough

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,955 per month in London vs $1,988 in Scarborough, rent included.

A couple spends around $5,682 per month in London vs $2,869 in Scarborough, rent included.

A family of three spends $7,409 per month in London vs $3,749 in Scarborough, rent included.

London costs about 99% more than Scarborough, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both London and Scarborough sit above the global median – London by 196%, Scarborough by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.76 £20.00

$14.78 £11.05

81.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 £82.4

$69.5 £51.9

58.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.78 £8.06

$9.90 £7.40

8.89%

Cappuccino

$5.15 £3.85

$4.40 £3.29

17.05%

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

$2.77 £2.07

$2.10 £1.57

31.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 £1.39

$1.01 £0.75

85.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.61 £6.43

$5.89 £4.40

46.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.20 £6.13

$4.61 £3.45

77.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 £1.28

$1.51 £1.13

13.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.18 £1.63

$1.71 £1.28

27.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.56 £1.91

$2.55 £1.90

0.39%

Eggs

$5.00 £3.74

$3.77 £2.82

32.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.11 £8.30

$9.32 £6.97

19.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.76 £6.55

$8.27 £6.18

5.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.39 £10.75

$9.31 £6.96

54.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 £2.50

$3.33 £2.49

0.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 £1.51

$1.48 £1.11

36.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 £2.41

$1.45 £1.08

122.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.57 £2.67

$2.19 £1.64

63.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 £1.28

$1.19 £0.89

43.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 £1.34

$1.50 £1.12

20.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 £0.98

$1.04 £0.77

26.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 £1.45

$1.83 £1.37

6.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.15 £17.30

$11.44 £8.55

102.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.13 £9.81

$9.17 £6.85

43.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.29 £2.46

$2.68 £2.01

22.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 £2.91

$2.77 £2.07

40.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.97 £2.96

$3.13 £2.34

26.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$248 £186

$93.5 £69.9

165.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.02 £4.50

$4.29 £3.21

40.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.22 £2.41

$1.19 £0.89

170.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.78 £30.48

$16.12 £12.05

152.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 £1.39

$1.89 £1.41

-1.59%

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

$38.9K £29.1K

$36.7K £27.4K

5.93%

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

$38.9K £29.1K

$39.0K £29.2K

-0.38%

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

$322 £241

$272 £203

18.29%

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

$20.08 £15.00

$16.02 £11.97

25.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.65 £31.88

$33.53 £25.06

27.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.4 £48.16

$34.49 £25.78

86.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 £16.99

$13.08 £9.77

73.85%

Cinema Ticket

$20.28 £15.16

$10.87 £8.12

86.57%

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

$2,491 £1,862

$1,718 £1,284

44.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K £20.8K

$18.6K £13.9K

50.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$119 £88.6

$70.1 £52.4

69.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.79 £37.21

$37.38 £27.94

33.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 £98.3

$111 £82.7

18.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 £116

$88.9 £66.5

74.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,049 £2,279

$875 £654

248.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,282 £1,706

$836 £624

173.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,459 £4,080

$1,562 £1,167

249.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,728 £2,786

$1,244 £930

199.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.8K £14.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,391 £6,272

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,388 £3,280

$2,056 £1,537

113.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.05

5.45

-7.34%

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

Last update for London: July 21, 2026

Last update for Scarborough: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,049 in London versus $875 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 113% higher in London, 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 $110 in London versus $69.0 in Scarborough. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $337 vs $267 – making Scarborough the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

London vs Scarborough: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,955 in London, $1,988 in Scarborough – roughly 99% apart. London costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,933 per month in London and $2,982 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.

Groceries cost about 26% more in London, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $110 in London and $69.0 in Scarborough. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Scarborough, where all-in costs run around $1,988, than in London at $3,955. In Scarborough it covers expenses comfortably, while in London it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. London has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,988 in Scarborough to $3,955 in London. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, London makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.