Cost of Living Comparison Between Louisville, KY and Scarborough Cost of Living Comparison Between Louisville, KY and Scarborough

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,328 in Louisville, KY versus $2,593 in Scarborough.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,534 in Louisville, KY versus $3,460 in Scarborough.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,740 in Louisville, KY versus $4,326 in Scarborough.

Living in Louisville, KY costs roughly 10% less than in Scarborough, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Louisville, KY 74% above, Scarborough 94% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.82 $17.82

$18.26 CA$25.46

-2.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.4 $78.4

$80.0 CA$112

-2.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.92 $9.92

$11.16 CA$15.56

-11.11%

Cappuccino

$5.16 $5.16

$4.22 CA$5.88

22.27%

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

$2.33 $2.33

$2.17 CA$3.03

7.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.51 CA$2.10

28.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.01 $6.01

$5.74 CA$8.01

4.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.61 $7.61

$6.57 CA$9.16

15.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.50 $0.50

$2.40 CA$3.34

-79.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.56 CA$3.57

6.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.27 $5.27

$2.69 CA$3.75

95.91%

Eggs

$3.09 $3.09

$3.53 CA$4.92

-12.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.37 $15.37

$13.56 CA$18.92

13.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.06 $12.06

$11.54 CA$16.09

4.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.63 $14.63

$14.90 CA$20.78

-1.81%

Apples (1kg)

$5.48 $5.48

$3.45 CA$4.81

58.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.13 CA$1.58

32.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.24 $4.24

$2.95 CA$4.11

43.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.83 $5.83

$3.53 CA$4.93

65.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.60 CA$2.23

66.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.68 $2.68

$2.60 CA$3.63

3.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 $1.86

$2.21 CA$3.08

-15.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.59 CA$2.22

24.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.68 $8.68

$13.38 CA$18.66

-35.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.89 $15.89

$12.76 CA$17.79

24.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 $2.64

$2.52 CA$3.52

4.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 $3.21

$2.53 CA$3.53

26.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.41 CA$3.35

-29.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.6 $50.6

$105 CA$146

-51.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.77 $2.77

$3.10 CA$4.33

-10.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.23 CA$1.72

17.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 $30.45

$23.02 CA$32.10

32.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$1.10 CA$1.54

-24.55%

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

$35.3K $35.3K

$24.7K CA$34.4K

42.97%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$21.3K CA$29.7K

26.80%

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

$237 $237

$179 CA$250

32.22%

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

$55.8 $55.8

$42.53 CA$59.3

31.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.1 $61.1

$53.7 CA$74.9

13.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.91 $21.91

$37.41 CA$52.2

-41.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.13 $10.13

Cinema Ticket

$11.85 $11.85

$14.24 CA$19.85

-16.78%

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

$1,273 $1,273

$843 CA$1,176

50.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K $13.7K

$10.8K CA$15.1K

26.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.78 $48.78

$57.8 CA$80.5

-15.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.69 $43.69

$43.00 CA$60.0

1.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 $85.5

$86.1 CA$120

-0.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.0 $96.0

$103 CA$143

-6.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 $1,212

$1,740 CA$2,426

-30.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,037 $1,037

$1,400 CA$1,952

-25.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 $2,095

$2,203 CA$3,071

-4.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,994 $1,994

$1,629 CA$2,272

22.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,746 $2,746

$7,653 CA$10.7K

-64.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,817 $1,817

$6,335 CA$8,834

-71.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,067 $4,067

$3,040 CA$4,239

33.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.61

6.08

8.72%

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

Last update for Louisville, KY: June 2, 2026

Last update for Scarborough: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,212 in Louisville, KY and $1,740 in Scarborough. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Louisville, KY pays 34% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $78.0 in Louisville, KY vs $80.0 in Scarborough. Groceries flip the comparison at $395 vs $352, with Scarborough cheaper for home cooking.

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

Louisville, KY vs Scarborough: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Louisville, KY wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Scarborough. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Louisville, KY the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Louisville, KY pays 34% more on average, 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: $1,212 in Louisville, KY versus $1,740 in Scarborough. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Scarborough pay roughly 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Louisville, KY – a meal for two runs $78.0 versus $80.0 in Scarborough. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,328 in Louisville, KY versus $2,593 in Scarborough, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Louisville, KY but tight or insufficient in Scarborough. The gap between the two cities makes Louisville, KY the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Louisville, KY delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,328 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Louisville, KY hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Louisville, KY gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Scarborough. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.