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: $2,230 in Louisville, KY versus $2,626 in Scarborough.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,400 in Louisville, KY versus $3,587 in Scarborough.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,570 in Louisville, KY versus $4,548 in Scarborough.

Living in Louisville, KY costs roughly 15% less than in Scarborough, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Louisville, KY 62% above, Scarborough 91% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.78 $14.78

$17.52 CA$24.24

-15.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.6 $73.6

$72.7 CA$101

1.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 $9.66

$10.88 CA$15.06

-11.21%

Cappuccino

$5.21 $5.21

$4.02 CA$5.56

29.60%

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

$2.15 $2.15

$2.05 CA$2.84

4.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.48 CA$2.05

7.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.84 $5.84

$6.54 CA$9.04

-10.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.14 $7.14

$7.08 CA$9.80

0.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.78 $0.78

$2.73 CA$3.78

-71.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.24 $3.24

$2.74 CA$3.79

18.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.17 $5.17

$2.47 CA$3.42

109.31%

Eggs

$3.71 $3.71

$3.80 CA$5.26

-2.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.47 $15.47

$9.94 CA$13.76

55.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.75 $11.75

$11.13 CA$15.39

5.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.36 $16.36

$13.90 CA$19.24

17.70%

Apples (1kg)

$5.65 $5.65

$3.40 CA$4.71

66.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.22 CA$1.69

36.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.68 $4.68

$3.53 CA$4.88

32.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.67 $4.67

$4.00 CA$5.53

16.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.93 CA$2.66

46.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.55 CA$2.14

87.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.32 CA$3.21

-2.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.44 CA$2.00

57.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.17 $9.17

$14.64 CA$20.26

-37.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.63 $15.63

$12.77 CA$17.67

22.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.33 CA$3.22

19.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 $3.91

$2.50 CA$3.45

56.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.73 $1.73

$2.34 CA$3.24

-26.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.0 $50.0

$107 CA$148

-53.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.08 CA$4.26

-11.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.23 CA$1.70

13.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.58 $30.58

$22.10 CA$30.58

38.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.21 CA$1.68

-27.27%

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

$37.1K $37.1K

$26.9K CA$37.2K

38.14%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$20.6K CA$28.5K

23.49%

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

$179 $179

$145 CA$201

23.39%

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

$59.7 $59.7

$37.44 CA$51.8

59.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.5 $67.5

$49.51 CA$68.5

36.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.45 $20.45

$36.30 CA$50.2

-43.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.44 $2.44

$36.50 CA$50.5

-93.32%

Cinema Ticket

$11.08 $11.08

$12.96 CA$17.94

-14.51%

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

$1,259 $1,259

$789 CA$1,091

59.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K $16.1K

$11.0K CA$15.2K

46.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.17 $49.17

$55.7 CA$77.1

-11.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.66 $41.66

$40.99 CA$56.7

1.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.7 $94.7

$85.1 CA$118

11.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 $111

$105 CA$145

6.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,536 $1,536

$1,745 CA$2,415

-11.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,018 $1,018

$1,394 CA$1,929

-26.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,970 $1,970

$2,208 CA$3,055

-10.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,913 $1,913

$1,775 CA$2,457

7.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,680 $2,680

$7,800 CA$10.8K

-65.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,802 $1,802

$6,095 CA$8,434

-70.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,027 $4,027

$3,015 CA$4,171

33.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.03

4.51

33.70%

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

Last update for Louisville, KY: August 29, 2026

Last update for Scarborough: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,536 in Louisville, KY and $1,745 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: $74.0 in Louisville, KY vs $73.0 in Scarborough for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $414 vs $343 per month, with Scarborough cheaper across the board.

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 18% 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.

Average pay runs 34% higher in Louisville, KY, 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: $1,536 in Louisville, KY versus $1,745 in Scarborough. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Scarborough pay roughly 21% 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 $74.0 versus $73.0 in Scarborough. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Louisville, KY is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Louisville, KY delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,230 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 18% less than in Scarborough. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.