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: $2,324 in Louisville, KY versus $2,658 in Scarborough.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,596 in Louisville, KY versus $3,512 in Scarborough.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,868 in Louisville, KY versus $4,366 in Scarborough.

Living in Louisville, KY costs roughly 13% less than in Scarborough, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Louisville, KY 73% above, Scarborough 98% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.69 $17.69

$18.64 CA$25.53

-5.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.7 $76.7

$80.7 CA$111

-4.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.02 $10.02

$11.10 CA$15.21

-9.73%

Cappuccino

$5.20 $5.20

$4.05 CA$5.55

28.40%

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

$2.32 $2.32

$2.10 CA$2.88

10.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.53 CA$2.09

32.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.85 $5.85

$5.74 CA$7.86

1.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.36 $7.36

$6.77 CA$9.28

8.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.50 $0.50

$2.39 CA$3.27

-79.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.46 CA$3.37

13.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.17 $5.17

$2.69 CA$3.69

92.19%

Eggs

$3.10 $3.10

$3.54 CA$4.84

-12.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.68 $15.68

$13.67 CA$18.73

14.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.14 $12.14

$11.13 CA$15.25

9.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.24 $14.24

$14.48 CA$19.83

-1.66%

Apples (1kg)

$5.34 $5.34

$3.57 CA$4.89

49.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.13 CA$1.55

34.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.24 $4.24

$2.82 CA$3.86

50.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.84 $5.84

$3.52 CA$4.83

65.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.65 $2.65

$1.64 CA$2.25

61.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.61 $2.61

$2.60 CA$3.56

0.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.17 CA$2.97

-9.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.57 CA$2.15

30.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.66 $8.66

$13.42 CA$18.38

-35.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.61 $15.61

$12.98 CA$17.78

20.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.44 CA$3.34

7.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 $3.35

$2.59 CA$3.55

29.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.74 $1.74

$2.46 CA$3.37

-29.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.5 $50.5

$106 CA$146

-52.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.16 CA$4.33

-11.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.23 CA$1.68

10.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.11 $30.11

$22.77 CA$31.20

32.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.09 CA$1.49

-17.43%

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

$35.1K $35.1K

$24.6K CA$33.8K

42.31%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$20.6K CA$28.3K

29.54%

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

$243 $243

$177 CA$243

36.99%

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

$55.9 $55.9

$42.82 CA$58.7

30.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.4 $61.4

$53.6 CA$73.4

14.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.01 $22.01

$37.51 CA$51.4

-41.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.12 $10.12

Cinema Ticket

$12.11 $12.11

$13.84 CA$18.97

-12.50%

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

$1,234 $1,234

$858 CA$1,176

43.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K $13.6K

$10.8K CA$14.8K

25.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.98 $48.98

$58.1 CA$79.6

-15.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.14 $43.14

$41.87 CA$57.4

3.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.7 $87.7

$85.6 CA$117

2.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.0 $98.0

$104 CA$143

-5.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,214 $1,214

$1,760 CA$2,412

-31.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,035 $1,035

$1,382 CA$1,894

-25.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,097 $2,097

$2,181 CA$2,988

-3.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,961 $1,961

$1,619 CA$2,218

21.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,726 $2,726

$7,929 CA$10.9K

-65.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,790 $1,790

$6,384 CA$8,747

-71.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,118 $4,118

$3,129 CA$4,287

31.61%

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: April 22, 2026

Last update for Scarborough: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,214 in Louisville, KY and $1,760 in Scarborough. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Louisville, KY pays 32% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $77 in Louisville, KY vs $81 in Scarborough. Groceries flip the comparison at $395 vs $348, 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 14% 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 32% 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: $1,214 in Louisville, KY versus $1,760 in Scarborough. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Scarborough pay roughly 14% 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 $77.0 versus $81.0 in Scarborough. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,324 in Louisville, KY versus $2,658 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 $2,324 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 14% less than in Scarborough. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.