Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Scarborough, Canada

Name: Scarborough
Address: Scarborough, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,064 a month against $2,561 in Scarborough, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Scarborough
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Scarborough Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

Scarborough

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,561

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,064 per month in Montreal vs $2,561 in Scarborough, rent included.

Montreal $2,064
Scarborough $2,561

A couple spends around $3,156 per month in Montreal vs $3,474 in Scarborough, rent included.

Montreal $3,156
Scarborough $3,474

A family of three spends $4,247 per month in Montreal vs $4,388 in Scarborough, rent included.

Montreal $4,247
Scarborough $4,388

Montreal is about 19% cheaper than Scarborough, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Montreal and Scarborough sit above the global median – Montreal by 52%, Scarborough by 88%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.98 CA$26.53

$17.32 CA$24.21

9.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.0 CA$102

$70.3 CA$98.3

3.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 CA$15.21

$10.89 CA$15.22

-0.09%

Cappuccino

$3.81 CA$5.33

$3.99 CA$5.57

-4.51%

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

$1.94 CA$2.71

$2.03 CA$2.84

-4.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$1.47 CA$2.05

7.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.37 CA$8.90

$6.55 CA$9.15

-2.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.26 CA$10.15

$7.29 CA$10.18

-0.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.11

$2.51 CA$3.51

-11.16%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 CA$4.44

$2.63 CA$3.68

20.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 CA$4.62

$2.28 CA$3.19

45.18%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.07

$3.64 CA$5.09

-0.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.16 CA$18.39

$9.14 CA$12.78

43.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.56 CA$16.16

$11.44 CA$15.99

1.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 CA$19.17

$12.96 CA$18.12

5.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 CA$4.60

$3.43 CA$4.79

-4.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.04

$1.21 CA$1.69

20.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 CA$4.71

$3.34 CA$4.67

0.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 CA$4.40

$4.17 CA$5.82

-24.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 CA$2.64

$1.69 CA$2.37

11.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.51

$1.68 CA$2.35

6.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CA$3.45

$2.20 CA$3.08

12.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$1.26 CA$1.76

25.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.28 CA$15.77

$14.00 CA$19.56

-19.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.49 CA$14.67

$12.58 CA$17.59

-16.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 CA$3.26

$2.19 CA$3.06

6.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.07

$2.55 CA$3.57

14.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.65

$2.40 CA$3.35

8.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$111

$105 CA$147

-24.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 CA$4.56

$3.06 CA$4.28

6.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 CA$2.01

$1.28 CA$1.79

12.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.43 CA$46.73

$22.52 CA$31.47

48.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 CA$1.86

$1.25 CA$1.75

6.40%

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

$28.6K CA$40.0K

$26.1K CA$36.5K

9.52%

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

$21.1K CA$29.5K

$21.7K CA$30.4K

-2.87%

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

$80.1 CA$112

$137 CA$192

-41.71%

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

$34.30 CA$47.94

$35.21 CA$49.21

-2.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.85 CA$59.9

$48.56 CA$67.9

-11.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.14 CA$43.53

$35.87 CA$50.1

-13.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 CA$27.12

$35.96 CA$50.3

-46.02%

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 CA$15.69

$12.95 CA$18.11

-13.28%

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

$525 CA$734

$749 CA$1,047

-29.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K CA$22.8K

$10.8K CA$15.1K

51.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 CA$81.1

$53.4 CA$74.7

8.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 CA$53.3

$40.94 CA$57.2

-6.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$131

$85.1 CA$119

9.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

$105 CA$147

5.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,285 CA$1,796

$1,744 CA$2,438

-26.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,365

$1,415 CA$1,978

-30.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,271 CA$3,174

$2,122 CA$2,966

6.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,665 CA$2,327

$1,758 CA$2,457

-5.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,139 CA$7,183

$7,770 CA$10.9K

-33.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,834 CA$5,359

$6,085 CA$8,504

-36.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,002 CA$4,196

$2,980 CA$4,164

0.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

4.55

-1.54%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 25, 2026

Last update for Scarborough: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.3%

Scarborough

$1.4K 55.3% 44.9% $438

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17%

Scarborough

$331 12.9% 5.8% $20

Eating Out

Montreal

$291 14.1%

Scarborough

$280 11% 3.6% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$157 7.6%

Scarborough

$221 8.6% 40.7% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$135 6.5%

Scarborough

$128 5% 5.1% $6.9

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Scarborough

$124 4.8% 23.9% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Scarborough

$62 2.4% 15.3% $8.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,285 in Montreal versus $1,744 in Scarborough. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73 in Montreal versus $70 in Scarborough. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $331 – making Scarborough the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇦 Scarborough

🕒 Local time

08:56 8:56 AM

Same time as Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

29,960

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Montreal Scarborough 490 km

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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

Montreal vs Scarborough: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Scarborough costs about 24% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,096 per month in Montreal and $3,841 in Scarborough. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Montreal, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,285 there versus $1,744 in Scarborough.

Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in Scarborough – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73 in Montreal and $70 in Scarborough. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,064 in Montreal and $2,561 in Scarborough. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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