Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ontario, CA and Scarborough, Canada

Name: Scarborough
Address: Scarborough, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Scarborough: $2,561 a month against $3,259 in Ontario, CA, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

156

Cost of Living Index in Ontario, CA
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Ontario, CA Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Scarborough
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Scarborough Living Index

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Ontario, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,259

/mo nomad

Scarborough

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,561

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,259 in Ontario, CA versus $2,561 in Scarborough.

Ontario, CA $3,259
Scarborough $2,561

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,446 in Ontario, CA versus $3,474 in Scarborough.

Ontario, CA $4,446
Scarborough $3,474

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,634 in Ontario, CA versus $4,388 in Scarborough.

Ontario, CA $5,634
Scarborough $4,388

Living in Ontario, CA is roughly 27% more expensive than in Scarborough, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ontario, CA 139% above, Scarborough 88% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$17.32 CA$24.20

16.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.3 $76.3

$70.3 CA$98.3

8.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.80 $14.80

$10.89 CA$15.22

35.90%

Cappuccino

$5.86 $5.86

$3.99 CA$5.57

46.87%

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

$3.19 $3.19

$2.03 CA$2.84

57.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.47 CA$2.05

60.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.09 $7.09

$6.55 CA$9.15

8.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.62 $9.62

$7.29 CA$10.18

31.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$2.51 CA$3.51

-56.57%

White Bread (500g)

$4.12 $4.12

$2.63 CA$3.68

56.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$2.28 CA$3.19

106.14%

Eggs

$4.73 $4.73

$3.64 CA$5.09

29.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 $13.18

$9.14 CA$12.77

44.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.78 $8.78

$11.44 CA$15.99

-23.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.36 $15.36

$12.96 CA$18.11

18.52%

Apples (1kg)

$4.60 $4.60

$3.43 CA$4.79

34.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.21 CA$1.69

41.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.08 $4.08

$3.34 CA$4.67

22.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$4.17 CA$5.82

30.70%

Potato (1kg)

$3.60 $3.60

$1.69 CA$2.37

113.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.68 CA$2.35

33.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.20 CA$3.08

-10.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.26 CA$1.76

53.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.01 $12.01

$14.00 CA$19.56

-14.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 $14.99

$12.58 CA$17.58

19.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$2.19 CA$3.06

-12.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 $4.29

$2.55 CA$3.57

68.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.40 CA$3.35

-17.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.16 $45.16

$105 CA$147

-56.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.38 $6.38

$3.06 CA$4.28

108.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 CA$1.79

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.52 CA$31.46

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.25 CA$1.75

16.00%

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

$29.0K $29.0K

$26.1K CA$36.5K

11.04%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$21.7K CA$30.4K

24.25%

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

$216 $216

$137 CA$192

57.21%

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

$68.6 $68.6

$35.21 CA$49.20

94.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.4 $63.4

$48.56 CA$67.9

30.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.73 $47.73

$35.87 CA$50.1

33.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.40 $29.40

$35.96 CA$50.2

-18.24%

Cinema Ticket

$17.76 $17.76

$12.95 CA$18.10

37.14%

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

$1,169 $1,169

$749 CA$1,047

55.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K CA$15.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 $58.5

$53.4 CA$74.6

9.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 $40.06

$40.94 CA$57.2

-2.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 $93.6

$85.1 CA$119

10.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$105 CA$147

-0.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,829 $1,829

$1,744 CA$2,437

4.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,891 $1,891

$1,415 CA$1,977

33.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,154 $3,154

$2,122 CA$2,966

48.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,621 $2,621

$1,758 CA$2,457

49.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,369 $4,369

$7,770 CA$10.9K

-43.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,557 $3,557

$6,085 CA$8,502

-41.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,635 $3,635

$2,980 CA$4,163

21.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

4.55

40.44%

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

Last update for Ontario, CA: 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

Ontario, CA

$1.9K 58%

Scarborough

$1.4K 55.3% 25.2% $476

Groceries & Markets

Ontario, CA

$391 12%

Scarborough

$331 12.9% 15.3% $60

Eating Out

Ontario, CA

$353 10.8%

Scarborough

$280 11% 20.7% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ontario, CA

$348 10.7%

Scarborough

$221 8.6% 36.4% $127

Clothing & Footwear

Ontario, CA

$133 4.1%

Scarborough

$128 5% 4.1% $5.4

Sport & Entertainment

Ontario, CA

$83 2.6%

Scarborough

$62 2.4% 25.8% $21

Getting Around

Ontario, CA

$59 * 1.8%

Scarborough

$124 4.8% 108% $64

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,829 in Ontario, CA and $1,744 in Scarborough. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ontario, CA pays 22% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $76 in Ontario, CA vs $70 in Scarborough for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $391 vs $331 per month, with Scarborough cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ontario, CA

🇨🇦 Scarborough

🕒 Local time

11:34 11:34 AM

14:34 2:34 PM

3 h ahead of Ontario, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

185,000

29,960

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ontario, CA Scarborough 3,460 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ontario, CA
Scarborough

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

Ontario, CA vs Scarborough: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Scarborough is about 21% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 22% higher in Ontario, CA, 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: $1,829 in Ontario, CA versus $1,744 in Scarborough. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,169 in Ontario, CA versus $749 in Scarborough. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Ontario, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Scarborough is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Scarborough wins on affordability, Ontario, CA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.