Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Scarborough, Canada

Name: Scarborough
Address: Scarborough, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,553 in Scarborough, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Scarborough outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Scarborough
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Scarborough Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Scarborough

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,553

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,107 per month in San Jose vs $2,553 in Scarborough, rent included.

San Jose $2,107
Scarborough $2,553

A couple spends around $3,081 per month in San Jose vs $3,473 in Scarborough, rent included.

San Jose $3,081
Scarborough $3,473

A family of three spends $4,054 per month in San Jose vs $4,393 in Scarborough, rent included.

San Jose $4,054
Scarborough $4,393

San Jose is about 17% cheaper than Scarborough, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Jose and Scarborough sit above the global median – San Jose by 56%, Scarborough by 89%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,563

$16.90 CA$23.69

-26.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$71.4 CA$100

-12.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,264

$10.76 CA$15.09

8.83%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$4.26 CA$5.97

6.57%

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

$2.04 CA$2.87

34.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$1.49 CA$2.09

24.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

$6.60 CA$9.25

-49.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

$7.24 CA$10.15

-40.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,061

$2.49 CA$3.49

-5.22%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$2.62 CA$3.68

17.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,128

$2.35 CA$3.30

6.81%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$3.60 CA$5.04

-1.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,738

$9.16 CA$12.84

15.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,754

$10.96 CA$15.36

-3.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,261

$12.78 CA$17.92

8.92%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,338

$3.47 CA$4.86

49.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

$1.23 CA$1.72

34.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,198

$3.37 CA$4.72

45.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

$4.23 CA$5.93

-9.22%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$1.61 CA$2.26

142.86%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,692

$1.70 CA$2.39

121.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.26 CA$3.16

-50.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$1.23 CA$1.72

161.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,706

$14.17 CA$19.86

-57.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,919

$12.92 CA$18.10

53.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,264

$2.22 CA$3.12

26.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,643

$2.47 CA$3.46

47.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

$2.30 CA$3.23

-53.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

$105 CA$147

-37.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$3.10 CA$4.35

-27.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

$1.26 CA$1.77

41.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

$22.21 CA$31.13

-64.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡673

$1.27 CA$1.78

18.11%

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

$33.5K ₡15.1M

$26.0K CA$36.5K

28.60%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$22.0K CA$30.8K

92.22%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$139 CA$196

-33.18%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$34.16 CA$47.88

5.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$49.83 CA$69.9

21.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

$35.22 CA$49.37

95.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

$35.26 CA$49.43

-29.27%

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,449

$13.03 CA$18.26

-41.14%

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

$972 ₡436.9K

$756 CA$1,059

28.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$19.0K CA$26.7K

-0.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

$51.4 CA$72.0

37.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$41.58 CA$58.3

36.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$85.7 CA$120

50.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$104 CA$145

26.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.9K

$1,728 CA$2,422

-32.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.1K

$1,409 CA$1,975

-33.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.0K

$2,177 CA$3,052

-8.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.5K

$1,769 CA$2,479

-20.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$7,756 CA$10.9K

-65.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

$6,109 CA$8,563

-66.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

$3,014 CA$4,225

-67.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.55

89.45%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for Scarborough: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Scarborough

$1.4K 55.2% 49.4% $466

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Scarborough

$329 12.9% 18.4% $74

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Scarborough

$280 11% 20.6% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Scarborough

$223 8.8% 17.7% $34

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Scarborough

$127 5% 27% $47

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Scarborough

$61 2.4% 27.3% $23

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Scarborough

$124 4.9% 53.3% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,170 in San Jose versus $1,728 in Scarborough. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Scarborough are about 3.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Jose versus $71 in Scarborough. Groceries tell a different story – $403 in San Jose vs $329 in Scarborough – so Scarborough wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇨🇦 Scarborough

🕒 Local time

01:05 1:05 AM

02:05 2:05 AM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

29,960

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.635 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.635 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Jose Scarborough 3,790 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
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

San Jose vs Scarborough: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Scarborough is pricier by about 21%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,161 per month in San Jose and $3,830 in Scarborough. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Jose, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,170 there versus $1,728 in Scarborough.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Jose and $71 in Scarborough. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,107 in San Jose and $2,553 in Scarborough. That makes San Jose about 17% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $2,107, than in Scarborough at $2,553. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Scarborough it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. San Jose has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,107 in San Jose to $2,553 in Scarborough. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with San Jose. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Scarborough makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.