Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Scarborough and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Scarborough: $2,466 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Scarborough
Learn more

Scarborough Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index

Jump to prices

Scarborough

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,466

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Scarborough and in Austin, TX

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Scarborough and in Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,466 in Scarborough versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Scarborough $2,466
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,385 in Scarborough versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Scarborough $3,385
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,304 in Scarborough versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Scarborough $4,304
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Scarborough costs roughly 7% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Scarborough 83% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.49 CA$23.31

$20.77 $20.77

-20.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.8 CA$97.2

$84.6 $84.6

-18.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 CA$14.93

$12.32 $12.32

-14.29%

Cappuccino

$3.87 CA$5.47

$5.63 $5.63

-31.26%

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

$2.07 CA$2.92

$3.72 $3.72

-44.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 CA$1.94

$2.50 $2.50

-45.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.24 CA$8.82

$8.05 $8.05

-22.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.08 CA$10.01

$9.01 $9.01

-21.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.51 CA$3.56

$1.12 $1.12

124.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 CA$3.78

$3.75 $3.75

-28.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 CA$3.01

$3.26 $3.26

-34.66%

Eggs

$3.45 CA$4.88

$4.17 $4.17

-17.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.94 CA$12.63

$12.90 $12.90

-30.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.01 CA$15.56

$14.16 $14.16

-22.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 CA$17.77

$16.22 $16.22

-22.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 CA$4.56

$4.33 $4.33

-25.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 CA$1.71

$1.46 $1.46

-17.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.39 CA$4.79

$4.51 $4.51

-24.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.00 CA$5.65

$4.34 $4.34

-7.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.65 CA$2.33

$2.58 $2.58

-36.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 CA$2.24

$2.35 $2.35

-32.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 CA$3.22

$1.78 $1.78

28.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 CA$1.68

$2.22 $2.22

-46.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.74 CA$19.43

$9.88 $9.88

39.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.75 CA$18.03

$15.08 $15.08

-15.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 CA$2.99

$2.92 $2.92

-27.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 CA$3.55

$3.46 $3.46

-27.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 CA$3.32

$1.49 $1.49

57.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$103 CA$146

$41.72 $41.72

147.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 CA$4.17

$2.73 $2.73

8.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 CA$1.79

$1.66 $1.66

-24.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.32 CA$30.14

$35.30 $35.30

-39.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$0.95 $0.95

27.37%

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

$27.5K CA$38.8K

$36.0K $36.0K

-23.84%

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

$19.9K CA$28.1K

$27.1K $27.1K

-26.61%

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

$141 CA$199

$229 $229

-38.62%

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

$34.98 CA$49.45

$59.4 $59.4

-41.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.92 CA$67.7

$69.9 $69.9

-31.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.43 CA$50.1

$57.2 $57.2

-38.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.38 CA$50.0

$16.33 $16.33

116.66%

Cinema Ticket

$12.45 CA$17.60

$14.28 $14.28

-12.82%

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

$808 CA$1,142

$1,506 $1,506

-46.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K CA$14.7K

$21.5K $21.5K

-51.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 CA$72.9

$52.8 $52.8

-2.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.00 CA$55.1

$43.82 $43.82

-11.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.4 CA$119

$84.8 $84.8

-0.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 CA$146

$103 $103

0.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,695 CA$2,396

$1,907 $1,907

-11.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,342 CA$1,898

$1,274 $1,274

5.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,130 CA$3,011

$3,664 $3,664

-41.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,736 CA$2,454

$2,538 $2,538

-31.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,564 CA$10.7K

$7,614 $7,614

-0.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,121 CA$8,653

$3,157 $3,157

93.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,908 CA$4,111

$5,121 $5,121

-43.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.55

6.79

-32.99%

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

Last update for Scarborough: October 13, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Scarborough

$1.3K 54.4%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 5.1% $68

Groceries & Markets

Scarborough

$323 13.1%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 25.2% $81

Eating Out

Scarborough

$269 10.9%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 31.5% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Scarborough

$223 9.1%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 60.3% $135

Clothing & Footwear

Scarborough

$125 5.1%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 2.3% $2.8

Getting Around

Scarborough

$122 5%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 51.9% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Scarborough

$60 2.5%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 42.2% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,695 in Scarborough and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 76% 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: $69.0 in Scarborough vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $323 vs $405 per month, with Scarborough cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Scarborough

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

15:52 3:52 PM

14:52 2:52 PM

1 h behind Scarborough

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

29,960

974,447

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Scarborough Austin, TX 2,210 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Scarborough
Austin, TX

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

Scarborough vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Scarborough wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Scarborough the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 76% lower in Austin, TX. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,695 in Scarborough versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,466 per month in Scarborough versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Scarborough runs roughly 148% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

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.

Expats usually find Scarborough gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.