Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Scarborough and Buenos Aires

For one person, living is cheaper in Buenos Aires: $1,656 a month against $2,466 in Scarborough, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Scarborough
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Scarborough Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index

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Scarborough

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,466

/mo nomad

Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,656

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Scarborough and in Buenos Aires

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 Buenos Aires actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,466 in Scarborough versus $1,656 in Buenos Aires.

Scarborough $2,466
Buenos Aires $1,656

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,385 in Scarborough versus $2,697 in Buenos Aires.

Scarborough $3,385
Buenos Aires $2,697

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,304 in Scarborough versus $3,737 in Buenos Aires.

Scarborough $4,304
Buenos Aires $3,737

Living in Scarborough is roughly 49% more expensive than in Buenos Aires, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Scarborough 83% above, Buenos Aires 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.49 CA$23.31

$19.09 ARS 29.0K

-13.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.8 CA$97.2

$65.8 ARS 99.9K

4.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 CA$14.93

$13.20 ARS 20.0K

-20.00%

Cappuccino

$3.87 CA$5.47

$3.85 ARS 5,841

0.52%

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

$2.07 CA$2.92

$1.99 ARS 3,020

4.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 CA$1.94

$1.60 ARS 2,430

-14.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.24 CA$8.82

$3.93 ARS 5,959

58.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.08 CA$10.01

$4.61 ARS 7,003

53.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.51 CA$3.56

$1.50 ARS 2,272

67.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 CA$3.78

$2.53 ARS 3,837

5.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 CA$3.01

$1.61 ARS 2,445

32.30%

Eggs

$3.45 CA$4.88

$2.84 ARS 4,316

21.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.94 CA$12.63

$10.30 ARS 15.6K

-13.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.01 CA$15.56

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

10.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 CA$17.77

$13.30 ARS 20.2K

-5.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 CA$4.56

$2.88 ARS 4,366

11.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 CA$1.71

$2.20 ARS 3,334

-45.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.39 CA$4.79

$1.40 ARS 2,120

142.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.00 CA$5.65

$1.98 ARS 3,004

102.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.65 CA$2.33

$1.21 ARS 1,835

36.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 CA$2.24

$1.26 ARS 1,910

25.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 CA$3.22

$1.71 ARS 2,592

33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 CA$1.68

$1.72 ARS 2,603

-30.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.74 CA$19.43

$4.29 ARS 6,505

220.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.75 CA$18.03

$5.70 ARS 8,645

123.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 CA$2.99

$2.17 ARS 3,288

-2.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 CA$3.55

$2.76 ARS 4,188

-9.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 CA$3.32

$0.75 ARS 1,141

213.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$103 CA$146

$27.27 ARS 41.4K

279.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 CA$4.17

$1.57 ARS 2,375

87.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 CA$1.79

$1.03 ARS 1,558

22.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.32 CA$30.14

$7.90 ARS 12.0K

169.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$1.42 ARS 2,160

-14.79%

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

$27.5K CA$38.8K

$27.9K ARS 42.4M

-1.77%

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

$19.9K CA$28.1K

$35.0K ARS 53.1M

-43.18%

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

$141 CA$199

$195 ARS 296.2K

-27.99%

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

$34.98 CA$49.45

$25.16 ARS 38.2K

39.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.92 CA$67.7

$31.54 ARS 47.9K

51.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.43 CA$50.1

$50.9 ARS 77.3K

-30.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.38 CA$50.0

$16.73 ARS 25.4K

111.48%

Cinema Ticket

$12.45 CA$17.60

$10.34 ARS 15.7K

20.41%

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

$808 CA$1,142

$463 ARS 703.2K

74.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K CA$14.7K

$8,793 ARS 13.3M

18.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 CA$72.9

$120 ARS 181.8K

-56.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.00 CA$55.1

$95.5 ARS 144.9K

-59.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.4 CA$119

$114 ARS 173.1K

-26.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 CA$146

$139 ARS 211.4K

-25.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,695 CA$2,396

$756 ARS 1.1M

124.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,342 CA$1,898

$520 ARS 788.8K

158.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,130 CA$3,011

$1,590 ARS 2.4M

33.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,736 CA$2,454

$1,198 ARS 1.8M

44.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,564 CA$10.7K

$2,713 ARS 4.1M

178.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,121 CA$8,653

$1,901 ARS 2.9M

222.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,908 CA$4,111

$938 ARS 1.4M

210.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.55

57.25

-92.05%

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

Last update for Scarborough: October 13, 2026

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Scarborough

$1.3K 54.4%

Buenos Aires

$520 31.4% 61.3% $823

Groceries & Markets

Scarborough

$323 13.1%

Buenos Aires

$283 17.1% 12.4% $40

Eating Out

Scarborough

$269 10.9%

Buenos Aires

$282 17% 4.7% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Scarborough

$223 9.1%

Buenos Aires

$252 15.2% 12.7% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Scarborough

$125 5.1%

Buenos Aires

$211 12.7% 68.5% $86

Getting Around

Scarborough

$122 5%

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2% 69.7% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Scarborough

$60 2.5%

Buenos Aires

$72 4.3% 18.7% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,695 in Scarborough and $756 in Buenos Aires. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Scarborough pays 210% 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 $66.0 in Buenos Aires for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $323 vs $283 per month, with Buenos Aires cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Scarborough

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🕒 Local time

16:23 4:23 PM

17:23 5:23 PM

1 h ahead of Scarborough

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

29,960

2,891,082 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, 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).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Between locations

Scarborough Buenos Aires 8,970 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Scarborough
Buenos Aires

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 Buenos Aires: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Scarborough and Buenos Aires differ by about 49% in total monthly costs ($2,466 vs $1,656 including rent). Buenos Aires is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 210% higher in Scarborough, 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: $1,695 in Scarborough versus $756 in Buenos Aires. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $808 in Scarborough versus $463 in Buenos Aires. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Scarborough. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,656 in Buenos Aires versus $2,466 in Scarborough, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Buenos Aires but tight or insufficient in Scarborough. The gap between the two cities makes Buenos Aires the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Scarborough and Buenos Aires are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Buenos Aires gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Scarborough. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.