Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Scarborough and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,018 a month against $2,466 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.

121

Cost of Living Index in Scarborough
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Scarborough Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Scarborough

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,466

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Scarborough and in Montreal

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

A single person spends $2,466 per month in Scarborough vs $2,018 in Montreal, rent included.

Scarborough $2,466
Montreal $2,018

A couple spends around $3,385 per month in Scarborough vs $3,085 in Montreal, rent included.

Scarborough $3,385
Montreal $3,085

A family of three spends $4,304 per month in Scarborough vs $4,152 in Montreal, rent included.

Scarborough $4,304
Montreal $4,152

Scarborough costs about 22% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Scarborough and Montreal sit above the global median – Scarborough by 83%, Montreal by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.49 CA$23.31

$18.82 CA$26.61

-12.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.8 CA$97.2

$70.3 CA$99.4

-2.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 CA$14.93

$10.66 CA$15.06

-0.94%

Cappuccino

$3.87 CA$5.47

$3.84 CA$5.43

0.78%

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

$2.07 CA$2.92

$1.92 CA$2.71

7.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 CA$1.94

$1.54 CA$2.18

-11.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.24 CA$8.82

$6.23 CA$8.81

0.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.08 CA$10.01

$7.10 CA$10.03

-0.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.51 CA$3.56

$2.31 CA$3.27

8.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 CA$3.78

$3.14 CA$4.44

-14.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 CA$3.01

$3.21 CA$4.54

-33.64%

Eggs

$3.45 CA$4.88

$3.52 CA$4.97

-1.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.94 CA$12.63

$12.81 CA$18.11

-30.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.01 CA$15.56

$11.46 CA$16.20

-3.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 CA$17.77

$13.39 CA$18.92

-6.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 CA$4.56

$3.14 CA$4.43

2.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 CA$1.71

$1.44 CA$2.03

-15.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.39 CA$4.79

$3.47 CA$4.91

-2.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.00 CA$5.65

$3.07 CA$4.34

30.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.65 CA$2.33

$1.90 CA$2.69

-13.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 CA$2.24

$1.77 CA$2.50

-10.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 CA$3.22

$2.34 CA$3.31

-2.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 CA$1.68

$1.55 CA$2.19

-23.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.74 CA$19.43

$11.38 CA$16.09

20.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.75 CA$18.03

$10.63 CA$15.03

19.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 CA$2.99

$2.27 CA$3.21

-7.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 CA$3.55

$2.82 CA$3.99

-10.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 CA$3.32

$2.66 CA$3.76

-11.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$103 CA$146

$77.3 CA$109

33.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 CA$4.17

$3.20 CA$4.53

-7.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 CA$1.79

$1.48 CA$2.09

-14.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.32 CA$30.14

$32.88 CA$46.48

-35.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$1.34 CA$1.90

-9.70%

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

$27.5K CA$38.8K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

-2.48%

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

$19.9K CA$28.1K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

1.22%

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

$141 CA$199

$76.0 CA$107

85.04%

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

$34.98 CA$49.45

$33.95 CA$48.00

3.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.92 CA$67.7

$42.31 CA$59.8

13.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.43 CA$50.1

$29.76 CA$42.07

19.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.38 CA$50.0

$20.28 CA$28.67

74.46%

Cinema Ticket

$12.45 CA$17.60

$11.15 CA$15.77

11.66%

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

$808 CA$1,142

$507 CA$717

59.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K CA$14.7K

$16.1K CA$22.7K

-35.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 CA$72.9

$57.6 CA$81.4

-10.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.00 CA$55.1

$37.58 CA$53.1

3.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.4 CA$119

$91.9 CA$130

-8.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 CA$146

$110 CA$155

-5.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,695 CA$2,396

$1,260 CA$1,782

34.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,342 CA$1,898

$948 CA$1,340

41.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,130 CA$3,011

$2,137 CA$3,021

-0.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,736 CA$2,454

$1,614 CA$2,281

7.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,564 CA$10.7K

$4,960 CA$7,011

52.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,121 CA$8,653

$3,838 CA$5,425

59.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,908 CA$4,111

$2,827 CA$3,997

2.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.55

4.48

1.56%

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

Last update for Scarborough: October 13, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Scarborough

$1.3K 54.4%

Montreal

$948 47% 29.4% $395

Groceries & Markets

Scarborough

$323 13.1%

Montreal

$346 17.2% 7.2% $23

Eating Out

Scarborough

$269 10.9%

Montreal

$288 14.3% 6.9% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Scarborough

$223 9.1%

Montreal

$152 7.5% 31.9% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Scarborough

$125 5.1%

Montreal

$133 6.6% 6.6% $8.3

Getting Around

Scarborough

$122 5%

Montreal

$99 4.9% 19.3% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Scarborough

$60 2.5%

Montreal

$52 2.6% 13.7% $8.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,695 in Scarborough versus $1,260 in Montreal. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 3% higher in Scarborough, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Scarborough versus $70.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $323 vs $346 – making Scarborough the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Scarborough

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

14:53 2:53 PM

Same time as Scarborough

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

29,960

1,762,949

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Scarborough Montreal 490 km

From you

Scarborough
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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

Scarborough vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Scarborough costs about 22% 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 $3,699 per month in Scarborough and $3,027 in Montreal. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 7% cheaper in Scarborough – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Scarborough and $70.0 in Montreal. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,018, than in Scarborough at $2,466. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Scarborough it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,018 versus $2,466 in Scarborough. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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