Last update: Oct 2026

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

122

Cost of Living Index in Scarborough
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Scarborough Living Index
156

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

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Scarborough

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,561

/mo nomad

Ontario, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,259

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Scarborough and in Ontario, CA

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Living in Scarborough costs roughly 21% less than in Ontario, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.32 CA$24.20

$20.22 $20.22

-14.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$98.3

$76.3 $76.3

-7.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.89 CA$15.22

$14.80 $14.80

-26.42%

Cappuccino

$3.99 CA$5.57

$5.86 $5.86

-31.91%

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

$2.03 CA$2.84

$3.19 $3.19

-36.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 CA$2.05

$2.36 $2.36

-37.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.55 CA$9.15

$7.09 $7.09

-7.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.29 CA$10.18

$9.62 $9.62

-24.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.51 CA$3.51

$1.09 $1.09

130.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 CA$3.68

$4.12 $4.12

-36.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 CA$3.19

$4.70 $4.70

-51.49%

Eggs

$3.64 CA$5.09

$4.73 $4.73

-23.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.14 CA$12.77

$13.18 $13.18

-30.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.44 CA$15.99

$8.78 $8.78

30.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.96 CA$18.11

$15.36 $15.36

-15.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.43 CA$4.79

$4.60 $4.60

-25.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 CA$1.69

$1.71 $1.71

-29.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.34 CA$4.67

$4.08 $4.08

-18.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.17 CA$5.82

$5.45 $5.45

-23.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 CA$2.37

$3.60 $3.60

-53.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 CA$2.35

$2.25 $2.25

-25.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 CA$3.08

$1.98 $1.98

11.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 CA$1.76

$1.93 $1.93

-34.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.00 CA$19.56

$12.01 $12.01

16.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.58 CA$17.58

$14.99 $14.99

-16.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 CA$3.06

$1.91 $1.91

14.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 CA$3.57

$4.29 $4.29

-40.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 CA$3.35

$1.98 $1.98

21.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CA$147

$45.16 $45.16

132.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 CA$4.28

$6.38 $6.38

-52.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 CA$1.79

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.52 CA$31.46

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 CA$1.75

$1.45 $1.45

-13.79%

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

$26.1K CA$36.5K

$29.0K $29.0K

-9.95%

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

$21.7K CA$30.4K

$27.0K $27.0K

-19.52%

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

$137 CA$192

$216 $216

-36.39%

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

$35.21 CA$49.20

$68.6 $68.6

-48.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.56 CA$67.9

$63.4 $63.4

-23.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.87 CA$50.1

$47.73 $47.73

-24.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.96 CA$50.2

$29.40 $29.40

22.31%

Cinema Ticket

$12.95 CA$18.10

$17.76 $17.76

-27.08%

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

$749 CA$1,047

$1,169 $1,169

-35.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K CA$15.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 CA$74.6

$58.5 $58.5

-8.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.94 CA$57.2

$40.06 $40.06

2.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 CA$119

$93.6 $93.6

-9.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 CA$147

$104 $104

0.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,744 CA$2,437

$1,829 $1,829

-4.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,415 CA$1,977

$1,891 $1,891

-25.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,122 CA$2,966

$3,154 $3,154

-32.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,758 CA$2,457

$2,621 $2,621

-32.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,770 CA$10.9K

$4,369 $4,369

77.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,085 CA$8,502

$3,557 $3,557

71.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,980 CA$4,163

$3,635 $3,635

-18.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.55

6.39

-28.79%

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

Last update for Scarborough: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ontario, CA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Scarborough

$1.4K 55.3%

Ontario, CA

$1.9K 58% 33.6% $476

Groceries & Markets

Scarborough

$331 12.9%

Ontario, CA

$391 12% 18.1% $60

Eating Out

Scarborough

$280 11%

Ontario, CA

$353 10.8% 26% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Scarborough

$221 8.6%

Ontario, CA

$348 10.7% 57.4% $127

Clothing & Footwear

Scarborough

$128 5%

Ontario, CA

$133 4.1% 4.2% $5.4

Getting Around

Scarborough

$124 4.8%

Ontario, CA

$59 * 1.8% 52% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Scarborough

$62 2.4%

Ontario, CA

$83 2.6% 34.7% $21

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 $1,744 in Scarborough and $1,829 in Ontario, CA. 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: $70 in Scarborough vs $76 in Ontario, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $331 vs $391 per month, with Scarborough cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Scarborough

🇺🇸 Ontario, CA

🕒 Local time

16:37 4:37 PM

13:37 1:37 PM

3 h behind Scarborough

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

29,960

185,000

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

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).

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

USD to CAD in detail →

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

From you

Scarborough
Ontario, CA

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 Ontario, CA: 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.

On paper, salaries run 18% lower in Scarborough. 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: $1,744 in Scarborough versus $1,829 in Ontario, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $749 in Scarborough versus $1,169 in Ontario, CA. 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.