Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Scarborough, Canada and San Jose

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.

121

Cost of Living Index in Scarborough
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Scarborough Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Scarborough

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,553

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Scarborough and in San Jose

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

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

Scarborough $2,553
San Jose $2,107

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

Scarborough $3,473
San Jose $3,081

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

Scarborough $4,393
San Jose $4,054

Scarborough costs about 21% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.90 CA$23.77

$12.37 ₡5,563

36.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.4 CA$100

$62.4 ₡28.0K

14.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.76 CA$15.13

$11.71 ₡5,264

-8.11%

Cappuccino

$4.26 CA$5.99

$4.54 ₡2,040

-6.17%

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

$2.04 CA$2.88

$2.75 ₡1,238

-25.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 CA$2.10

$1.86 ₡837

-19.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.60 CA$9.28

$3.35 ₡1,505

97.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.24 CA$10.18

$4.32 ₡1,944

67.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.49 CA$3.50

$2.36 ₡1,061

5.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 CA$3.69

$3.07 ₡1,379

-14.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 CA$3.31

$2.51 ₡1,128

-6.37%

Eggs

$3.60 CA$5.06

$3.53 ₡1,585

1.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.16 CA$12.88

$10.54 ₡4,738

-13.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.96 CA$15.41

$10.57 ₡4,754

3.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 CA$17.98

$13.92 ₡6,261

-8.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.88

$5.20 ₡2,338

-33.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 CA$1.73

$1.65 ₡740

-25.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 CA$4.73

$4.89 ₡2,198

-31.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.23 CA$5.95

$3.84 ₡1,728

10.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 CA$2.27

$3.91 ₡1,757

-58.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.70 CA$2.39

$3.76 ₡1,692

-54.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 CA$3.17

$1.12 ₡504

101.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 CA$1.73

$3.22 ₡1,447

-61.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.17 CA$19.93

$6.02 ₡2,706

135.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.92 CA$18.16

$19.84 ₡8,919

-34.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.13

$2.81 ₡1,264

-21.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 CA$3.47

$3.65 ₡1,643

-32.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 CA$3.24

$1.08 ₡487

112.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CA$148

$65.2 ₡29.3K

61.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 CA$4.37

$2.26 ₡1,018

37.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 CA$1.78

$1.78 ₡799

-29.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.21 CA$31.23

$7.90 ₡3,551

181.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 CA$1.78

$1.50 ₡673

-15.33%

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

$26.0K CA$36.6K

$33.5K ₡15.1M

-22.24%

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

$22.0K CA$30.9K

$42.3K ₡19.0M

-47.98%

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

$139 CA$196

$93.2 ₡41.9K

49.66%

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

$34.16 CA$48.04

$36.13 ₡16.2K

-5.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.83 CA$70.1

$60.6 ₡27.2K

-17.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.22 CA$49.53

$68.9 ₡31.0K

-48.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.26 CA$49.59

$24.94 ₡11.2K

41.38%

Cinema Ticket

$13.03 CA$18.32

$7.67 ₡3,449

69.88%

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

$756 CA$1,063

$972 ₡436.9K

-22.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.0K CA$26.8K

$18.9K ₡8.5M

0.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.4 CA$72.3

$70.6 ₡31.8K

-27.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.58 CA$58.5

$56.7 ₡25.5K

-26.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.7 CA$121

$129 ₡57.8K

-33.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 CA$146

$131 ₡58.8K

-20.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,728 CA$2,430

$1,170 ₡525.9K

47.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 CA$1,981

$943 ₡424.1K

49.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,177 CA$3,062

$1,984 ₡892.0K

9.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,769 CA$2,487

$1,400 ₡629.5K

26.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,756 CA$10.9K

$2,681 ₡1.2M

189.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,109 CA$8,591

$2,037 ₡915.8K

199.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,014 CA$4,239

$987 ₡443.6K

205.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.55

8.62

-47.22%

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

Last update for Scarborough: November 2, 2026

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Scarborough

$1.4K 55.2%

San Jose

$943 44.8% 33.1% $466

Groceries & Markets

Scarborough

$329 12.9%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 22.5% $74

Eating Out

Scarborough

$280 11%

San Jose

$232 11% 17.1% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Scarborough

$223 8.8%

San Jose

$190 9% 15% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Scarborough

$127 5%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 37.1% $47

Getting Around

Scarborough

$124 4.9%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 34.8% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Scarborough

$61 2.4%

San Jose

$84 4% 37.5% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,728 in Scarborough versus $1,170 in San Jose. 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 $71 in Scarborough versus $62 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $329 in Scarborough vs $403 in San Jose – so Scarborough wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Scarborough

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

07:39 7:39 AM

06:39 6:39 AM

1 h behind Scarborough

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

29,960

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.711 USD

1 CAD = 0.633 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.711 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 CAD (1 CAD = 0.633 EUR).

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).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Scarborough
San Jose

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 San Jose: 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 $3,830 per month in Scarborough and $3,161 in San Jose. 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 $71 in Scarborough and $62 in San Jose. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,553 in Scarborough and $2,107 in San Jose. 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.