Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Scarborough and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Scarborough: $2,466 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $16,000 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
185

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index

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Scarborough

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,466

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Scarborough and in Seattle, WA

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

A single person spends $2,466 per month in Scarborough vs $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Scarborough $2,466
Seattle, WA $3,800

A couple spends around $3,385 per month in Scarborough vs $5,702 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Scarborough $3,385
Seattle, WA $5,702

A family of three spends $4,304 per month in Scarborough vs $7,603 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Scarborough $4,304
Seattle, WA $7,603

Scarborough is about 35% cheaper than Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Scarborough and Seattle, WA sit above the global median – Scarborough by 83%, Seattle, WA by 182%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.49 CA$23.31

$25.32 $25.32

-34.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.8 CA$97.2

$101 $101

-32.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 CA$14.93

$14.85 $14.85

-28.89%

Cappuccino

$3.87 CA$5.47

$6.59 $6.59

-41.27%

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

$2.07 CA$2.92

$3.22 $3.22

-35.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 CA$1.94

$3.14 $3.14

-56.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.24 CA$8.82

$8.18 $8.18

-23.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.08 CA$10.01

$8.03 $8.03

-11.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.51 CA$3.56

$1.21 $1.21

107.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 CA$3.78

$5.12 $5.12

-47.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 CA$3.01

$6.30 $6.30

-66.19%

Eggs

$3.45 CA$4.88

$4.90 $4.90

-29.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.94 CA$12.63

$19.10 $19.10

-53.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.01 CA$15.56

$18.50 $18.50

-40.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 CA$17.77

$23.03 $23.03

-45.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 CA$4.56

$5.81 $5.81

-44.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 CA$1.71

$1.95 $1.95

-37.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.39 CA$4.79

$5.29 $5.29

-35.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.00 CA$5.65

$6.48 $6.48

-38.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.65 CA$2.33

$3.57 $3.57

-53.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 CA$2.24

$3.15 $3.15

-49.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 CA$3.22

$2.85 $2.85

-20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 CA$1.68

$2.42 $2.42

-50.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.74 CA$19.43

$12.75 $12.75

7.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.75 CA$18.03

$14.99 $14.99

-14.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 CA$2.99

$4.17 $4.17

-49.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 CA$3.55

$5.99 $5.99

-58.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 CA$3.32

$3.04 $3.04

-22.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$103 CA$146

$110 $110

-6.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 CA$4.17

$2.55 $2.55

15.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 CA$1.79

$1.64 $1.64

-23.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.32 CA$30.14

$29.58 $29.58

-27.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$1.42 $1.42

-14.79%

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

$27.5K CA$38.8K

$35.7K $35.7K

-23.20%

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

$19.9K CA$28.1K

$25.6K $25.6K

-22.27%

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

$141 CA$199

$299 $299

-52.99%

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

$34.98 CA$49.45

$70.8 $70.8

-50.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.92 CA$67.7

$88.3 $88.3

-45.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.43 CA$50.1

$79.5 $79.5

-55.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.38 CA$50.0

$35.37 $35.37

0.03%

Cinema Ticket

$12.45 CA$17.60

$17.12 $17.12

-27.28%

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

$808 CA$1,142

$3,013 $3,013

-73.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K CA$14.7K

$31.6K $31.6K

-67.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 CA$72.9

$77.2 $77.2

-33.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.00 CA$55.1

$55.1 $55.1

-29.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.4 CA$119

$126 $126

-32.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 CA$146

$163 $163

-36.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,695 CA$2,396

$2,464 $2,464

-31.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,342 CA$1,898

$1,956 $1,956

-31.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,130 CA$3,011

$4,711 $4,711

-54.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,736 CA$2,454

$3,550 $3,550

-51.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,564 CA$10.7K

$7,346 $7,346

2.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,121 CA$8,653

$5,048 $5,048

21.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,908 CA$4,111

$6,286 $6,286

-53.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.55

6.85

-33.58%

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

Last update for Scarborough: October 13, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Scarborough

$1.3K 54.4%

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5% 45.7% $614

Groceries & Markets

Scarborough

$323 13.1%

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3% 67.5% $218

Eating Out

Scarborough

$269 10.9%

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8% 51.8% $139

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Scarborough

$223 9.1%

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1% 105% $235

Clothing & Footwear

Scarborough

$125 5.1%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 51.3% $64

Getting Around

Scarborough

$122 5%

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5% 9% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Scarborough

$60 2.5%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 88.6% $53

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,695 in Scarborough versus $2,464 in Seattle, WA. 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 116% higher in Seattle, WA, 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 $101 in Seattle, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $323 vs $542 – making Scarborough the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Scarborough

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

16:57 4:57 PM

13:57 1:57 PM

3 h behind Scarborough

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

29,960

737,015

💱 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 →

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Scarborough Seattle, WA 3,330 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Scarborough
Seattle, WA

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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 Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seattle, WA is pricier by about 54%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,699 per month in Scarborough and $5,701 in Seattle, WA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Scarborough, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 6% less in Scarborough. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $808 per month in Scarborough and $3,013 in Seattle, WA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,466 in Scarborough and $3,800 in Seattle, WA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Scarborough – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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