Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Scarborough and Toronto

For one person, living costs are similar in Scarborough and in Toronto: $2,466 and $2,561 a month, rent and utilities included.

121

Cost of Living Index in Scarborough
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Scarborough Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index

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Scarborough

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,466

/mo nomad

Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,561

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Scarborough and in Toronto

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

A single person spends $2,466 per month in Scarborough vs $2,561 in Toronto, rent included.

Scarborough $2,466
Toronto $2,561

A couple spends around $3,385 per month in Scarborough vs $3,694 in Toronto, rent included.

Scarborough $3,385
Toronto $3,694

A family of three spends $4,304 per month in Scarborough vs $4,826 in Toronto, rent included.

Scarborough $4,304
Toronto $4,826

Scarborough is about 4% cheaper than Toronto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Scarborough and Toronto sit above the global median – Scarborough by 83%, Toronto by 90%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.49 CA$23.31

$17.18 CA$24.29

-4.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.8 CA$97.2

$76.0 CA$107

-9.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 CA$14.93

$10.54 CA$14.89

0.19%

Cappuccino

$3.87 CA$5.47

$4.02 CA$5.68

-3.73%

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

$2.07 CA$2.92

$2.12 CA$3.00

-2.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 CA$1.94

$1.75 CA$2.48

-21.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.24 CA$8.82

$6.24 CA$8.83

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.08 CA$10.01

$7.09 CA$10.02

-0.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.51 CA$3.56

$2.44 CA$3.45

2.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 CA$3.78

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 CA$3.01

$2.24 CA$3.17

-4.91%

Eggs

$3.45 CA$4.88

$3.56 CA$5.03

-3.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.94 CA$12.63

$9.09 CA$12.85

-1.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.01 CA$15.56

$11.33 CA$16.01

-2.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 CA$17.77

$14.53 CA$20.55

-13.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 CA$4.56

$3.62 CA$5.12

-11.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 CA$1.71

$1.21 CA$1.72

Oranges (1kg)

$3.39 CA$4.79

$3.60 CA$5.09

-5.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.00 CA$5.65

$4.21 CA$5.96

-4.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.65 CA$2.33

$1.79 CA$2.53

-7.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 CA$2.24

$1.59 CA$2.25

-0.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 CA$3.22

$2.27 CA$3.21

0.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 CA$1.68

$1.25 CA$1.77

-4.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.74 CA$19.43

$13.82 CA$19.53

-0.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.75 CA$18.03

$14.27 CA$20.18

-10.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 CA$2.99

$2.20 CA$3.10

-4.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 CA$3.55

$2.43 CA$3.44

3.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 CA$3.32

$2.39 CA$3.38

-1.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$103 CA$146

$111 CA$157

-6.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 CA$4.17

$2.91 CA$4.12

1.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 CA$1.79

$1.20 CA$1.69

5.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.32 CA$30.14

$21.38 CA$30.23

-0.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$1.21 CA$1.71

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

$27.5K CA$38.8K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

-2.55%

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

$19.9K CA$28.1K

$20.3K CA$28.6K

-1.90%

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

$141 CA$199

$120 CA$170

16.79%

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

$34.98 CA$49.45

$32.26 CA$45.60

8.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.92 CA$67.7

$47.93 CA$67.8

-0.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.43 CA$50.1

$38.48 CA$54.4

-7.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.38 CA$50.0

$22.96 CA$32.46

54.09%

Cinema Ticket

$12.45 CA$17.60

$12.38 CA$17.50

0.57%

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

$808 CA$1,142

$830 CA$1,173

-2.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K CA$14.7K

$23.1K CA$32.6K

-55.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 CA$72.9

$50.7 CA$71.7

1.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.00 CA$55.1

$40.02 CA$56.6

-2.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.4 CA$119

$98.0 CA$139

-13.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 CA$146

$121 CA$171

-14.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,695 CA$2,396

$1,592 CA$2,251

6.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,342 CA$1,898

$1,410 CA$1,994

-4.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,130 CA$3,011

$2,670 CA$3,775

-20.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,736 CA$2,454

$2,152 CA$3,042

-19.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,564 CA$10.7K

$7,945 CA$11.2K

-4.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,121 CA$8,653

$6,542 CA$9,249

-6.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,908 CA$4,111

$3,727 CA$5,269

-21.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.55

4.47

1.79%

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

Last update for Scarborough: October 13, 2026

Last update for Toronto: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Scarborough

$1.3K 54.4%

Toronto

$1.4K 55.1% 5.1% $68

Groceries & Markets

Scarborough

$323 13.1%

Toronto

$340 13.3% 5.1% $16

Eating Out

Scarborough

$269 10.9%

Toronto

$278 10.9% 3.4% $9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Scarborough

$223 9.1%

Toronto

$201 7.8% 10.3% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Scarborough

$125 5.1%

Toronto

$139 5.4% 11.2% $14

Getting Around

Scarborough

$122 5%

Toronto

$129 5.1% 6% $7.4

Sport & Entertainment

Scarborough

$60 2.5%

Toronto

$63 2.5% 4.8% $2.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,695 in Scarborough versus $1,592 in Toronto. 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 28% higher in Toronto, 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 $76.0 in Toronto. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $323 vs $340 – making Scarborough the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Scarborough

🇨🇦 Toronto

🕒 Local time

14:52 2:52 PM

Same time as Scarborough

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

29,960

2,731,571

💱 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

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Scarborough Toronto 17 km

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Scarborough vs Toronto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Toronto is pricier by about 4%, 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 $3,841 in Toronto. 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 7% less in Scarborough. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $808 per month in Scarborough and $830 in Toronto. 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 $2,561 in Toronto. 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, Toronto makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.