Cost of Living Comparison Between Scarborough and Tartu Cost of Living Comparison Between Scarborough and Tartu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,038 in Scarborough versus $1,573 in Tartu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,899 in Scarborough versus $2,442 in Tartu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,759 in Scarborough versus $3,311 in Tartu.

Living in Scarborough is roughly 30% more expensive than Tartu, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Scarborough 52% above, Tartu 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.51 £10.81

$17.25 €14.85

-15.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 £51.9

$70.3 €60.5

-0.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.90 £7.38

$9.47 €8.16

4.54%

Cappuccino

$4.43 £3.30

$3.76 €3.24

17.82%

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

$2.15 £1.60

$2.46 €2.12

-12.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 £0.74

$2.70 €2.33

-63.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.67 £4.23

$5.27 €4.53

7.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 £3.57

$5.74 €4.94

-16.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 £1.09

$1.27 €1.10

15.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 £1.22

$1.54 €1.33

5.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 £1.87

$2.40 €2.07

4.58%

Eggs

$3.62 £2.70

$2.98 €2.57

21.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.12 £6.79

$12.55 €10.80

-27.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.26 £6.16

$8.74 €7.52

-5.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.70 £7.23

$11.21 €9.65

-13.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 £2.52

$1.98 €1.70

71.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 £1.07

$1.57 €1.35

-8.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.43 £1.07

$2.37 €2.04

-39.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 £1.65

$2.39 €2.05

-7.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 £0.85

$1.00 €0.86

14.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 £1.17

$1.14 €0.98

37.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 £0.74

$2.00 €1.72

-50.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 £1.30

$1.01 €0.87

72.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.49 £8.56

$6.18 €5.32

85.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.63 £7.18

$10.64 €9.16

-9.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 £2.09

$2.00 €1.72

40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 £1.98

$2.09 €1.80

27.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.08 £2.30

$1.70 €1.46

81.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 £69.8

$30.68 €26.41

205.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.48 £3.34

$3.38 €2.91

32.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 £0.85

$0.75 €0.65

52.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.07 £11.98

$20.02 €17.24

-19.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 £1.40

$1.94 €1.67

-3.09%

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

$36.5K £27.2K

$29.5K €25.4K

24.04%

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

$38.6K £28.8K

$30.8K €26.5K

25.57%

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

$272 £203

$273 €235

-0.26%

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

$15.99 £11.91

$22.40 €19.29

-28.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.64 £25.81

$36.04 €31.03

-3.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.50 £24.95

$47.60 €40.97

-29.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.90 £9.61

$32.43 €27.92

-60.22%

Cinema Ticket

$11.00 £8.19

$11.58 €9.97

-5.01%

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

$1,704 £1,269

$116 €99.8

1370.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K £13.6K

$8,134 €7,002

124.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.5 £51.8

$119 €102

-41.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.18 £27.70

$38.81 €33.42

-4.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 £81.2

$97.8 €84.2

11.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.3 £65.0

$110 €94.3

-20.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$872 £650

$660 €569

32.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$856 £638

$453 €390

88.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 £1,176

$1,108 €954

42.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,200 £894

$800 €688

50.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,611 €3,109

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,686 €2,312

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,075 £1,546

$1,963 €1,690

5.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.45

4.3

26.74%

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

Last update for Scarborough: May 31, 2026

Last update for Tartu: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $872 in Scarborough and $660 in Tartu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Scarborough pays 6% 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: $70.0 in Scarborough vs $70.0 in Tartu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $266 per month, with Scarborough cheaper across the board.

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 Tartu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Scarborough and Tartu differ by about 30% in total monthly costs ($2,038 vs $1,573 including rent). Tartu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Scarborough pays 6% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $872 in Scarborough versus $660 in Tartu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Tartu runs roughly 206% less than in Scarborough. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,704 in Scarborough versus $116 in Tartu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,573 in Tartu versus $2,038 in Scarborough, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tartu but tight or insufficient in Scarborough. The gap between the two cities makes Tartu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Scarborough and Tartu are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Tartu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Scarborough. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.