Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Scarborough and Tartu

For one person, living is cheaper in Tartu: $1,637 a month against $2,133 in Scarborough, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Scarborough
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,133
/mo nomad
Tartu
🇪🇪 Estonia
$1,637
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Scarborough and in Tartu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,133 in Scarborough versus $1,637 in Tartu.

  • Scarborough $2,133
  • Tartu $1,637

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,068 in Scarborough versus $2,488 in Tartu.

  • Scarborough $3,068
  • Tartu $2,488

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,002 in Scarborough versus $3,339 in Tartu.

  • Scarborough $4,002
  • Tartu $3,339

Living in Scarborough is roughly 30% more expensive than in Tartu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Scarborough 58% above, Tartu 21% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Scarborough
Tartu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.76 £11.07
$16.87 €15.00
-12.51%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$69.4 £52.0
$70.5 €62.7
-1.53%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.68 £8.76
$11.20 €9.96
4.29%
Cappuccino
$3.37 £2.53
$3.98 €3.54
-15.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.08 £1.56
$3.31 €2.95
-37.16%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.99 £0.74
$3.73 €3.31
-73.46%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.76 £3.57
$6.61 €5.88
-27.99%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.34 £3.25
$7.14 €6.35
-39.22%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Scarborough
Tartu
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.22 £0.91
$1.18 €1.05
3.39%
White Bread (500g)
$1.35 £1.02
$1.94 €1.73
-30.41%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.07 £0.81
$2.36 €2.10
-54.66%
Eggs
$3.57 £2.68
$2.96 €2.64
20.61%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.78 £5.84
$12.71 €11.31
-38.79%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.28 £5.46
$8.76 €7.79
-16.89%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.08 £10.57
$14.72 €13.10
-4.35%
Apples (1kg)
$3.22 £2.41
$2.11 €1.88
52.61%
Banana (1kg)
$2.07 £1.55
$1.44 €1.28
43.75%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.65 £1.99
$2.52 €2.24
5.16%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 £1.56
$2.94 €2.61
-29.25%
Potato (1kg)
$1.75 £1.31
$1.07 €0.95
63.55%
Onion (1kg)
$1.60 £1.20
$0.90 €0.80
77.78%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 £0.86
$1.89 €1.68
-39.15%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.98 £1.48
$1.23 €1.09
60.98%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$22.60 £16.95
$6.53 €5.81
246.09%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.06 £6.80
$10.38 €9.23
-12.72%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.55 £2.67
$2.13 €1.90
66.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.64 £2.73
$2.34 €2.08
55.56%
🚌 Getting Around
Scarborough
Tartu
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.35 £2.51
$1.71 €1.53
95.91%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$87.0 £65.3
$31.28 €27.82
178.10%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.45 £4.09
$3.66 €3.26
48.91%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$5.05 £3.79
$0.98 €0.87
415.31%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.92 £24.70
$26.75 €23.79
23.07%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.94 £1.45
$1.94 €1.72
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.7K £26.7K
$27.8K €24.7K
28.31%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.0K £29.2K
$31.0K €27.6K
25.56%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Scarborough
Tartu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$356 £267
$304 €271
16.97%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.73 £19.30
$17.46 €15.53
47.37%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.36 £25.02
$35.04 €31.17
-4.79%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Scarborough
Tartu
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$64.9 £48.70
$38.85 €34.56
67.08%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.72 £9.54
$34.12 €30.35
-62.72%
Cinema Ticket
$10.57 £7.93
$11.61 €10.33
-8.96%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Scarborough
Tartu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,742 £1,307
$433 €385
302.12%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.7K £11.0K
$11.9K €10.6K
23.29%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Scarborough
Tartu
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$66.7 £50.0
$109 €97.0
-38.83%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.45 £26.59
$47.46 €42.22
-25.31%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 £79.2
$105 €93.5
0.38%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$114 £85.6
$118 €105
-3.17%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Scarborough
Tartu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$867 £651
$632 €562
37.22%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$842 £632
$423 €376
99.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,535 £1,152
$1,145 €1,018
34.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,332 £999
$745 €663
78.76%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$3,534 €3,143
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$2,588 €2,302
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Scarborough
Tartu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$914 £686
$1,921 €1,709
-52.39%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.53
3.93
40.71%

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

Last update for Scarborough: October 12, 2026

Last update for Tartu: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Scarborough
$842
Tartu
$423 49.8% $419
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Scarborough
$415
Tartu
$357 14% $58
Groceries & Markets
Scarborough
$276
Tartu
$286 3.7% $10
Eating Out
Scarborough
$238
Tartu
$292 22.5% $54
Clothing & Footwear
Scarborough
$145
Tartu
$171 17.9% $26
Getting Around
Scarborough
$131
Tartu
$47 64.4% $84
Sport & Entertainment
Scarborough
$86
Tartu
$62 27.9% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $867 in Scarborough and $632 in Tartu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tartu pays 110% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Scarborough vs $70.0 in Tartu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $286 per month, with Scarborough cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Scarborough
🇪🇪 Tartu
🕒 Local time
07:26 7:26 AM
09:26 9:26 AM
2 h ahead of Scarborough
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
61,749
102,414
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Scarborough Tartu 1,720 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Scarborough
  • Tartu

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 Tartu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Scarborough and in Tartu?
Scarborough and Tartu differ by about 30% in total monthly costs ($2,133 vs $1,637 including rent). Tartu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 110% lower in Tartu. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Scarborough and in Tartu?
Rent for a central apartment: $867 in Scarborough versus $632 in Tartu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do commuting costs compare in Scarborough and in Tartu?
A monthly transit pass in Tartu runs roughly 178% less than in Scarborough. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Scarborough and Tartu?
Childcare runs $1,742 in Scarborough versus $433 in Tartu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $1,637 in Tartu versus $2,133 in Scarborough, a $3,000 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.
How does quality of life compare between Scarborough and Tartu?
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.
Is Scarborough or Tartu safer for residents?
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.
Where should expats move: Scarborough or Tartu?
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.

Scarborough vs other spots: cost of living compared

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