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: $2,143 in Scarborough versus $1,737 in Tartu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,019 in Scarborough versus $2,602 in Tartu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,895 in Scarborough versus $3,466 in Tartu.

Living in Scarborough is roughly 23% more expensive than in Tartu, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Scarborough 56% above, Tartu 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.37 £11.36

$17.13 €14.73

-10.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.9 £52.4

$74.2 €63.8

-4.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 £7.93

$11.65 €10.02

-7.90%

Cappuccino

$3.63 £2.69

$4.29 €3.68

-15.38%

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

$2.07 £1.53

$3.47 €2.99

-40.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 £0.73

$3.84 €3.30

-74.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.37 £3.23

$6.71 €5.77

-34.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 £3.16

$7.69 €6.61

-44.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 £0.97

$1.24 €1.07

6.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 £1.07

$2.02 €1.73

-28.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 £0.79

$2.39 €2.06

-55.65%

Eggs

$3.79 £2.80

$3.02 €2.60

25.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.99 £5.91

$13.16 €11.32

-39.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.19 £5.32

$8.94 €7.68

-19.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.00 £10.35

$15.40 €13.24

-9.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 £2.49

$2.23 €1.92

51.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 £1.57

$1.49 €1.28

42.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.72 £2.01

$2.55 €2.20

6.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 £1.58

$3.16 €2.72

-32.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 £1.31

$1.13 €0.97

56.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 £1.19

$0.92 €0.79

75.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 £0.86

$1.95 €1.68

-40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 £1.44

$1.30 €1.11

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.75 £16.82

$6.97 €5.99

226.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.43 £6.97

$10.73 €9.22

-12.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.67 £2.71

$2.11 €1.82

73.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 £2.68

$2.57 €2.21

41.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.45 £2.55

$1.70 €1.47

102.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.5 £66.2

$32.48 €27.92

175.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.75 £4.25

$3.62 €3.11

58.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.99 £3.69

$1.06 €0.91

370.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.03 £25.15

$28.04 €24.11

21.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 £1.45

$2.02 €1.73

-2.97%

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

$36.5K £27.0K

$29.4K €25.2K

24.49%

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

$40.4K £29.8K

$31.5K €27.1K

28.17%

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

$353 £261

$318 €273

11.09%

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

$25.91 £19.15

$18.56 €15.96

39.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.04 £25.16

$36.60 €31.47

-6.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.1 £49.60

$40.95 €35.21

63.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.91 £9.54

$35.84 €30.81

-63.98%

Cinema Ticket

$10.88 £8.04

$12.18 €10.47

-10.67%

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

$1,720 £1,272

$450 €387

282.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K €10.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.3 £51.2

$114 €98.0

-39.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.66 £26.36

$50.7 €43.55

-29.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 £81.0

$108 €92.8

1.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 £95.6

$123 €106

5.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$892 £659

$649 €558

37.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$832 £615

$443 €381

87.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,522 £1,125

$1,187 €1,020

28.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,224 £905

$791 €680

54.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,663 €3,149

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,777 €2,387

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,072 £1,531

$1,978 €1,701

4.72%

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: August 30, 2026

Last update for Tartu: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $892 in Scarborough and $649 in Tartu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Scarborough pays 5% 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: $71.0 in Scarborough vs $74.0 in Tartu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $296 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 23% in total monthly costs ($2,143 vs $1,737 including rent). Tartu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 5% higher in Scarborough, 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: $892 in Scarborough versus $649 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 176% less than in Scarborough. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,720 in Scarborough versus $450 in Tartu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,737 in Tartu versus $2,143 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.

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 23% less than in Scarborough. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.