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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,579 in Tartu versus $1,988 in Scarborough.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,440 in Tartu versus $2,869 in Scarborough.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,300 in Tartu versus $3,749 in Scarborough.

Living in Tartu costs roughly 21% less than in Scarborough, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Tartu 18% above, Scarborough 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.14 €15.03

$14.78 £11.05

15.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.2 €59.8

$69.5 £51.9

-1.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 €8.52

$9.90 £7.40

-1.82%

Cappuccino

$3.83 €3.36

$4.40 £3.29

-12.95%

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

$2.49 €2.18

$2.10 £1.57

18.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 €2.36

$1.01 £0.75

166.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.34 €4.68

$5.89 £4.40

-9.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.87 €5.15

$4.61 £3.45

27.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.12

$1.51 £1.13

-15.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 €1.30

$1.71 £1.28

-12.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 €2.03

$2.55 £1.90

-9.41%

Eggs

$2.84 €2.49

$3.77 £2.82

-24.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.20 €10.70

$9.32 £6.97

30.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.72 €7.65

$8.27 £6.18

5.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.54 €10.12

$9.31 £6.96

23.95%

Apples (1kg)

$1.92 €1.68

$3.33 £2.49

-42.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 €1.42

$1.48 £1.11

9.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 €2.11

$1.45 £1.08

66.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.38 €2.08

$2.19 £1.64

8.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 €0.91

$1.19 £0.89

-12.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.50 £1.12

-27.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 €1.75

$1.04 £0.77

92.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 €0.92

$1.83 £1.37

-42.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.40 €5.61

$11.44 £8.55

-44.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.42 €9.13

$9.17 £6.85

13.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.72

$2.68 £2.01

-26.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 €1.86

$2.77 £2.07

-23.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 €1.54

$3.13 £2.34

-43.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.01 €27.19

$93.5 £69.9

-66.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.37 €2.96

$4.29 £3.21

-21.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 €0.64

$1.19 £0.89

-38.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.44 €17.93

$16.12 £12.05

26.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 €1.65

$1.89 £1.41

-0.53%

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

$29.0K €25.4K

$36.7K £27.4K

-21.05%

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

$31.1K €27.3K

$39.0K £29.2K

-20.26%

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

$275 €241

$272 £203

1.14%

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

$23.07 €20.22

$16.02 £11.97

44.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.14 €31.69

$33.53 £25.06

7.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.83 €42.81

$34.49 £25.78

41.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$32.20 €28.23

$13.08 £9.77

146.18%

Cinema Ticket

$11.38 €9.98

$10.87 £8.12

4.69%

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

$116 €102

$1,718 £1,284

-93.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,258 €7,241

$18.6K £13.9K

-55.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$118 €104

$70.1 £52.4

68.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.82 €34.92

$37.38 £27.94

6.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €88.3

$111 £82.7

-8.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 €93.9

$88.9 £66.5

20.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$674 €591

$875 £654

-22.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$455 €399

$836 £624

-45.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,077 €944

$1,562 £1,167

-31.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$801 €702

$1,244 £930

-35.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,601 €3,157

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,636 €2,311

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,985 €1,740

$2,056 £1,537

-3.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.3

5.45

-21.10%

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

Last update for Tartu: July 22, 2026

Last update for Scarborough: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $674 in Tartu and $875 in Scarborough. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Scarborough pays 4% 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: $68.0 in Tartu vs $69.0 in Scarborough for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $265 vs $267 per month, with Tartu 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

Tartu vs Scarborough: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tartu and Scarborough differ by about 26% in total monthly costs ($1,579 vs $1,988 including rent). Tartu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 4% lower in Scarborough. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $674 in Tartu versus $875 in Scarborough. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Tartu runs roughly 201% less than in Scarborough. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $116 in Tartu versus $1,718 in Scarborough. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,579 in Tartu versus $1,988 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, Tartu and Scarborough 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 26% less than in Scarborough. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.