Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tartu and Scarborough, United Kingdom

For one person, living is cheaper in Tartu: $1,688 a month against $2,122 in Scarborough, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Tartu, Estonia
Scarborough, United Kingdom
Tartu
🇪🇪 Estonia
$1,688
/mo nomad
Scarborough
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,122
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tartu and in Scarborough

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Tartu and in Scarborough actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,688 in Tartu versus $2,122 in Scarborough.

  • Tartu $1,688
  • Scarborough $2,122

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,570 in Tartu versus $3,085 in Scarborough.

  • Tartu $2,570
  • Scarborough $3,085

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,452 in Tartu versus $4,048 in Scarborough.

  • Tartu $3,452
  • Scarborough $4,048

Living in Tartu costs roughly 20% less than in Scarborough, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Tartu 24% above, Scarborough 56% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tartu
Scarborough
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.92 €15.20
$15.36 £11.56
10.16%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$70.1 €63.0
$68.8 £51.7
1.96%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.33 €10.17
$12.17 £9.16
-6.90%
Cappuccino
$3.99 €3.58
$3.43 £2.58
16.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.30 €2.97
$2.09 £1.57
57.89%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.71 €3.34
$0.97 £0.73
282.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.58 €5.91
$4.77 £3.59
37.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.30 €6.56
$4.37 £3.29
67.05%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tartu
Scarborough
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.22 €1.10
$1.25 £0.94
-2.40%
White Bread (500g)
$1.94 €1.74
$1.42 £1.07
36.62%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.31 €2.08
$1.06 £0.79
117.92%
Eggs
$2.96 €2.66
$3.57 £2.69
-17.09%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.57 €11.29
$7.93 £5.97
58.51%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.52 €7.65
$7.09 £5.34
20.17%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.66 €13.17
$14.07 £10.59
4.19%
Apples (1kg)
$2.06 €1.85
$3.29 £2.48
-37.39%
Banana (1kg)
$1.44 €1.29
$2.10 £1.58
-31.43%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.42 €2.17
$2.70 £2.03
-10.37%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.03 €2.72
$2.12 £1.59
42.92%
Potato (1kg)
$1.09 €0.98
$1.76 £1.33
-38.07%
Onion (1kg)
$0.83 €0.75
$1.64 £1.23
-49.39%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.88 €1.69
$1.21 £0.91
55.37%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 €1.11
$2.00 £1.51
-38.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.73 €6.04
$22.39 £16.85
-69.94%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.23 €9.19
$9.36 £7.05
9.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.06 €1.85
$3.51 £2.64
-41.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.44 €2.19
$3.61 £2.72
-32.41%
🚌 Getting Around
Tartu
Scarborough
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.67 €1.50
$3.27 £2.46
-48.93%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$30.43 €27.33
$85.8 £64.5
-64.51%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.49 €3.13
$5.54 £4.17
-37.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.04 €0.93
$4.94 £3.72
-78.95%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.18 €24.42
$32.72 £24.63
-16.93%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.91 €1.72
$1.86 £1.40
2.69%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.9K €25.1K
$36.6K £27.6K
-23.75%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$29.5K €26.5K
$38.6K £29.1K
-23.66%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tartu
Scarborough
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$310 €278
$346 £261
-10.65%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.74 €15.94
$25.63 £19.29
-30.78%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$36.35 €32.66
$33.33 £25.09
9.06%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tartu
Scarborough
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.46 €38.14
$66.1 £49.74
-35.76%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$33.84 €30.40
$12.60 £9.48
168.57%
Cinema Ticket
$11.80 €10.60
$10.65 £8.01
10.80%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tartu
Scarborough
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$461 €414
$1,588 £1,195
-70.96%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.8K €10.6K
$14.5K £10.9K
-18.31%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tartu
Scarborough
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$110 €98.7
$66.5 £50.1
65.09%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.51 €42.67
$35.50 £26.72
33.83%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$103 €92.7
$109 £81.7
-4.99%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 €109
$115 £86.5
5.81%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tartu
Scarborough
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$642 €576
$873 £657
-26.55%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$464 €417
$830 £625
-44.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,176 €1,056
$1,532 £1,153
-23.26%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$847 €761
$1,367 £1,029
-38.03%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,902 €3,505
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,828 €2,540
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tartu
Scarborough
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,935 €1,738
$908 £683
113.13%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.93
5.53
-28.93%

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

Last update for Tartu: October 25, 2026

Last update for Scarborough: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Tartu
$464
Scarborough
$830 78.9% $366
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tartu
$364
Scarborough
$405 11.5% $42
Eating Out
Tartu
$293
Scarborough
$245 16.2% $47
Groceries & Markets
Tartu
$284
Scarborough
$278 2% $5.7
Clothing & Footwear
Tartu
$172
Scarborough
$146 14.8% $25
Sport & Entertainment
Tartu
$66
Scarborough
$87 32.3% $21
Getting Around
Tartu
$46
Scarborough
$129 182% $83

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $642 in Tartu and $873 in Scarborough. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tartu pays about 2.1 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $70 in Tartu vs $69 in Scarborough for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $278 per month, with Scarborough cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇪 Tartu
🇬🇧 Scarborough
🕒 Local time
03:25 3:25 AM
01:25 1:25 AM
2 h behind Tartu
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
102,414
61,749
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.753 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.838 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

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

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
Tartu vs Scarborough: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Tartu and in Scarborough?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,688 in Tartu and $2,122 in Scarborough, so Tartu is about 20% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Tartu or Scarborough?
Average pay in Tartu is about 2.1 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Tartu and in Scarborough?
Rent for a central apartment: $642 in Tartu versus $873 in Scarborough. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Tartu and Scarborough?
Childcare runs $461 in Tartu versus $1,588 in Scarborough. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city is more expensive overall: Tartu or Scarborough?
All in, you’ll spend $1,688 per month in Tartu versus $2,122 in Scarborough – Tartu is about 20% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
How far does $3,000 go in Tartu compared to Scarborough?
Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Tartu gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Tartu and Scarborough?
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 Tartu or Scarborough safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Tartu and Scarborough are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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