Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Scarborough, Canada

Name: Scarborough
Address: Scarborough, CA

For one person, living costs are similar in Toronto and in Scarborough: $2,589 and $2,561 a month, rent and utilities included.

125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Scarborough
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Scarborough Living Index

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,589

/mo nomad

Scarborough

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,561

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toronto 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 Toronto and in Scarborough actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,589 per month in Toronto vs $2,561 in Scarborough, rent included.

Toronto $2,589
Scarborough $2,561

A couple spends around $3,710 per month in Toronto vs $3,474 in Scarborough, rent included.

Toronto $3,710
Scarborough $3,474

A family of three spends $4,831 per month in Toronto vs $4,388 in Scarborough, rent included.

Toronto $4,831
Scarborough $4,388

Toronto and Scarborough have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Toronto and Scarborough sit above the global median – Toronto by 90%, Scarborough by 88%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.60 CA$24.60

$17.32 CA$24.21

1.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.8 CA$109

$70.3 CA$98.3

10.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 CA$14.80

$10.89 CA$15.22

-2.75%

Cappuccino

$4.16 CA$5.81

$3.99 CA$5.57

4.26%

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

$2.04 CA$2.86

$2.03 CA$2.84

0.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 CA$2.45

$1.47 CA$2.05

19.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.58 CA$9.19

$6.55 CA$9.15

0.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.11 CA$9.94

$7.29 CA$10.18

-2.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.53 CA$3.54

$2.51 CA$3.51

0.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 CA$3.78

$2.63 CA$3.68

2.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 CA$3.13

$2.28 CA$3.19

-1.75%

Eggs

$3.48 CA$4.87

$3.64 CA$5.09

-4.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.38 CA$13.10

$9.14 CA$12.78

2.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.60 CA$16.21

$11.44 CA$15.99

1.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.68 CA$20.52

$12.96 CA$18.12

13.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.74 CA$5.23

$3.43 CA$4.79

9.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 CA$1.71

$1.21 CA$1.69

0.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.48 CA$4.86

$3.34 CA$4.67

4.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.32 CA$6.04

$4.17 CA$5.82

3.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 CA$2.59

$1.69 CA$2.37

9.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 CA$2.36

$1.68 CA$2.35

0.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 CA$3.11

$2.20 CA$3.08

1.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 CA$1.78

$1.26 CA$1.76

1.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.04 CA$19.63

$14.00 CA$19.56

0.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.43 CA$20.16

$12.58 CA$17.59

14.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 CA$3.01

$2.19 CA$3.06

-1.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 CA$3.53

$2.55 CA$3.57

-1.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 CA$3.31

$2.40 CA$3.35

-1.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 CA$157

$105 CA$147

7.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 CA$4.25

$3.06 CA$4.28

-0.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 CA$1.73

$1.28 CA$1.79

-3.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.55 CA$31.52

$22.52 CA$31.47

0.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 CA$1.74

$1.25 CA$1.75

-0.80%

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

$26.9K CA$37.6K

$26.1K CA$36.5K

2.90%

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

$21.4K CA$29.9K

$21.7K CA$30.4K

-1.55%

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

$125 CA$174

$137 CA$192

-9.25%

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

$33.05 CA$46.20

$35.21 CA$49.21

-6.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.96 CA$67.0

$48.56 CA$67.9

-1.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.69 CA$51.3

$35.87 CA$50.1

2.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.67 CA$33.08

$35.96 CA$50.3

-34.18%

Cinema Ticket

$13.08 CA$18.28

$12.95 CA$18.11

1.00%

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

$759 CA$1,061

$749 CA$1,047

1.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K CA$33.2K

$10.8K CA$15.1K

119.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 CA$74.8

$53.4 CA$74.7

0.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.44 CA$56.5

$40.94 CA$57.2

-1.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 CA$140

$85.1 CA$119

18.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 CA$175

$105 CA$147

19.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,630 CA$2,278

$1,744 CA$2,438

-6.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,416 CA$1,979

$1,415 CA$1,978

0.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,694 CA$3,765

$2,122 CA$2,966

26.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,101 CA$2,936

$1,758 CA$2,457

19.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,551 CA$10.6K

$7,770 CA$10.9K

-2.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,674 CA$9,328

$6,085 CA$8,504

9.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,543 CA$4,952

$2,980 CA$4,164

18.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.45

4.55

-2.20%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 26, 2026

Last update for Scarborough: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 54.7%

Scarborough

$1.4K 55.3% 0.1% $0.9

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$345 13.3%

Scarborough

$331 12.9% 4.1% $14

Eating Out

Toronto

$285 11%

Scarborough

$280 11% 1.5% $4.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$206 7.9%

Scarborough

$221 8.6% 7.5% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$144 5.6%

Scarborough

$128 5% 11% $16

Getting Around

Toronto

$131 5.1%

Scarborough

$124 4.8% 5.5% $7.2

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$63 2.4%

Scarborough

$62 2.4% 1.7% $1.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,630 in Toronto versus $1,744 in Scarborough. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 19% higher in Toronto. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78 in Toronto versus $70 in Scarborough. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $345 vs $331 – making Scarborough the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇨🇦 Scarborough

🕒 Local time

10:15 10:15 AM

Same time as Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

29,960

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Toronto Scarborough 17 km

From you

Toronto
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

Toronto vs Scarborough: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,883 per month in Toronto and $3,841 in Scarborough. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,630 in Toronto and $1,744 in Scarborough. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Groceries cost about 4% more in Toronto, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Kindergarten costs $759 per month in Toronto and $749 in Scarborough. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,589 in Toronto and $2,561 in Scarborough. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

If budget matters most, go with Scarborough. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Toronto makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.