Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Scarborough, Canada

Name: Scarborough
Address: Scarborough, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Scarborough: $2,561 a month against $2,725 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Scarborough
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Scarborough Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,725

/mo nomad

Scarborough

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,561

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,725 per month in Vancouver vs $2,561 in Scarborough, rent included.

Vancouver $2,725
Scarborough $2,561

A couple spends around $4,039 per month in Vancouver vs $3,474 in Scarborough, rent included.

Vancouver $4,039
Scarborough $3,474

A family of three spends $5,352 per month in Vancouver vs $4,388 in Scarborough, rent included.

Vancouver $5,352
Scarborough $4,388

Vancouver costs about 6% more than Scarborough, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Vancouver and Scarborough sit above the global median – Vancouver by 100%, Scarborough by 88%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.65 CA$24.66

$17.32 CA$24.20

1.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.4 CA$101

$70.3 CA$98.3

2.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.84 CA$15.14

$10.89 CA$15.21

-0.46%

Cappuccino

$3.91 CA$5.47

$3.99 CA$5.57

-2.01%

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

$2.10 CA$2.94

$2.03 CA$2.84

3.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 CA$2.29

$1.47 CA$2.05

11.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 CA$8.02

$6.55 CA$9.15

-12.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.36 CA$8.89

$7.29 CA$10.18

-12.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CA$3.09

$2.51 CA$3.51

-11.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 CA$3.69

$2.63 CA$3.68

0.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.68 CA$6.53

$2.28 CA$3.18

105.26%

Eggs

$4.24 CA$5.92

$3.64 CA$5.09

16.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.92 CA$16.66

$9.14 CA$12.77

30.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.12 CA$18.33

$11.44 CA$15.98

14.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.40 CA$28.50

$12.96 CA$18.11

57.41%

Apples (1kg)

$4.10 CA$5.73

$3.43 CA$4.79

19.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.92

$1.21 CA$1.69

14.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.83 CA$5.35

$3.34 CA$4.67

14.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 CA$5.47

$4.17 CA$5.82

-6.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 CA$3.88

$1.69 CA$2.37

63.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.84 CA$3.96

$1.68 CA$2.35

69.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 CA$3.63

$2.20 CA$3.08

18.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CA$2.22

$1.26 CA$1.76

26.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.87 CA$22.17

$14.00 CA$19.56

13.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.00 CA$19.55

$12.58 CA$17.58

11.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 CA$3.59

$2.19 CA$3.06

17.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 CA$4.21

$2.55 CA$3.57

18.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.57

$2.40 CA$3.35

6.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.1 CA$118

$105 CA$147

-19.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 CA$3.73

$3.06 CA$4.28

-12.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$1.28 CA$1.79

23.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.19 CA$44.97

$22.52 CA$31.46

42.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 CA$2.03

$1.25 CA$1.75

16.00%

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

$27.5K CA$38.4K

$26.1K CA$36.5K

5.14%

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

$21.3K CA$29.8K

$21.7K CA$30.4K

-1.83%

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

$82.5 CA$115

$137 CA$192

-39.96%

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

$37.46 CA$52.3

$35.21 CA$49.20

6.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 CA$72.2

$48.56 CA$67.8

6.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.52 CA$56.6

$35.87 CA$50.1

12.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.69 CA$17.73

$35.96 CA$50.2

-64.71%

Cinema Ticket

$12.66 CA$17.69

$12.95 CA$18.10

-2.24%

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

$1,080 CA$1,508

$749 CA$1,047

44.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.1K CA$28.1K

$10.8K CA$15.1K

86.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$81.7

$53.4 CA$74.6

9.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.10 CA$47.64

$40.94 CA$57.2

-16.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 CA$135

$85.1 CA$119

13.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.4 CA$136

$105 CA$147

-7.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,813 CA$2,533

$1,744 CA$2,437

3.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 CA$2,201

$1,415 CA$1,977

11.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,217 CA$4,494

$2,122 CA$2,965

51.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,651 CA$3,704

$1,758 CA$2,456

50.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,590 CA$12.0K

$7,770 CA$10.9K

10.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,649 CA$9,289

$6,085 CA$8,501

9.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,733 CA$5,215

$2,980 CA$4,163

25.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

4.55

-5.93%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 27, 2026

Last update for Scarborough: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.6K 57.8%

Scarborough

$1.4K 55.3% 10.2% $161

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$401 14.7%

Scarborough

$331 12.9% 17.5% $70

Eating Out

Vancouver

$277 10.2%

Scarborough

$280 11% 1.2% $3.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$172 6.3%

Scarborough

$221 8.6% 28.9% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$129 4.7%

Scarborough

$128 5% 0.9% $1.1

Getting Around

Vancouver

$105 3.9%

Scarborough

$124 4.8% 18.1% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$66 2.4%

Scarborough

$62 2.4% 6.2% $4.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,813 in Vancouver 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 25% higher in Vancouver. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $72 in Vancouver versus $70 in Scarborough. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $401 vs $331 – making Scarborough the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇨🇦 Scarborough

🕒 Local time

06:51 6:51 AM

08:51 8:51 AM

2 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

29,960

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Vancouver Scarborough 3,360 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Vancouver
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

Vancouver vs Scarborough: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Vancouver is pricier by about 6%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,087 per month in Vancouver 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 $1,813 in Vancouver and $1,744 in Scarborough. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Public transport costs about 20% less in Vancouver. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,080 per month in Vancouver 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 $2,725 in Vancouver and $2,561 in Scarborough. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Scarborough – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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