Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Ottawa vs Scranton

Ottawa vs Scranton

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Scranton 15% cheaper Scranton +42 Mbps Moderate / Moderate

Ottawa

Marc-Olivier Jodoin/Unsplash

Scranton

Nicholas Bukofski/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$3,588

Ottawa

$3,061

Scranton

Internet

237

Mbps

279

Mbps

Safety

Moderate

Ottawa

Moderate

Scranton

Air Quality

5/5

Ottawa

5/5

Scranton

Healthcare

Low

Ottawa

Low

Scranton

Population

934.2k

Ottawa

76.7k

Scranton

Ottawa (Canada) and Scranton (United States) are both in North America, offering different takes on the nomad lifestyle. Here is how they compare across the metrics that matter most.

Cost of Living

The cost difference is noticeable: Scranton at $3061/mo is 15% cheaper than Ottawa at $3588/mo, worth considering for extended stays.

For families, Ottawa costs $5470.140832750174/mo compared to Scranton's $5258.0625/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

Internet speeds are comparable: Scranton at 279 Mbps (#0) slightly outpaces Ottawa's 237 Mbps (#0).

Quality of Life

Both Ottawa and Scranton share the same safety rating — travelers can feel equally comfortable in either city.

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Ottawa and Scranton.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Ottawa is July (around 30 degrees, 1mm rain, score 432), while Scranton peaks in September (25 degrees, 0mm rain, score 399). Timing your stay around these months can make a big difference in your experience.

Cost of Living

OttawaScranton

Nomad$3,588/mo$3,061/mo

Expat$2,239/mo$2,149/mo

Local$1,563/mo$1,502/mo

Family$5,470/mo$5,258/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

OttawaScranton

City Speed

237 Mbps

279 Mbps

Country Speed237 Mbps279 Mbps

Environment & Health

OttawaScranton

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionLowLow

ClimateModerateModerate

Humidity8581

Quality of Life

OttawaScranton

SafetyModerateModerate

HealthcareLowLow

Monthly Weather Comparison

Ottawa

Scranton

Jan

-6°

0mm372

0°

0mm325

Feb

-3°

0mm375

2°

0mm339

Mar

3°

0mm375

8°

0mm344

Apr

8°

1mm369

13°

1mm333

May

20°

1mm403

23°

0mm377

Jun

25°

1mm427

29°

0mm394

Jul

30°

1mm432

32°

0mm397

Aug

26°

1mm432

28°

1mm371

Sep

24°

0mm417

25°

0mm399

Oct

13°

0mm387

16°

0mm359

Nov

3°

0mm374

8°

0mm349

Dec

-5°

0mm359

-1°

0mm325

Who Should Choose Ottawa?

Excellent for video calls and large uploads with 237 Mbps
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Peak season in July — 30 degrees, score 432

Who Should Choose Scranton?

Excellent for video calls and large uploads with 279 Mbps
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Smaller city feel with 76.7k residents
Peak season in September — 25 degrees, score 399

Overall Verdict

For the typical digital nomad, Scranton is the stronger pick. At $3061/mo it beats Ottawa's $3588/mo by 15%, and the 279 Mbps internet handles video calls without issues.

Granular Price Comparison

Ottawa Scranton

ItemOttawaScrantonDiff

🍽️Restaurants8 items

Meal, inexpensive restaurant$18.53—

—

Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$63—

—

McMeal or equivalent combo$8.89$8

10%

Cappuccino (regular)$3.68$4.6

20%

Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$5.19—

—

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$6.67$4

40%

Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$1.96$1.5

23%

Water (0.33L)$1.46$1.25

14%

🛒Markets19 items

Milk (1L)$1.85$0.92

50%

White bread (500g)$2.18$2.41

10%

White rice (1kg)$3.03$3.16

Eggs (12)$2.91$2.64

Chicken fillets (1kg)$11.6$11.02

Beef round (1kg)$12.1$6.37

47%

Local cheese (1kg)$11.17$14.23

22%

Apples (1kg)$3.48$6

42%

Bananas (1kg)$1.21$1.96

38%

Oranges (1kg)$2.93$8.82

67%

Tomatoes (1kg)$3.36$3.23

Potatoes (1kg)$1.66$2.46

33%

Onions (1kg)$1.8$2.09

14%

Lettuce (1 head)$1.97$1.66

16%

Water (1.5L bottle)$1.51$0.89

41%

Wine, mid-range bottle$11.12$11

Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$2.29—

—

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$2.22$4.25

48%

Cigarettes (pack of 20)$11.12$8.86

20%

🚌Transport8 items

One-way local transport ticket$2.74$1.75

36%

Monthly transport pass$91.72$60

35%

Taxi start (normal tariff)$2.96$3

Taxi per 1km$1.38$1.94

29%

Taxi 1hr waiting$17.79$12

33%

Gasoline (1L)$1.43$1.28

10%

Volkswagen Golf (new)$21,122.77$19,000

10%

Toyota Corolla (new)$19,163.27$26,000

26%

⚡Utilities3 items

Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$119.98$185.51

35%

Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$59.52$85

30%

Mobile prepaid per minute$0.21$0.1

52%

🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items

Fitness club, monthly$52.35$28

47%

Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)$23.82—

—

Cinema, 1 ticket$11.12$11

👶Childcare2 items

Preschool, full-day private/mo$971.73$1,800

46%

International primary school/yr$14,267.13$7,800

45%

👗Clothing4 items

Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$53.31$37.49

30%

Summer dress (chain store)$36.26$41.33

12%

Nike running shoes (mid-range)$78.89$76.33

Men's leather business shoes$106.68$75

30%

🏠Rent4 items

1-bedroom apartment, city centre$1,271.64$1,550

18%

1-bedroom apartment, outside centre$1,000.55$1,000

3-bedroom apartment, city centre$2,040.48$2,500

18%

3-bedroom apartment, outside centre$1,612$1,500

🏗️Buy2 items

Price per m², city centre$4,884.05—

—

Price per m², outside centre$3,616.54$1,076.39

70%

💰Finance2 items

Average monthly net salary$3,319.71$2,178

34%

Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)$5.33$4.45

17%

Lower is better for all cost items.

Data from Open-Meteo (weather) and global internet speed rankings. Updated monthly.

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