Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Albany, NY and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,232 a month against $2,757 in Albany, NY, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

136

Cost of Living Index in Albany, NY
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Albany, NY Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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Albany, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,757

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,232

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Albany, NY and in Calgary

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,757 in Albany, NY versus $2,232 in Calgary.

Albany, NY $2,757
Calgary $2,232

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,365 in Albany, NY versus $3,363 in Calgary.

Albany, NY $4,365
Calgary $3,363

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,973 in Albany, NY versus $4,493 in Calgary.

Albany, NY $5,973
Calgary $4,493

Living in Albany, NY is roughly 23% more expensive than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Albany, NY 106% above, Calgary 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.86 $27.86

$17.22 CA$24.54

61.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.6 $99.6

$71.2 CA$101

39.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.06 $15.06

$10.56 CA$15.06

42.61%

Cappuccino

$6.64 $6.64

$3.77 CA$5.38

76.13%

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

$2.59 $2.59

$1.91 CA$2.73

35.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.84 CA$2.63

10.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.93 $5.93

$4.86 CA$6.93

22.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.44 $10.44

$5.55 CA$7.91

88.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.88 CA$2.68

-43.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.73 CA$3.89

16.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.85 $6.85

$5.34 CA$7.61

28.28%

Eggs

$5.34 $5.34

$3.77 CA$5.37

41.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.60 $16.60

$11.29 CA$16.09

47.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.92 $15.92

$11.46 CA$16.34

38.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.36 $18.36

$18.26 CA$26.03

0.55%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$4.64 CA$6.62

1.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.44 CA$2.05

-1.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.54 $5.54

$4.22 CA$6.02

31.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$3.86 CA$5.50

23.83%

Potato (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.62 CA$3.74

24.05%

Onion (1kg)

$3.56 $3.56

$2.66 CA$3.79

33.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 $2.25

$2.59 CA$3.69

-13.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.53 CA$2.19

34.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.45 $15.45

$14.26 CA$20.32

8.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.88 $13.88

$15.27 CA$21.76

-9.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.41 CA$3.44

-18.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 $3.86

$3.09 CA$4.41

24.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 $1.51

$2.88 CA$4.11

-47.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.0 $64.0

$88.7 CA$126

-27.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.88 $4.88

$3.23 CA$4.61

51.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.38 CA$1.97

-0.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.92 $29.92

$26.49 CA$37.75

12.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.18 CA$1.68

-6.78%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$28.3K CA$40.3K

26.93%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$20.7K CA$29.5K

24.40%

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

$210 $210

$159 CA$227

31.79%

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

$70.5 $70.5

$37.61 CA$53.6

87.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$89.8 $89.8

$49.68 CA$70.8

80.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.59 $37.59

$53.3 CA$75.9

-29.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.05 $39.05

$18.31 CA$26.10

113.27%

Cinema Ticket

$14.78 $14.78

$14.08 CA$20.06

4.97%

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

$1,497 $1,497

$809 CA$1,154

84.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K $16.9K

$15.9K CA$22.6K

6.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 $54.1

$58.8 CA$83.8

-8.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.18 $39.18

$38.84 CA$55.4

0.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 $113

$91.4 CA$130

23.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$109 CA$155

-2.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,447 $1,447

$1,237 CA$1,764

16.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,291 $1,291

$996 CA$1,420

29.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,910 $2,910

$1,908 CA$2,720

52.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,575 $2,575

$1,671 CA$2,382

54.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,436 $2,436

$3,530 CA$5,032

-31.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,443 $2,443

$3,336 CA$4,755

-26.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,228 $4,228

$3,130 CA$4,461

35.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.66

4.51

47.67%

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

Last update for Albany, NY: October 5, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Albany, NY

$1.3K 45.8%

Calgary

$996 44.8% 22.9% $295

Groceries & Markets

Albany, NY

$450 16%

Calgary

$387 17.4% 13.9% $62

Eating Out

Albany, NY

$417 14.8%

Calgary

$265 11.9% 36.4% $152

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Albany, NY

$370 13.1%

Calgary

$247 11.1% 33.4% $124

Clothing & Footwear

Albany, NY

$141 5%

Calgary

$134 6% 4.7% $6.6

Getting Around

Albany, NY

$82 2.9%

Calgary

$110 5% 35% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Albany, NY

$67 2.4%

Calgary

$81 3.7% 21.2% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,447 in Albany, NY and $1,237 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Albany, NY pays 35% 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: $100 in Albany, NY vs $71.0 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $450 vs $387 per month, with Calgary cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Albany, NY

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

07:56 7:56 AM

05:56 5:56 AM

2 h behind Albany, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

101,228

1,267,344

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

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Albany, NY Calgary 3,150 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

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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

Albany, NY vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary wins on cost – living expenses run 23% lower than in Albany, NY. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Calgary the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 35% higher in Albany, NY, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,447 in Albany, NY versus $1,237 in Calgary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Calgary – a meal for two runs $71.0 versus $100 in Albany, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,757 per month in Albany, NY versus $2,232 in Calgary – a 23% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,232 in Calgary versus $2,757 in Albany, NY, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Albany, NY. The gap between the two cities makes Calgary 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.

Expats usually find Calgary gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Albany, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.