Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alexandria, VA and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,223 a month against $3,249 in Alexandria, VA, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

160

Cost of Living Index in Alexandria, VA
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Alexandria, VA Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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Alexandria, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,249

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Alexandria, VA 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 Alexandria, VA and in Calgary actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,249 in Alexandria, VA versus $2,223 in Calgary.

Alexandria, VA $3,249
Calgary $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,722 in Alexandria, VA versus $3,301 in Calgary.

Alexandria, VA $4,722
Calgary $3,301

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,195 in Alexandria, VA versus $4,379 in Calgary.

Alexandria, VA $6,195
Calgary $4,379

Living in Alexandria, VA is roughly 46% more expensive than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Alexandria, VA 141% above, Calgary 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.18 $20.18

$17.22 CA$24.34

17.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 $103

$71.1 CA$100

45.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.83 $11.83

$10.53 CA$14.89

12.35%

Cappuccino

$4.52 $4.52

$3.66 CA$5.18

23.50%

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

$2.73 $2.73

$1.98 CA$2.80

37.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.94 CA$2.74

15.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.58 $6.58

$4.95 CA$7.00

32.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.86 $8.86

$5.57 CA$7.87

59.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.88 CA$2.65

-37.23%

White Bread (500g)

$3.88 $3.88

$2.67 CA$3.78

45.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.80 $3.80

$5.32 CA$7.52

-28.57%

Eggs

$4.53 $4.53

$3.79 CA$5.35

19.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.40 $16.40

$11.09 CA$15.68

47.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.22 $15.22

$11.36 CA$16.05

33.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.04 $20.04

$18.40 CA$26.01

8.91%

Apples (1kg)

$6.10 $6.10

$4.56 CA$6.45

33.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.44 CA$2.04

-6.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.55 $7.55

$4.08 CA$5.76

85.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.84 $7.84

$3.89 CA$5.50

101.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.64 CA$3.73

-18.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.61 $2.61

$2.64 CA$3.73

-1.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.50 CA$3.54

9.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.50 CA$2.12

62.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.34 $9.34

$14.05 CA$19.86

-33.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.35 $14.35

$15.70 CA$22.20

-8.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.44 CA$3.45

-28.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 $3.66

$3.09 CA$4.37

18.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.07 $3.07

$2.82 CA$3.99

8.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.5 $51.5

$88.6 CA$125

-41.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 $4.08

$3.12 CA$4.41

30.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.35 CA$1.91

46.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.13 $25.13

$27.02 CA$38.20

-6.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.16 CA$1.64

-12.07%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$27.9K CA$39.5K

31.72%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$20.3K CA$28.8K

25.90%

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

$240 $240

$161 CA$227

49.55%

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

$53.7 $53.7

$38.13 CA$53.9

40.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.2 $77.2

$50.0 CA$70.7

54.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.4 $72.4

$51.5 CA$72.8

40.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 CA$25.64

Cinema Ticket

$18.33 $18.33

$13.82 CA$19.54

32.63%

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

$2,034 $2,034

$786 CA$1,111

158.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$65.5K $65.5K

$15.5K CA$21.8K

323.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.10 $48.10

$58.3 CA$82.4

-17.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.90 $47.90

$39.27 CA$55.5

21.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 $122

$89.8 CA$127

35.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 $134

$110 CA$155

22.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,315 $2,315

$1,229 CA$1,737

88.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 $1,737

$1,001 CA$1,415

73.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,390 $3,390

$1,921 CA$2,716

76.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,776 $2,776

$1,621 CA$2,292

71.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,743 $6,743

$3,549 CA$5,018

89.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,049 $4,049

$3,335 CA$4,715

21.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,951 $5,951

$3,165 CA$4,474

88.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

4.51

47.23%

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

Last update for Alexandria, VA: October 12, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Alexandria, VA

$1.7K 53.5%

Calgary

$1K 45% 42.4% $736

Groceries & Markets

Alexandria, VA

$474 14.6%

Calgary

$385 17.3% 18.7% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alexandria, VA

$371 11.4%

Calgary

$249 11.2% 33% $122

Eating Out

Alexandria, VA

$322 9.9%

Calgary

$265 11.9% 17.7% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Alexandria, VA

$158 4.9%

Calgary

$134 6% 15.5% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Alexandria, VA

$109 3.4%

Calgary

$79 3.6% 27.4% $30

Getting Around

Alexandria, VA

$78 2.4%

Calgary

$110 4.9% 41.3% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,315 in Alexandria, VA and $1,229 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alexandria, VA pays 88% 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: $103 in Alexandria, VA vs $71.0 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $474 vs $385 per month, with Calgary cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Alexandria, VA

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

22:31 10:31 PM

20:31 8:31 PM

2 h behind Alexandria, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

160,035

1,267,344

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

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Alexandria, VA Calgary 3,170 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Alexandria, VA
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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

Alexandria, VA vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alexandria, VA and Calgary differ by about 46% in total monthly costs ($3,249 vs $2,223 including rent). Calgary is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 88% higher in Alexandria, VA, 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: $2,315 in Alexandria, VA versus $1,229 in Calgary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,249 per month in Alexandria, VA versus $2,223 in Calgary – a 46% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Calgary runs roughly 72% less than in Alexandria, VA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,223 in Calgary versus $3,249 in Alexandria, VA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Alexandria, VA. 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 46% less than in Alexandria, VA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.