Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alpharetta, GA and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,223 a month against $3,015 in Alpharetta, GA, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

149

Cost of Living Index in Alpharetta, GA
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Alpharetta, GA Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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Alpharetta, GA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,015

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,015 in Alpharetta, GA versus $2,223 in Calgary.

Alpharetta, GA $3,015
Calgary $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,418 in Alpharetta, GA versus $3,301 in Calgary.

Alpharetta, GA $4,418
Calgary $3,301

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,822 in Alpharetta, GA versus $4,379 in Calgary.

Alpharetta, GA $5,822
Calgary $4,379

Living in Alpharetta, GA is roughly 36% more expensive than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Alpharetta, GA 123% above, Calgary 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.92 $25.92

$17.22 CA$24.34

50.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.2 $81.2

$71.1 CA$100

14.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.82 $9.82

$10.53 CA$14.89

-6.74%

Cappuccino

$4.87 $4.87

$3.66 CA$5.18

33.06%

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

$2.52 $2.52

$1.98 CA$2.80

27.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.94 CA$2.74

8.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.78 $5.78

$4.95 CA$7.00

16.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.40 $7.40

$5.57 CA$7.87

32.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.88 CA$2.65

-50.53%

White Bread (500g)

$4.25 $4.25

$2.67 CA$3.78

59.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.73 $5.73

$5.32 CA$7.52

7.71%

Eggs

$4.58 $4.58

$3.79 CA$5.35

20.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.41 $11.41

$11.09 CA$15.68

2.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.73 $8.73

$11.36 CA$16.05

-23.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.39 $20.39

$18.40 CA$26.01

10.82%

Apples (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$4.56 CA$6.45

1.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.44 CA$2.04

48.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.23 $4.23

$4.08 CA$5.76

3.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.41 $4.41

$3.89 CA$5.50

13.37%

Potato (1kg)

$3.65 $3.65

$2.64 CA$3.73

38.26%

Onion (1kg)

$3.71 $3.71

$2.64 CA$3.73

40.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.50 CA$3.54

-4.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 $2.77

$1.50 CA$2.12

84.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.94 $8.94

$14.05 CA$19.86

-36.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.79 $14.79

$15.70 CA$22.20

-5.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.44 CA$3.45

-29.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 $3.92

$3.09 CA$4.37

26.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 $2.94

$2.82 CA$3.99

4.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.2 $94.2

$88.6 CA$125

6.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.12 CA$4.41

-1.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 $2.37

$1.35 CA$1.91

75.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.78 $40.78

$27.02 CA$38.20

50.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.16 CA$1.64

-22.41%

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

$32.5K $32.5K

$27.9K CA$39.5K

16.30%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$20.3K CA$28.8K

29.15%

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

$252 $252

$161 CA$227

56.73%

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

$53.7 $53.7

$38.13 CA$53.9

40.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.4 $87.4

$50.0 CA$70.7

74.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.02 $34.02

$51.5 CA$72.8

-33.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.25 $22.25

$18.14 CA$25.64

22.66%

Cinema Ticket

$16.81 $16.81

$13.82 CA$19.54

21.64%

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

$1,298 $1,298

$786 CA$1,111

65.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K $16.0K

$15.5K CA$21.8K

3.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.0 $77.0

$58.3 CA$82.4

32.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 $44.98

$39.27 CA$55.5

14.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$89.8 CA$127

42.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 $139

$110 CA$155

26.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,105 $2,105

$1,229 CA$1,737

71.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,488 $1,488

$1,001 CA$1,415

48.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,000 $3,000

$1,921 CA$2,716

56.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,491 $2,491

$1,621 CA$2,292

53.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,659 $7,659

$3,549 CA$5,018

115.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,366 $5,366

$3,335 CA$4,715

60.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,390 $6,390

$3,165 CA$4,474

101.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.84

4.51

51.66%

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

Last update for Alpharetta, GA: 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

Alpharetta, GA

$1.5K 49.3%

Calgary

$1K 45% 32.7% $486

Groceries & Markets

Alpharetta, GA

$414 13.7%

Calgary

$385 17.3% 7% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alpharetta, GA

$393 13%

Calgary

$249 11.2% 36.7% $144

Eating Out

Alpharetta, GA

$357 11.9%

Calgary

$265 11.9% 25.9% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Alpharetta, GA

$175 5.8%

Calgary

$134 6% 23.5% $41

Getting Around

Alpharetta, GA

$121 4%

Calgary

$110 4.9% 9.1% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Alpharetta, GA

$68 2.2%

Calgary

$79 3.6% 17% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,105 in Alpharetta, GA and $1,229 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alpharetta, GA pays 102% 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: $81.0 in Alpharetta, GA vs $71.0 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $414 vs $385 per month, with Calgary cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Alpharetta, GA

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

13:06 1:06 PM

11:06 11:06 AM

2 h behind Alpharetta, GA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

65,799

1,267,344

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 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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Alpharetta, GA Calgary 3,050 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Alpharetta, GA
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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

Alpharetta, GA vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 36% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 102% higher in Alpharetta, GA, 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: $2,105 in Alpharetta, GA versus $1,229 in Calgary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Calgary runs roughly 6% less than in Alpharetta, GA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,298 in Alpharetta, GA versus $786 in Calgary. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,223 in Calgary versus $3,015 in Alpharetta, GA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Alpharetta, GA. 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 36% less than in Alpharetta, GA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.