Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Amherst, MA and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,223 a month against $2,759 in Amherst, MA, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

134

Cost of Living Index in Amherst, MA
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Amherst, MA Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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Amherst, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,759

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,759 in Amherst, MA versus $2,223 in Calgary.

Amherst, MA $2,759
Calgary $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,250 in Amherst, MA versus $3,301 in Calgary.

Amherst, MA $4,250
Calgary $3,301

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,742 in Amherst, MA versus $4,379 in Calgary.

Amherst, MA $5,742
Calgary $4,379

Living in Amherst, MA is roughly 24% more expensive than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Amherst, MA 104% above, Calgary 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.37 $20.37

$17.22 CA$24.34

18.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.3 $69.3

$71.1 CA$100

-2.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.18 $9.18

$10.53 CA$14.89

-12.82%

Cappuccino

$4.86 $4.86

$3.66 CA$5.18

32.79%

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

$2.62 $2.62

$1.98 CA$2.80

32.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.94 CA$2.74

0.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.92 $5.92

$4.95 CA$7.00

19.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.63 $10.63

$5.57 CA$7.87

90.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.88 CA$2.65

-44.15%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.67 CA$3.78

18.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.12 $7.12

$5.32 CA$7.52

33.83%

Eggs

$4.68 $4.68

$3.79 CA$5.35

23.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.30 $16.30

$11.09 CA$15.68

46.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.68 $15.68

$11.36 CA$16.05

38.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.11 $18.11

$18.40 CA$26.01

-1.58%

Apples (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$4.56 CA$6.45

5.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.44 CA$2.04

-4.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$4.08 CA$5.76

-20.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 $4.82

$3.89 CA$5.50

23.91%

Potato (1kg)

$3.24 $3.24

$2.64 CA$3.73

22.73%

Onion (1kg)

$3.55 $3.55

$2.64 CA$3.73

34.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.50 CA$3.54

-11.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.50 CA$2.12

36.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.38 $10.38

$14.05 CA$19.86

-26.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.16 $12.16

$15.70 CA$22.20

-22.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.44 CA$3.45

-15.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 $3.95

$3.09 CA$4.37

27.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 $1.29

$2.82 CA$3.99

-54.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.49 $27.49

$88.6 CA$125

-68.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.12 CA$4.41

10.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.35 CA$1.91

1.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.92 $29.92

$27.02 CA$38.20

10.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.16 CA$1.64

-20.69%

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

$36.5K $36.5K

$27.9K CA$39.5K

30.88%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$20.3K CA$28.8K

23.69%

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

$207 $207

$161 CA$227

29.06%

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

$56.8 $56.8

$38.13 CA$53.9

48.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$90.5 $90.5

$50.0 CA$70.7

80.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$120 $120

$51.5 CA$72.8

132.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.15 $7.15

$18.14 CA$25.64

-60.58%

Cinema Ticket

$10.64 $10.64

$13.82 CA$19.54

-23.01%

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

$1,513 $1,513

$786 CA$1,111

92.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K $16.8K

$15.5K CA$21.8K

8.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.36 $44.36

$58.3 CA$82.4

-23.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.35 $40.35

$39.27 CA$55.5

2.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.7 $89.7

$89.8 CA$127

-0.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$110 CA$155

-2.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,826 $1,826

$1,229 CA$1,737

48.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,342 $1,342

$1,001 CA$1,415

34.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,963 $3,963

$1,921 CA$2,716

106.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,682 $2,682

$1,621 CA$2,292

65.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,010 $4,010

$3,549 CA$5,018

12.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,000 $4,000

$3,335 CA$4,715

19.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,769 $4,769

$3,165 CA$4,474

50.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.1

4.51

35.25%

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

Last update for Amherst, MA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Amherst, MA

$1.3K 48.7%

Calgary

$1K 45% 25.4% $341

Groceries & Markets

Amherst, MA

$433 15.7%

Calgary

$385 17.3% 11% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Amherst, MA

$355 12.9%

Calgary

$249 11.2% 29.8% $106

Eating Out

Amherst, MA

$318 11.5%

Calgary

$265 11.9% 16.7% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Amherst, MA

$141 5.1%

Calgary

$79 3.6% 43.9% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Amherst, MA

$127 4.6%

Calgary

$134 6% 5.7% $7.2

Getting Around

Amherst, MA

$43 1.6%

Calgary

$110 4.9% 156% $67

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,826 in Amherst, MA and $1,229 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Amherst, MA pays 51% 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: $69.0 in Amherst, MA vs $71.0 in Calgary. Groceries flip the comparison at $433 vs $385, with Calgary cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Amherst, MA

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

07:11 7:11 AM

05:11 5:11 AM

2 h behind Amherst, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,819

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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Amherst, MA Calgary 3,260 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Amherst, MA
Calgary

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

Amherst, MA vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 24% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 51% higher in Amherst, MA, 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: $1,826 in Amherst, MA versus $1,229 in Calgary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,513 in Amherst, MA versus $786 in Calgary. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Amherst, MA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,223 in Calgary versus $2,759 in Amherst, MA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Amherst, MA. 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.

Safety-wise, Amherst, MA and Calgary are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Calgary gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Amherst, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.