Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ann Arbor, MI and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,232 a month against $2,756 in Ann Arbor, MI, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

134

Cost of Living Index in Ann Arbor, MI
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Ann Arbor, MI Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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Ann Arbor, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,756

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,232

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,756 in Ann Arbor, MI versus $2,232 in Calgary.

Ann Arbor, MI $2,756
Calgary $2,232

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,150 in Ann Arbor, MI versus $3,363 in Calgary.

Ann Arbor, MI $4,150
Calgary $3,363

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,545 in Ann Arbor, MI versus $4,493 in Calgary.

Ann Arbor, MI $5,545
Calgary $4,493

Living in Ann Arbor, MI is roughly 23% more expensive than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ann Arbor, MI 106% above, Calgary 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.21 $18.21

$17.22 CA$24.49

5.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.8 $58.8

$71.2 CA$101

-17.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.84 $11.84

$10.56 CA$15.02

12.12%

Cappuccino

$5.18 $5.18

$3.77 CA$5.37

37.40%

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

$2.89 $2.89

$1.91 CA$2.72

51.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.84 CA$2.62

16.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.53 $6.53

$4.86 CA$6.92

34.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.86 $7.86

$5.55 CA$7.90

41.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.88 CA$2.67

-48.40%

White Bread (500g)

$3.90 $3.90

$2.73 CA$3.88

42.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$5.34 CA$7.60

-10.49%

Eggs

$3.69 $3.69

$3.77 CA$5.36

-2.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.79 $19.79

$11.29 CA$16.06

75.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.32 $13.32

$11.46 CA$16.30

16.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.85 $14.85

$18.26 CA$25.97

-18.67%

Apples (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$4.64 CA$6.60

45.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.44 CA$2.04

35.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.80 $3.80

$4.22 CA$6.01

-9.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.49 $4.49

$3.86 CA$5.49

16.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.37 $2.37

$2.62 CA$3.73

-9.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.66 CA$3.78

7.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 $2.41

$2.59 CA$3.68

-6.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.53 CA$2.18

32.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$14.26 CA$20.28

-30.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.76 $14.76

$15.27 CA$21.71

-3.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$2.41 CA$3.43

-9.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 $3.66

$3.09 CA$4.40

18.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.88 CA$4.10

-40.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 $45.56

$88.7 CA$126

-48.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$3.23 CA$4.60

-5.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.38 CA$1.97

11.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.38 $26.38

$26.49 CA$37.67

-0.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.18 CA$1.67

-9.32%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$28.3K CA$40.2K

29.99%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$20.7K CA$29.5K

22.50%

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

$201 $201

$159 CA$227

26.38%

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

$58.8 $58.8

$37.61 CA$53.5

56.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.1 $73.1

$49.68 CA$70.7

47.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.3 $63.3

$53.3 CA$75.7

18.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.46 $19.46

$18.31 CA$26.04

6.28%

Cinema Ticket

$13.21 $13.21

$14.08 CA$20.02

-6.18%

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

$2,030 $2,030

$809 CA$1,151

150.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.2K $20.2K

$15.9K CA$22.5K

27.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.0 $56.0

$58.8 CA$83.6

-4.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.26 $44.26

$38.84 CA$55.2

13.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 $114

$91.4 CA$130

25.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$109 CA$155

-4.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 $2,062

$1,237 CA$1,760

66.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,382 $1,382

$996 CA$1,417

38.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,822 $3,822

$1,908 CA$2,714

100.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,745 $2,745

$1,671 CA$2,377

64.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,514 $5,514

$3,530 CA$5,022

56.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,539 $2,539

$3,336 CA$4,745

-23.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,686 $4,686

$3,130 CA$4,452

49.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.6

4.51

46.34%

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

Last update for Ann Arbor, MI: October 4, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ann Arbor, MI

$1.4K 50.2%

Calgary

$996 44.8% 27.9% $386

Groceries & Markets

Ann Arbor, MI

$431 15.6%

Calgary

$387 17.4% 10.1% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ann Arbor, MI

$333 12.1%

Calgary

$247 11.1% 26% $87

Eating Out

Ann Arbor, MI

$312 11.3%

Calgary

$265 11.9% 15% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Ann Arbor, MI

$144 5.2%

Calgary

$134 6% 6.6% $9.4

Sport & Entertainment

Ann Arbor, MI

$90 3.3%

Calgary

$81 3.7% 9.3% $8.4

Getting Around

Ann Arbor, MI

$63 2.3%

Calgary

$110 5% 74.9% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,062 in Ann Arbor, MI and $1,237 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ann Arbor, MI pays 50% 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: $59.0 in Ann Arbor, MI vs $71.0 in Calgary. Groceries flip the comparison at $431 vs $387, with Calgary cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ann Arbor, MI

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

03:15 3:15 AM

01:15 1:15 AM

2 h behind Ann Arbor, MI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

123,851

1,267,344

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.627 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 = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Ann Arbor, MI Calgary 2,490 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ann Arbor, MI
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

Ann Arbor, MI vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ann Arbor, MI and Calgary differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($2,756 vs $2,232 including rent). Calgary is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 50% higher in Ann Arbor, MI, 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: $2,062 in Ann Arbor, MI 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 $59.0 in Ann Arbor, MI. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,756 per month in Ann Arbor, MI 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 $2,756 in Ann Arbor, MI, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Ann Arbor, MI. 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, Ann Arbor, MI 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 23% less than in Ann Arbor, MI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.