Cost of Living Comparison Between Arnhem and Calgary Cost of Living Comparison Between Arnhem and Calgary

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,259 in Arnhem versus $2,462 in Calgary.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,391 in Arnhem versus $3,628 in Calgary.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,523 in Arnhem versus $4,795 in Calgary.

Living in Arnhem costs roughly 8% less than in Calgary, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Arnhem 69% above, Calgary 84% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €16.11

$18.33 CA$25.70

0.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.0 €62.1

$69.9 CA$98.0

1.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.30 €11.63

$10.95 CA$15.35

21.46%

Cappuccino

$4.24 €3.71

$3.74 CA$5.24

13.37%

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

$3.18 €2.78

$2.04 CA$2.86

55.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 €2.19

$1.67 CA$2.34

49.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.38 €5.59

$5.20 CA$7.29

22.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 €4.58

$6.71 CA$9.41

-22.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.07

$2.25 CA$3.15

-45.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.75 CA$3.85

-13.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 €2.85

$3.23 CA$4.53

0.93%

Eggs

$4.91 €4.29

$3.45 CA$4.83

42.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.69 €11.98

$14.40 CA$20.19

-4.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.68 €14.59

$12.89 CA$18.07

29.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.82 €14.71

$15.86 CA$22.24

6.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 €2.08

$4.30 CA$6.02

-44.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 €2.29

$1.34 CA$1.88

95.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.66

$3.85 CA$5.40

-50.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 €3.62

$4.25 CA$5.97

-2.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.84

$2.55 CA$3.57

-17.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 €1.90

$2.62 CA$3.68

-17.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 €1.12

$2.80 CA$3.92

-54.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.63

$1.95 CA$2.73

-63.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.28 €12.50

$14.97 CA$20.99

-4.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.95 €6.08

$13.90 CA$19.49

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.21

$2.92 CA$4.10

-52.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.40

$3.91 CA$5.48

-29.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.31 €3.77

$2.74 CA$3.84

57.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$114 €99.4

$87.8 CA$123

29.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 €3.45

$3.60 CA$5.04

9.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.64 €2.31

$1.30 CA$1.82

103.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.46 €24.02

$28.70 CA$40.24

-4.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 €1.94

$1.12 CA$1.57

98.21%

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

$37.4K €32.7K

$25.5K CA$35.7K

46.79%

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

$38.7K €33.9K

$21.7K CA$30.5K

77.98%

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

$264 €231

$213 CA$299

23.95%

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

$30.28 €26.49

$40.96 CA$57.4

-26.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.9 €47.15

$57.9 CA$81.2

-6.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.52 €37.20

$54.2 CA$76.0

-21.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.63 €6.68

$53.8 CA$75.4

-85.80%

Cinema Ticket

$15.19 €13.29

$12.63 CA$17.71

20.27%

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

$1,842 €1,612

$874 CA$1,226

110.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,253 €5,471

$15.9K CA$22.3K

-60.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.2 €81.5

$58.6 CA$82.2

58.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.32 €15.15

$47.01 CA$65.9

-63.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 €75.1

$85.1 CA$119

0.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.6 €80.1

$108 CA$151

-14.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,158 €1,013

$1,380 CA$1,935

-16.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$878 €768

$1,159 CA$1,625

-24.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,063 €1,805

$2,324 CA$3,259

-11.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,635 €1,430

$1,905 CA$2,670

-14.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,406 €4,730

$3,786 CA$5,308

42.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,261 €3,728

$3,511 CA$4,922

21.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,726 €3,260

$2,940 CA$4,121

26.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.25

5.71

-43.08%

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

Last update for Arnhem: July 12, 2026

Last update for Calgary: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,158 in Arnhem and $1,380 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arnhem pays 27% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $71.0 in Arnhem vs $70.0 in Calgary. Groceries flip the comparison at $350 vs $396, with Arnhem cheaper for home cooking.

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

Arnhem vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arnhem and Calgary differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($2,259 vs $2,462 including rent). Arnhem is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 27% higher in Arnhem, 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: $1,158 in Arnhem versus $1,380 in Calgary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Calgary. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Arnhem – a meal for two runs $71.0 versus $70.0 in Calgary. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,259 in Arnhem versus $2,462 in Calgary, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Arnhem but tight or insufficient in Calgary. The gap between the two cities makes Arnhem 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, Arnhem 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 Arnhem gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.