Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Atlanta, GA and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,232 a month against $3,081 in Atlanta, GA, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

150

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

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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Atlanta, GA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,081

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,232

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,081 per month in Atlanta, GA vs $2,232 in Calgary, rent included.

Atlanta, GA $3,081
Calgary $2,232

A couple spends around $4,483 per month in Atlanta, GA vs $3,363 in Calgary, rent included.

Atlanta, GA $4,483
Calgary $3,363

A family of three spends $5,885 per month in Atlanta, GA vs $4,493 in Calgary, rent included.

Atlanta, GA $5,885
Calgary $4,493

Atlanta, GA costs about 38% more than Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Atlanta, GA and Calgary sit above the global median – Atlanta, GA by 130%, Calgary by 67%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$33.41 $33.41

$17.22 CA$24.54

94.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 $110

$71.2 CA$101

54.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.98 $11.98

$10.56 CA$15.06

13.45%

Cappuccino

$5.67 $5.67

$3.77 CA$5.38

50.40%

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

$2.73 $2.73

$1.91 CA$2.73

42.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.84 CA$2.63

16.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.38 $7.38

$4.86 CA$6.93

51.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.10 $8.10

$5.55 CA$7.91

45.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.88 CA$2.68

-54.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.41 $3.41

$2.73 CA$3.89

24.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.75 $3.75

$5.34 CA$7.61

-29.78%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$3.77 CA$5.37

25.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.62 $13.62

$11.29 CA$16.09

20.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.87 $14.87

$11.46 CA$16.34

29.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.22 $20.22

$18.26 CA$26.03

10.73%

Apples (1kg)

$6.07 $6.07

$4.64 CA$6.62

30.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.44 CA$2.05

3.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.04 $6.04

$4.22 CA$6.02

43.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.17 $5.17

$3.86 CA$5.50

33.94%

Potato (1kg)

$3.60 $3.60

$2.62 CA$3.74

37.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.66 CA$3.79

-1.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 $2.25

$2.59 CA$3.69

-13.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 $2.76

$1.53 CA$2.19

80.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.66 $8.66

$14.26 CA$20.32

-39.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.26 $15.26

$15.27 CA$21.76

-0.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.96 $3.96

$2.41 CA$3.44

64.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.10 $5.10

$3.09 CA$4.41

65.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.88 CA$4.11

-12.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.7 $96.7

$88.7 CA$126

9.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.23 CA$4.61

6.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.38 CA$1.97

10.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.02 $24.02

$26.49 CA$37.75

-9.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.18 CA$1.68

-15.25%

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

$37.2K $37.2K

$28.3K CA$40.3K

31.43%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$20.7K CA$29.5K

24.88%

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

$201 $201

$159 CA$227

26.31%

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

$71.3 $71.3

$37.61 CA$53.6

89.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$49.68 CA$70.8

73.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.71 $31.71

$53.3 CA$75.9

-40.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.72 $15.72

$18.31 CA$26.10

-14.15%

Cinema Ticket

$17.27 $17.27

$14.08 CA$20.06

22.66%

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

$1,870 $1,870

$809 CA$1,154

131.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K $22.3K

$15.9K CA$22.6K

40.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.2 $53.2

$58.8 CA$83.8

-9.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.97 $43.97

$38.84 CA$55.4

13.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 $99.8

$91.4 CA$130

9.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 $111

$109 CA$155

1.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,070 $2,070

$1,237 CA$1,764

67.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,550 $1,550

$996 CA$1,420

55.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,482 $3,482

$1,908 CA$2,720

82.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,177 $2,177

$1,671 CA$2,382

30.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,856 $3,856

$3,530 CA$5,032

9.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,664 $2,664

$3,336 CA$4,755

-20.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,396 $5,396

$3,130 CA$4,461

72.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.54

4.51

45.01%

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

Last update for Atlanta, GA: 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

Atlanta, GA

$1.5K 49.4%

Calgary

$996 44.8% 35.7% $554

Groceries & Markets

Atlanta, GA

$460 14.7%

Calgary

$387 17.4% 15.9% $73

Eating Out

Atlanta, GA

$444 14.2%

Calgary

$265 11.9% 40.2% $179

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Atlanta, GA

$358 11.4%

Calgary

$247 11.1% 31.2% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Atlanta, GA

$139 4.4%

Calgary

$134 6% 3.3% $4.5

Getting Around

Atlanta, GA

$118 3.8%

Calgary

$110 5% 6.4% $7.5

Sport & Entertainment

Atlanta, GA

$66 2.1%

Calgary

$81 3.7% 22.9% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,070 in Atlanta, GA versus $1,237 in Calgary. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 72% higher in Atlanta, GA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $110 in Atlanta, GA versus $71.0 in Calgary. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $460 vs $387 – making Calgary the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Atlanta, GA

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

04:31 4:31 AM

02:31 2:31 AM

2 h behind Atlanta, GA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

510,823

1,267,344

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 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 = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

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Atlanta, GA Calgary 3,060 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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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

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

Yes – Atlanta, GA is pricier by about 38%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,621 per month in Atlanta, GA and $3,349 in Calgary. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Calgary, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 19% more in Atlanta, GA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $110 in Atlanta, GA and $71.0 in Calgary. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Calgary, where all-in costs run around $2,232, than in Atlanta, GA at $3,081. In Calgary it covers expenses comfortably, while in Atlanta, GA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Calgary – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Calgary. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Atlanta, GA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.