Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barnstable, MA and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,232 a month against $2,367 in Barnstable, MA, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Barnstable, MA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Barnstable, MA
🇺🇸 United States
$2,367
/mo nomad
Calgary
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,232
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barnstable, MA versus $2,232 in Calgary.

  • Barnstable, MA $2,367
  • Calgary $2,232

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,555 in Barnstable, MA versus $3,363 in Calgary.

  • Barnstable, MA $3,555
  • Calgary $3,363

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,743 in Barnstable, MA versus $4,493 in Calgary.

  • Barnstable, MA $4,743
  • Calgary $4,493

Living in Barnstable, MA is roughly 6% more expensive than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barnstable, MA 77% above, Calgary 67% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barnstable, MA
Calgary
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.12 $18.12
$17.22 CA$24.54
5.23%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$74.4 $74.4
$71.2 CA$101
4.42%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.84 $9.84
$10.56 CA$15.06
-6.82%
Cappuccino
$3.92 $3.92
$3.77 CA$5.38
3.98%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.18 $2.18
$1.91 CA$2.73
14.14%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 $1.74
$1.84 CA$2.63
-5.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.15 $5.15
$4.86 CA$6.93
5.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.63 $6.63
$5.55 CA$7.91
19.46%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barnstable, MA
Calgary
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.05 $1.05
$1.88 CA$2.68
-44.15%
White Bread (500g)
$2.94 $2.94
$2.73 CA$3.89
7.69%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.20 $4.20
$5.34 CA$7.61
-21.35%
Eggs
$4.18 $4.18
$3.77 CA$5.37
10.88%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.44 $6.44
$11.29 CA$16.09
-42.96%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.05 $9.05
$11.46 CA$16.34
-21.03%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.57 $8.57
$18.26 CA$26.03
-53.07%
Apples (1kg)
$4.28 $4.28
$4.64 CA$6.62
-7.76%
Banana (1kg)
$1.71 $1.71
$1.44 CA$2.05
18.75%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.36 $4.36
$4.22 CA$6.02
3.32%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.43 $3.43
$3.86 CA$5.50
-11.14%
Potato (1kg)
$2.13 $2.13
$2.62 CA$3.74
-18.70%
Onion (1kg)
$2.22 $2.22
$2.66 CA$3.79
-16.54%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.01 $2.01
$2.59 CA$3.69
-22.39%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.54 $2.54
$1.53 CA$2.19
66.01%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.28 $12.28
$14.26 CA$20.32
-13.88%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.09 $13.09
$15.27 CA$21.76
-14.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.15 $2.15
$2.41 CA$3.44
-10.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.90 $3.90
$3.09 CA$4.41
26.21%
🚌 Getting Around
Barnstable, MA
Calgary
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.97 $1.97
$2.88 CA$4.11
-31.60%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$34.39 $34.39
$88.7 CA$126
-61.23%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.59 $3.59
$3.23 CA$4.61
11.15%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.76 $3.76
$1.38 CA$1.97
172.46%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$25.84 $25.84
$26.49 CA$37.75
-2.45%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.08 $1.08
$1.18 CA$1.68
-8.47%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.3K $37.3K
$28.3K CA$40.3K
31.79%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.9K $23.9K
$20.7K CA$29.5K
15.15%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barnstable, MA
Calgary
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$101 $101
$159 CA$227
-36.43%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$59.1 $59.1
$37.61 CA$53.6
57.19%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$64.1 $64.1
$49.68 CA$70.8
28.99%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barnstable, MA
Calgary
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.72 $41.72
$53.3 CA$75.9
-21.65%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.22 $24.22
$18.31 CA$26.10
32.28%
Cinema Ticket
$14.05 $14.05
$14.08 CA$20.06
-0.21%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barnstable, MA
Calgary
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,829 $1,829
$809 CA$1,154
126.01%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$30.5K $30.5K
$15.9K CA$22.6K
92.38%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barnstable, MA
Calgary
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.2 $57.2
$58.8 CA$83.8
-2.69%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.12 $38.12
$38.84 CA$55.4
-1.85%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.2 $79.2
$91.4 CA$130
-13.37%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$102 $102
$109 CA$155
-6.83%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barnstable, MA
Calgary
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,599 $1,599
$1,237 CA$1,764
29.20%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,294 $1,294
$996 CA$1,420
29.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,461 $2,461
$1,908 CA$2,720
28.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,151 $2,151
$1,671 CA$2,382
28.74%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,770 $2,770
$3,530 CA$5,032
-21.53%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,390 $2,390
$3,336 CA$4,755
-28.37%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barnstable, MA
Calgary
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,660 $4,660
$3,130 CA$4,461
48.89%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.64
4.51
47.23%

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

Last update for Barnstable, MA: October 3, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barnstable, MA
$1.3K
Calgary
$996 23% $298
Groceries & Markets
Barnstable, MA
$324
Calgary
$387 19.5% $63
Eating Out
Barnstable, MA
$276
Calgary
$265 4% $11
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barnstable, MA
$224
Calgary
$247 9.9% $22
Clothing & Footwear
Barnstable, MA
$124
Calgary
$134 8% $9.9
Sport & Entertainment
Barnstable, MA
$70
Calgary
$81 16.6% $12
Getting Around
Barnstable, MA
$65
Calgary
$110 70.7% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,599 in Barnstable, MA and $1,237 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barnstable, MA pays 49% 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: $74.0 in Barnstable, MA vs $71.0 in Calgary. Groceries flip the comparison at $324 vs $387, with Barnstable, MA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Barnstable, MA
🇨🇦 Calgary
🕒 Local time
07:14 7:14 AM
05:14 5:14 AM
2 h behind Barnstable, MA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
44,000
1,267,344
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barnstable, MA Calgary 3,460 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Barnstable, 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
Barnstable, MA vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Barnstable, MA and in Calgary?
Barnstable, MA and Calgary differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $2,232 including rent). Calgary is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Barnstable, MA or Calgary?
Average pay runs 49% higher in Barnstable, MA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Barnstable, MA and in Calgary?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,599 in Barnstable, MA versus $1,237 in Calgary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do commuting costs compare in Barnstable, MA and in Calgary?
A monthly transit pass in Calgary runs roughly 158% less than in Barnstable, MA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Barnstable, MA and Calgary?
Childcare runs $1,829 in Barnstable, MA versus $809 in Calgary. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city is more doable on $2,500 per month?
At $2,232 in Calgary versus $2,367 in Barnstable, MA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Barnstable, MA. The gap between the two cities makes Calgary the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Barnstable, MA and Calgary?
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.
Where should expats move: Barnstable, MA or Calgary?
Expats usually find Calgary gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Barnstable, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Barnstable, MA vs other spots: cost of living compared

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