Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bethesda, MD and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,223 a month against $3,165 in Bethesda, MD, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

154

Cost of Living Index in Bethesda, MD
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Bethesda, MD Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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Bethesda, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$3,165

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,165 per month in Bethesda, MD vs $2,223 in Calgary, rent included.

Bethesda, MD $3,165
Calgary $2,223

A couple spends around $4,971 per month in Bethesda, MD vs $3,301 in Calgary, rent included.

Bethesda, MD $4,971
Calgary $3,301

A family of three spends $6,778 per month in Bethesda, MD vs $4,379 in Calgary, rent included.

Bethesda, MD $6,778
Calgary $4,379

Bethesda, MD costs about 42% more than Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Bethesda, MD and Calgary sit above the global median – Bethesda, MD by 134%, Calgary by 65%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.08 $22.08

$17.22 CA$24.34

28.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.9 $98.9

$71.1 CA$100

39.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.91 $10.91

$10.53 CA$14.89

3.61%

Cappuccino

$5.38 $5.38

$3.66 CA$5.18

46.99%

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

$3.04 $3.04

$1.98 CA$2.80

53.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.94 CA$2.74

27.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.08 $7.08

$4.95 CA$7.00

43.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.12 $9.12

$5.57 CA$7.87

63.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.88 CA$2.65

-38.30%

White Bread (500g)

$4.14 $4.14

$2.67 CA$3.78

55.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.90 $3.90

$5.32 CA$7.52

-26.69%

Eggs

$4.67 $4.67

$3.79 CA$5.35

23.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.60 $16.60

$11.09 CA$15.68

49.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.51 $15.51

$11.36 CA$16.05

36.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.46 $22.46

$18.40 CA$26.01

22.07%

Apples (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$4.56 CA$6.45

19.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.44 CA$2.04

-5.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.05 $4.05

$4.08 CA$5.76

-0.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.26 $4.26

$3.89 CA$5.50

9.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.64 CA$3.73

-15.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.64 CA$3.73

0.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.50 CA$3.54

-4.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 $2.53

$1.50 CA$2.12

68.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.53 $10.53

$14.05 CA$19.86

-25.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.01 $18.01

$15.70 CA$22.20

14.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.44 CA$3.45

-29.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 $2.83

$3.09 CA$4.37

-8.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.82 CA$3.99

8.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 $101

$88.6 CA$125

14.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.11 $4.11

$3.12 CA$4.41

31.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.35 CA$1.91

-10.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.70 $24.70

$27.02 CA$38.20

-8.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.16 CA$1.64

-19.83%

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

$23.1K $23.1K

$27.9K CA$39.5K

-17.15%

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

$24.2K $24.2K

$20.3K CA$28.8K

19.01%

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

$163 $163

$161 CA$227

1.49%

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

$39.56 $39.56

$38.13 CA$53.9

3.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.6 $62.6

$50.0 CA$70.7

25.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$104 $104

$51.5 CA$72.8

102.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.41 $30.41

$18.14 CA$25.64

67.64%

Cinema Ticket

$16.16 $16.16

$13.82 CA$19.54

16.93%

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

$1,606 $1,606

$786 CA$1,111

104.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.8K $35.8K

$15.5K CA$21.8K

131.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 $54.8

$58.3 CA$82.4

-5.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.3 $57.3

$39.27 CA$55.5

45.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$89.8 CA$127

13.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 $149

$110 CA$155

35.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,340 $2,340

$1,229 CA$1,737

90.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,669 $1,669

$1,001 CA$1,415

66.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,118 $4,118

$1,921 CA$2,716

114.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,299 $3,299

$1,621 CA$2,292

103.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,862 $5,862

$3,549 CA$5,018

65.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,456 $5,456

$3,335 CA$4,715

63.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,749 $8,749

$3,165 CA$4,474

176.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

4.51

50.55%

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

Last update for Bethesda, MD: October 12, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bethesda, MD

$1.7K 52.7%

Calgary

$1K 45% 40% $668

Groceries & Markets

Bethesda, MD

$457 14.4%

Calgary

$385 17.3% 15.7% $72

Eating Out

Bethesda, MD

$350 11.1%

Calgary

$265 11.9% 24.3% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bethesda, MD

$265 8.4%

Calgary

$249 11.2% 6.2% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Bethesda, MD

$163 5.2%

Calgary

$134 6% 18.1% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Bethesda, MD

$137 4.3%

Calgary

$79 3.6% 42.1% $58

Getting Around

Bethesda, MD

$124 3.9%

Calgary

$110 4.9% 11.2% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,340 in Bethesda, MD versus $1,229 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 176% higher in Bethesda, MD, 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 $99.0 in Bethesda, MD versus $71.0 in Calgary. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $457 vs $385 – making Calgary the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bethesda, MD

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

20:23 8:23 PM

18:23 6:23 PM

2 h behind Bethesda, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

60,858

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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Between locations

Bethesda, MD Calgary 3,160 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Bethesda, MD
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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

Bethesda, MD vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Bethesda, MD is pricier by about 42%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,747 per month in Bethesda, MD and $3,335 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99.0 in Bethesda, MD and $71.0 in Calgary. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,165 in Bethesda, MD and $2,223 in Calgary. That's a gap of about 42%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Calgary, where all-in costs run around $2,223, than in Bethesda, MD at $3,165. In Calgary it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bethesda, MD 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, Bethesda, MD makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.