Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Boston, MA and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,232 a month against $4,347 in Boston, MA, rent and utilities included – about $25,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

213

Cost of Living Index in Boston, MA
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Boston, MA Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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Boston, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,347

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,232

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,347 per month in Boston, MA vs $2,232 in Calgary, rent included.

Boston, MA $4,347
Calgary $2,232

A couple spends around $6,138 per month in Boston, MA vs $3,363 in Calgary, rent included.

Boston, MA $6,138
Calgary $3,363

A family of three spends $7,930 per month in Boston, MA vs $4,493 in Calgary, rent included.

Boston, MA $7,930
Calgary $4,493

Boston, MA costs about 95% more than Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Boston, MA and Calgary sit above the global median – Boston, MA by 224%, Calgary by 67%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.79 $29.79

$17.22 CA$24.49

73.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 $122

$71.2 CA$101

71.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.91 $11.91

$10.56 CA$15.02

12.78%

Cappuccino

$5.36 $5.36

$3.77 CA$5.37

42.18%

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

$3.17 $3.17

$1.91 CA$2.72

65.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.84 CA$2.62

23.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.07 $8.07

$4.86 CA$6.92

66.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.20 $9.20

$5.55 CA$7.90

65.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.88 CA$2.67

-32.45%

White Bread (500g)

$4.46 $4.46

$2.73 CA$3.88

63.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.92 $6.92

$5.34 CA$7.60

29.59%

Eggs

$5.99 $5.99

$3.77 CA$5.36

58.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.85 $15.85

$11.29 CA$16.06

40.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.04 $15.04

$11.46 CA$16.30

31.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.14 $19.14

$18.26 CA$25.97

4.82%

Apples (1kg)

$7.57 $7.57

$4.64 CA$6.60

63.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.44 CA$2.04

43.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.36 $5.36

$4.22 CA$6.01

27.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.39 $7.39

$3.86 CA$5.49

91.45%

Potato (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.62 CA$3.73

65.27%

Onion (1kg)

$4.11 $4.11

$2.66 CA$3.78

54.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.59 CA$3.68

11.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.00 $3.00

$1.53 CA$2.18

96.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.33 $12.33

$14.26 CA$20.28

-13.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.83 $15.83

$15.27 CA$21.71

3.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.41 CA$3.43

27.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.38 $5.38

$3.09 CA$4.40

74.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 $2.34

$2.88 CA$4.10

-18.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.8 $88.8

$88.7 CA$126

0.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.23 CA$4.60

-17.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.38 CA$1.97

28.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.83 $27.83

$26.49 CA$37.67

5.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.18 CA$1.67

-6.78%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$28.3K CA$40.2K

30.01%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$20.7K CA$29.5K

26.69%

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

$246 $246

$159 CA$227

54.25%

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

$54.2 $54.2

$37.61 CA$53.5

43.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.1 $85.1

$49.68 CA$70.7

71.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$85.3 $85.3

$53.3 CA$75.7

60.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.31 $41.31

$18.31 CA$26.04

125.61%

Cinema Ticket

$15.84 $15.84

$14.08 CA$20.02

12.50%

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

$2,888 $2,888

$809 CA$1,151

256.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.4K $35.4K

$15.9K CA$22.5K

123.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.7 $77.7

$58.8 CA$83.6

32.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 $52.0

$38.84 CA$55.2

33.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 $118

$91.4 CA$130

28.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 $165

$109 CA$155

51.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,396 $3,396

$1,237 CA$1,760

174.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,658 $2,658

$996 CA$1,417

166.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,022 $6,022

$1,908 CA$2,714

215.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,980 $3,980

$1,671 CA$2,377

138.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.2K $13.2K

$3,530 CA$5,022

272.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,302 $6,302

$3,336 CA$4,745

88.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,977 $5,977

$3,130 CA$4,452

90.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.66

4.51

47.67%

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

Last update for Boston, MA: 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

Boston, MA

$2.7K 60.4%

Calgary

$996 44.8% 62.5% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

Boston, MA

$524 11.9%

Calgary

$387 17.4% 26.1% $137

Eating Out

Boston, MA

$419 9.5%

Calgary

$265 11.9% 36.7% $154

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Boston, MA

$385 8.8%

Calgary

$247 11.1% 35.9% $138

Clothing & Footwear

Boston, MA

$186 4.2%

Calgary

$134 6% 27.7% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Boston, MA

$117 2.7%

Calgary

$81 3.7% 30.4% $36

Getting Around

Boston, MA

$110 2.5%

Calgary

$110 5% 0.6% $0.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,396 in Boston, MA 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 91% higher in Boston, MA, 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 $122 in Boston, MA versus $71.0 in Calgary. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $524 vs $387 – making Calgary the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Boston, MA

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

21:55 9:55 PM

19:55 7:55 PM

2 h behind Boston, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

675,647

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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Boston, MA Calgary 3,370 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Boston, 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

Boston, MA vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Boston, MA costs about 95% more than Calgary, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,520 per month in Boston, MA 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 35% more in Boston, MA, 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 $122 in Boston, MA 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 Boston, MA at $4,347. In Calgary it covers expenses comfortably, while in Boston, MA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Calgary costs $2,232 versus $4,347 in Boston, MA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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