Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brooklyn, NY and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,232 a month against $4,437 in Brooklyn, NY, rent and utilities included – about $26,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Brooklyn, NY
🇺🇸 United States
$4,437
/mo nomad
Calgary
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,232
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,437 per month in Brooklyn, NY vs $2,232 in Calgary, rent included.

  • Brooklyn, NY $4,437
  • Calgary $2,232

A couple spends around $6,601 per month in Brooklyn, NY vs $3,363 in Calgary, rent included.

  • Brooklyn, NY $6,601
  • Calgary $3,363

A family of three spends $8,766 per month in Brooklyn, NY vs $4,493 in Calgary, rent included.

  • Brooklyn, NY $8,766
  • Calgary $4,493

Brooklyn, NY costs about 99% more than Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Brooklyn, NY and Calgary sit above the global median – Brooklyn, NY by 231%, Calgary by 67%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Brooklyn, NY
Calgary
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.72 $19.72
$17.22 CA$24.54
14.52%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$106 $106
$71.2 CA$101
48.81%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.95 $11.95
$10.56 CA$15.06
13.16%
Cappuccino
$5.65 $5.65
$3.77 CA$5.38
49.87%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.54 $2.54
$1.91 CA$2.73
32.98%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.23 $2.23
$1.84 CA$2.63
21.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.10 $8.10
$4.86 CA$6.93
66.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.81 $8.81
$5.55 CA$7.91
58.74%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Brooklyn, NY
Calgary
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.68 $1.68
$1.88 CA$2.68
-10.64%
White Bread (500g)
$4.70 $4.70
$2.73 CA$3.89
72.16%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$7.28 $7.28
$5.34 CA$7.61
36.33%
Eggs
$6.48 $6.48
$3.77 CA$5.37
71.88%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.24 $16.24
$11.29 CA$16.09
43.84%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$17.15 $17.15
$11.46 CA$16.34
49.65%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.76 $19.76
$18.26 CA$26.03
8.21%
Apples (1kg)
$8.10 $8.10
$4.64 CA$6.62
74.57%
Banana (1kg)
$3.80 $3.80
$1.44 CA$2.05
163.89%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.37 $5.37
$4.22 CA$6.02
27.25%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.87 $5.87
$3.86 CA$5.50
52.07%
Potato (1kg)
$4.01 $4.01
$2.62 CA$3.74
53.05%
Onion (1kg)
$4.78 $4.78
$2.66 CA$3.79
79.70%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.56 $2.56
$2.59 CA$3.69
-1.16%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.47 $2.47
$1.53 CA$2.19
61.44%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.90 $14.90
$14.26 CA$20.32
4.49%
Wine (Bottle)
$20.71 $20.71
$15.27 CA$21.76
35.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.65 $2.65
$2.41 CA$3.44
9.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.38 $3.38
$3.09 CA$4.41
9.39%
🚌 Getting Around
Brooklyn, NY
Calgary
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.06 $3.06
$2.88 CA$4.11
6.25%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$151 $151
$88.7 CA$126
70.29%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.04 $3.04
$3.23 CA$4.61
-5.88%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.20 $2.20
$1.38 CA$1.97
59.42%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$42.16 $42.16
$26.49 CA$37.75
59.15%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.15 $1.15
$1.18 CA$1.68
-2.54%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.0K $35.0K
$28.3K CA$40.3K
23.81%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.5K $25.5K
$20.7K CA$29.5K
23.09%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brooklyn, NY
Calgary
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$244 $244
$159 CA$227
53.15%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$61.5 $61.5
$37.61 CA$53.6
63.49%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$61.2 $61.2
$49.68 CA$70.8
23.13%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Brooklyn, NY
Calgary
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$107 $107
$53.3 CA$75.9
100.26%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$35.20 $35.20
$18.31 CA$26.10
92.24%
Cinema Ticket
$20.29 $20.29
$14.08 CA$20.06
44.11%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Brooklyn, NY
Calgary
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,646 $2,646
$809 CA$1,154
226.90%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$34.3K $34.3K
$15.9K CA$22.6K
116.48%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Brooklyn, NY
Calgary
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$70.0 $70.0
$58.8 CA$83.8
19.04%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$76.4 $76.4
$38.84 CA$55.4
96.65%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$119 $119
$91.4 CA$130
30.32%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 $122
$109 CA$155
12.28%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Brooklyn, NY
Calgary
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,711 $3,711
$1,237 CA$1,764
199.95%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,694 $2,694
$996 CA$1,420
170.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$7,368 $7,368
$1,908 CA$2,720
286.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$4,813 $4,813
$1,671 CA$2,382
188.06%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$13.4K $13.4K
$3,530 CA$5,032
280.41%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$7,757 $7,757
$3,336 CA$4,755
132.52%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Brooklyn, NY
Calgary
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,661 $3,661
$3,130 CA$4,461
16.97%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.67
4.51
47.89%

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

Last update for Brooklyn, NY: 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
Brooklyn, NY
$2.7K
Calgary
$996 63% $1.7K
Groceries & Markets
Brooklyn, NY
$550
Calgary
$387 29.6% $162
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brooklyn, NY
$367
Calgary
$247 32.7% $120
Eating Out
Brooklyn, NY
$339
Calgary
$265 21.7% $73
Getting Around
Brooklyn, NY
$177
Calgary
$110 37.8% $67
Clothing & Footwear
Brooklyn, NY
$175
Calgary
$134 23.2% $40
Sport & Entertainment
Brooklyn, NY
$147
Calgary
$81 44.7% $66

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,711 in Brooklyn, NY 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 17% higher in Brooklyn, NY, 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 $106 in Brooklyn, NY versus $71.0 in Calgary. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $550 vs $387 – making Calgary the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Brooklyn, NY
🇨🇦 Calgary
🕒 Local time
02:07 2:07 AM
00:07 12:07 AM
2 h behind Brooklyn, NY
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,736,074
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
  • Brooklyn, NY Calgary 3,270 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Brooklyn, NY
  • 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
Brooklyn, NY vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Brooklyn, NY and in Calgary compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $4,437 in Brooklyn, NY, $2,232 in Calgary – roughly 99% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Brooklyn, NY compared to Calgary?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,655 per month in Brooklyn, NY and $3,349 in Calgary. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Brooklyn, NY and Calgary?
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.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $106 in Brooklyn, NY and $71.0 in Calgary. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Brooklyn, NY or Calgary?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,437 in Brooklyn, NY and $2,232 in Calgary. That's a gap of about 99%.
Which city is more doable on $2,500 per month?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Calgary, where all-in costs run around $2,232, than in Brooklyn, NY at $4,437. In Calgary it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brooklyn, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Brooklyn, NY and Calgary?
It depends on your priorities. Brooklyn, NY has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,232 in Calgary to $4,437 in Brooklyn, NY. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How do I decide between Brooklyn, NY and Calgary?
If budget matters most, go with Calgary. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Brooklyn, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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