Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Acton, MA

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,232 a month against $3,160 in Acton, MA, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Acton, MA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index
154

Cost of Living Index in Acton, MA
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Acton, MA Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,232

/mo nomad

Acton, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,160

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Acton, MA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Calgary and in Acton, MA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,232 per month in Calgary vs $3,160 in Acton, MA, rent included.

Calgary $2,232
Acton, MA $3,160

A couple spends around $3,363 per month in Calgary vs $4,763 in Acton, MA, rent included.

Calgary $3,363
Acton, MA $4,763

A family of three spends $4,493 per month in Calgary vs $6,366 in Acton, MA, rent included.

Calgary $4,493
Acton, MA $6,366

Calgary is about 29% cheaper than Acton, MA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Calgary and Acton, MA sit above the global median – Calgary by 67%, Acton, MA by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.22 CA$24.54

$17.95 $17.95

-4.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.2 CA$101

$97.4 $97.4

-26.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 CA$15.06

$13.55 $13.55

-22.07%

Cappuccino

$3.77 CA$5.38

$5.51 $5.51

-31.58%

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

$1.91 CA$2.73

$2.83 $2.83

-32.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 CA$2.63

$2.68 $2.68

-31.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.86 CA$6.93

$5.07 $5.07

-4.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 CA$7.91

$7.87 $7.87

-29.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 CA$2.68

$0.96 $0.96

95.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 CA$3.89

$2.40 $2.40

13.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.34 CA$7.61

$5.34 $5.34

Eggs

$3.77 CA$5.37

$4.75 $4.75

-20.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.29 CA$16.09

$11.39 $11.39

-0.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.34

$14.17 $14.17

-19.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.26 CA$26.03

$17.70 $17.70

3.16%

Apples (1kg)

$4.64 CA$6.62

$4.25 $4.25

9.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.05

$1.73 $1.73

-16.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.22 CA$6.02

$2.94 $2.94

43.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.86 CA$5.50

$3.93 $3.93

-1.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 CA$3.74

$1.93 $1.93

35.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 CA$3.79

$2.83 $2.83

-6.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.59 CA$3.69

$1.94 $1.94

33.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 CA$2.19

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.26 CA$20.32

$13.19 $13.19

8.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.27 CA$21.76

$9.10 $9.10

67.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 CA$3.44

$2.06 $2.06

16.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.41

$4.15 $4.15

-25.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 CA$4.11

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.7 CA$126

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.61

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 CA$1.97

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.49 CA$37.75

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 CA$1.68

$0.90 $0.90

31.11%

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

$28.3K CA$40.3K

$37.4K $37.4K

-24.44%

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

$20.7K CA$29.5K

$26.4K $26.4K

-21.51%

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

$159 CA$227

$317 $317

-49.70%

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

$37.61 CA$53.6

$61.6 $61.6

-38.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.68 CA$70.8

$73.7 $73.7

-32.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 CA$75.9

$25.04 $25.04

112.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.31 CA$26.10

Cinema Ticket

$14.08 CA$20.06

$13.14 $13.14

7.15%

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

$809 CA$1,154

$1,836 $1,836

-55.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K CA$22.6K

$30.1K $30.1K

-47.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 CA$83.8

$56.2 $56.2

4.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.84 CA$55.4

$38.84 $38.84

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.4 CA$130

$79.7 $79.7

14.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$155

$99.2 $99.2

9.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 CA$1,764

$2,657 $2,657

-53.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$996 CA$1,420

$1,890 $1,890

-47.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,908 CA$2,720

$2,852 $2,852

-33.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 CA$2,382

$3,608 $3,608

-53.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,530 CA$5,032

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,336 CA$4,755

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,130 CA$4,461

$8,839 $8,839

-64.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

6.64

-32.08%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 3, 2026

Last update for Acton, MA: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$996 44.8%

Acton, MA

$1.9K 59.4% 89.8% $894

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$387 17.4%

Acton, MA

$351 * 11% 9.3% $36

Eating Out

Calgary

$265 11.9%

Acton, MA

$313 9.9% 18.2% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$247 11.1%

Acton, MA

$452 14.2% 83.3% $205

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$134 6%

Acton, MA

$123 3.9% 8.1% $11

Getting Around

Calgary

$110 5%

Acton, MA

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$81 3.7%

Acton, MA

$51 1.6% 37% $30

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,237 in Calgary versus $2,657 in Acton, MA. 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 182% higher in Acton, 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 $71.0 in Calgary versus $97.0 in Acton, MA. Groceries tell a different story – $387 in Calgary vs $351 in Acton, MA – so Acton, MA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇺🇸 Acton, MA

🕒 Local time

00:18 12:18 AM

02:18 2:18 AM

2 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

7,596

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Calgary Acton, MA 3,330 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Calgary
Acton, MA

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

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

Acton, MA costs about 42% more than Calgary, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,349 per month in Calgary and $4,741 in Acton, MA. 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,232 in Calgary and $3,160 in Acton, MA. That's a gap of about 42%.

Kindergarten costs $809 per month in Calgary and $1,836 in Acton, MA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Calgary, where all-in costs run around $2,232, than in Acton, MA at $3,160. In Calgary it covers expenses comfortably, while in Acton, MA 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.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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