Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Amherst, MA

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,223 a month against $2,759 in Amherst, MA, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index
134

Cost of Living Index in Amherst, MA
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Amherst, MA Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,223

/mo nomad

Amherst, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,759

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,223 in Calgary versus $2,759 in Amherst, MA.

Calgary $2,223
Amherst, MA $2,759

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,301 in Calgary versus $4,250 in Amherst, MA.

Calgary $3,301
Amherst, MA $4,250

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,379 in Calgary versus $5,742 in Amherst, MA.

Calgary $4,379
Amherst, MA $5,742

Living in Calgary costs roughly 19% less than in Amherst, MA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 65% above, Amherst, MA 104% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.22 CA$24.34

$20.37 $20.37

-15.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.1 CA$100

$69.3 $69.3

2.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.53 CA$14.89

$9.18 $9.18

14.71%

Cappuccino

$3.66 CA$5.18

$4.86 $4.86

-24.69%

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

$1.98 CA$2.80

$2.62 $2.62

-24.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 CA$2.74

$1.95 $1.95

-0.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.95 CA$7.00

$5.92 $5.92

-16.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.57 CA$7.87

$10.63 $10.63

-47.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 CA$2.65

$1.05 $1.05

79.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 CA$3.78

$3.17 $3.17

-15.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.32 CA$7.52

$7.12 $7.12

-25.28%

Eggs

$3.79 CA$5.35

$4.68 $4.68

-19.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.09 CA$15.68

$16.30 $16.30

-31.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.36 CA$16.05

$15.68 $15.68

-27.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.40 CA$26.01

$18.11 $18.11

1.60%

Apples (1kg)

$4.56 CA$6.45

$4.83 $4.83

-5.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.04

$1.37 $1.37

5.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.08 CA$5.76

$3.25 $3.25

25.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.89 CA$5.50

$4.82 $4.82

-19.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.73

$3.24 $3.24

-18.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.73

$3.55 $3.55

-25.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 CA$3.54

$2.21 $2.21

13.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$2.04 $2.04

-26.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.05 CA$19.86

$10.38 $10.38

35.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.70 CA$22.20

$12.16 $12.16

29.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 CA$3.45

$2.05 $2.05

19.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.37

$3.95 $3.95

-21.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$1.29 $1.29

118.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 CA$125

$27.49 $27.49

222.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 CA$4.41

$3.46 $3.46

-9.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 CA$1.91

$1.37 $1.37

-1.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.02 CA$38.20

$29.92 $29.92

-9.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 CA$1.64

$0.92 $0.92

26.09%

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

$27.9K CA$39.5K

$36.5K $36.5K

-23.60%

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

$20.3K CA$28.8K

$25.2K $25.2K

-19.15%

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

$161 CA$227

$207 $207

-22.51%

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

$38.13 CA$53.9

$56.8 $56.8

-32.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.0 CA$70.7

$90.5 $90.5

-44.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 CA$72.8

$120 $120

-57.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 CA$25.64

$7.15 $7.15

153.71%

Cinema Ticket

$13.82 CA$19.54

$10.64 $10.64

29.89%

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

$786 CA$1,111

$1,513 $1,513

-48.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.5K CA$21.8K

$16.8K $16.8K

-8.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 CA$82.4

$44.36 $44.36

31.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.27 CA$55.5

$40.35 $40.35

-2.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 CA$127

$89.7 $89.7

0.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$107 $107

2.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,229 CA$1,737

$1,826 $1,826

-32.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,001 CA$1,415

$1,342 $1,342

-25.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,921 CA$2,716

$3,963 $3,963

-51.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 CA$2,292

$2,682 $2,682

-39.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,549 CA$5,018

$4,010 $4,010

-11.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,335 CA$4,715

$4,000 $4,000

-16.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,165 CA$4,474

$4,769 $4,769

-33.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

6.1

-26.07%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 13, 2026

Last update for Amherst, MA: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1K 45%

Amherst, MA

$1.3K 48.7% 34.1% $341

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$385 17.3%

Amherst, MA

$433 15.7% 12.4% $48

Eating Out

Calgary

$265 11.9%

Amherst, MA

$318 11.5% 20.1% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$249 11.2%

Amherst, MA

$355 12.9% 42.5% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$134 6%

Amherst, MA

$127 4.6% 5.4% $7.2

Getting Around

Calgary

$110 4.9%

Amherst, MA

$43 1.6% 60.9% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$79 3.6%

Amherst, MA

$141 5.1% 78.2% $62

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,229 in Calgary and $1,826 in Amherst, MA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Amherst, MA pays 51% 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: $71.0 in Calgary vs $69.0 in Amherst, MA. Groceries flip the comparison at $385 vs $433, with Calgary cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇺🇸 Amherst, MA

🕒 Local time

06:01 6:01 AM

08:01 8:01 AM

2 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

37,819

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Calgary Amherst, MA 3,260 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Calgary
Amherst, 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 Amherst, MA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 24% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 51% lower in Amherst, MA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,229 in Calgary versus $1,826 in Amherst, MA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $786 in Calgary versus $1,513 in Amherst, MA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Amherst, MA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,223 in Calgary versus $2,759 in Amherst, MA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Amherst, MA. The gap between the two cities makes Calgary the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Calgary and Amherst, MA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Calgary gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Amherst, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.