Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Amherst, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,223 a month against $2,595 in Amherst, NY, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Amherst, NY outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Amherst, NY
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Amherst, NY Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,223

/mo nomad

Amherst, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,595

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Amherst, NY

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, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,223 per month in Calgary vs $2,595 in Amherst, NY, rent included.

Calgary $2,223
Amherst, NY $2,595

A couple spends around $3,301 per month in Calgary vs $3,768 in Amherst, NY, rent included.

Calgary $3,301
Amherst, NY $3,768

A family of three spends $4,379 per month in Calgary vs $4,940 in Amherst, NY, rent included.

Calgary $4,379
Amherst, NY $4,940

Calgary is about 14% cheaper than Amherst, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Calgary and Amherst, NY sit above the global median – Calgary by 65%, Amherst, NY by 92%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.22 CA$24.34

$18.34 $18.34

-6.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.1 CA$100

$75.8 $75.8

-6.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.53 CA$14.89

$12.21 $12.21

-13.76%

Cappuccino

$3.66 CA$5.18

$5.97 $5.97

-38.69%

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

$1.98 CA$2.80

$2.64 $2.64

-25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 CA$2.74

$2.07 $2.07

-6.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.95 CA$7.00

$7.05 $7.05

-29.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.57 CA$7.87

$7.67 $7.67

-27.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 CA$2.65

$0.96 $0.96

95.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 CA$3.78

$3.31 $3.31

-19.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.32 CA$7.52

$4.35 $4.35

22.30%

Eggs

$3.79 CA$5.35

$4.09 $4.09

-7.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.09 CA$15.68

$11.17 $11.17

-0.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.36 CA$16.05

$10.08 $10.08

12.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.40 CA$26.01

$16.07 $16.07

14.50%

Apples (1kg)

$4.56 CA$6.45

$4.91 $4.91

-7.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.04

$1.37 $1.37

5.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.08 CA$5.76

$4.62 $4.62

-11.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.89 CA$5.50

$5.20 $5.20

-25.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.73

$2.69 $2.69

-1.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.73

$3.02 $3.02

-12.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 CA$3.54

$2.41 $2.41

3.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$2.41 $2.41

-37.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.05 CA$19.86

$14.28 $14.28

-1.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.70 CA$22.20

$15.07 $15.07

4.18%

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

$4.11 $4.11

-24.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$2.04 $2.04

38.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 CA$125

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 CA$4.41

$3.77 $3.77

-17.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 CA$1.91

$2.18 $2.18

-38.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.02 CA$38.20

$30.49 $30.49

-11.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 CA$1.64

$1.11 $1.11

4.50%

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

$27.9K CA$39.5K

$34.8K $34.8K

-19.86%

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

$20.3K CA$28.8K

$25.3K $25.3K

-19.69%

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

$161 CA$227

$230 $230

-30.20%

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

$38.13 CA$53.9

$51.5 $51.5

-25.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.0 CA$70.7

$67.4 $67.4

-25.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 CA$72.8

$40.68 $40.68

26.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 CA$25.64

$19.95 $19.95

-9.07%

Cinema Ticket

$13.82 CA$19.54

$12.96 $12.96

6.64%

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

$786 CA$1,111

$1,491 $1,491

-47.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.5K CA$21.8K

$17.8K $17.8K

-13.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 CA$82.4

$52.9 $52.9

10.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.27 CA$55.5

$44.32 $44.32

-11.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 CA$127

$97.2 $97.2

-7.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$114 $114

-3.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,229 CA$1,737

$1,601 $1,601

-23.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,001 CA$1,415

$1,306 $1,306

-23.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,921 CA$2,716

$2,483 $2,483

-22.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 CA$2,292

$2,117 $2,117

-23.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,549 CA$5,018

$2,696 $2,696

31.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,335 CA$4,715

$2,376 $2,376

40.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,165 CA$4,474

$4,054 $4,054

-21.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

6.52

-30.83%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 13, 2026

Last update for Amherst, NY: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1K 45%

Amherst, NY

$1.3K 50.3% 30.5% $305

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$385 17.3%

Amherst, NY

$387 14.9% 0.5% $1.8

Eating Out

Calgary

$265 11.9%

Amherst, NY

$324 12.5% 22.5% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$249 11.2%

Amherst, NY

$349 13.5% 40.3% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$134 6%

Amherst, NY

$139 5.4% 3.9% $5.3

Getting Around

Calgary

$110 4.9%

Amherst, NY

$23 * 0.9% 79.2% $87

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$79 3.6%

Amherst, NY

$67 2.6% 15.8% $13

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,229 in Calgary versus $1,601 in Amherst, NY. 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 28% higher in Amherst, 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 $71.0 in Calgary versus $76.0 in Amherst, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $385 vs $387 – making Calgary the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇺🇸 Amherst, NY

🕒 Local time

04:00 4:00 AM

06:00 6:00 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 19, 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 19, 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, NY 2,790 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Calgary
Amherst, NY

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, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Amherst, NY costs about 17% 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 $3,335 per month in Calgary and $3,893 in Amherst, NY. 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 $71.0 in Calgary and $76.0 in Amherst, NY. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 0% more in Amherst, NY, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Calgary, where all-in costs run around $2,223, than in Amherst, NY at $2,595. In Calgary it covers expenses comfortably, while in Amherst, NY 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, Amherst, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.