Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Ann Arbor, MI

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,232 a month against $2,756 in Ann Arbor, MI, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 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 Ann Arbor, MI
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Ann Arbor, MI Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,232

/mo nomad

Ann Arbor, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,756

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Ann Arbor, MI

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 Ann Arbor, MI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,232 in Calgary versus $2,756 in Ann Arbor, MI.

Calgary $2,232
Ann Arbor, MI $2,756

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,363 in Calgary versus $4,150 in Ann Arbor, MI.

Calgary $3,363
Ann Arbor, MI $4,150

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,493 in Calgary versus $5,545 in Ann Arbor, MI.

Calgary $4,493
Ann Arbor, MI $5,545

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 67% above, Ann Arbor, MI 106% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.22 CA$24.54

$18.21 $18.21

-5.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.2 CA$101

$58.8 $58.8

21.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 CA$15.06

$11.84 $11.84

-10.81%

Cappuccino

$3.77 CA$5.38

$5.18 $5.18

-27.22%

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

$1.91 CA$2.73

$2.89 $2.89

-33.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 CA$2.63

$2.15 $2.15

-14.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.86 CA$6.93

$6.53 $6.53

-25.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 CA$7.91

$7.86 $7.86

-29.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 CA$2.68

$0.97 $0.97

93.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 CA$3.89

$3.90 $3.90

-30.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.34 CA$7.61

$4.78 $4.78

11.72%

Eggs

$3.77 CA$5.37

$3.69 $3.69

2.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.29 CA$16.09

$19.79 $19.79

-42.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.34

$13.32 $13.32

-13.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.26 CA$26.03

$14.85 $14.85

22.96%

Apples (1kg)

$4.64 CA$6.62

$6.74 $6.74

-31.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.05

$1.95 $1.95

-26.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.22 CA$6.02

$3.80 $3.80

11.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.86 CA$5.50

$4.49 $4.49

-14.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 CA$3.74

$2.37 $2.37

10.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 CA$3.79

$2.85 $2.85

-6.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.59 CA$3.69

$2.41 $2.41

7.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 CA$2.19

$2.03 $2.03

-24.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.26 CA$20.32

$9.97 $9.97

43.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.27 CA$21.76

$14.76 $14.76

3.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 CA$3.44

$2.18 $2.18

10.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.41

$3.66 $3.66

-15.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 CA$4.11

$1.70 $1.70

69.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.7 CA$126

$45.56 $45.56

94.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.61

$3.04 $3.04

6.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 CA$1.97

$1.54 $1.54

-10.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.49 CA$37.75

$26.38 $26.38

0.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 CA$1.68

$1.07 $1.07

10.28%

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

$28.3K CA$40.3K

$36.8K $36.8K

-23.07%

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

$20.7K CA$29.5K

$25.4K $25.4K

-18.36%

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

$159 CA$227

$201 $201

-20.87%

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

$37.61 CA$53.6

$58.8 $58.8

-35.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.68 CA$70.8

$73.1 $73.1

-32.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 CA$75.9

$63.3 $63.3

-15.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.31 CA$26.10

$19.46 $19.46

-5.91%

Cinema Ticket

$14.08 CA$20.06

$13.21 $13.21

6.59%

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

$809 CA$1,154

$2,030 $2,030

-60.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K CA$22.6K

$20.2K $20.2K

-21.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 CA$83.8

$56.0 $56.0

4.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.84 CA$55.4

$44.26 $44.26

-12.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.4 CA$130

$114 $114

-20.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$155

$104 $104

4.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 CA$1,764

$2,062 $2,062

-39.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$996 CA$1,420

$1,382 $1,382

-27.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,908 CA$2,720

$3,822 $3,822

-50.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 CA$2,382

$2,745 $2,745

-39.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,530 CA$5,032

$5,514 $5,514

-35.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,336 CA$4,755

$2,539 $2,539

31.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,130 CA$4,461

$4,686 $4,686

-33.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

6.6

-31.67%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 3, 2026

Last update for Ann Arbor, MI: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$996 44.8%

Ann Arbor, MI

$1.4K 50.2% 38.8% $386

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$387 17.4%

Ann Arbor, MI

$431 15.6% 11.3% $44

Eating Out

Calgary

$265 11.9%

Ann Arbor, MI

$312 11.3% 17.6% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$247 11.1%

Ann Arbor, MI

$333 12.1% 35.1% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$134 6%

Ann Arbor, MI

$144 5.2% 7% $9.4

Getting Around

Calgary

$110 5%

Ann Arbor, MI

$63 2.3% 42.8% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$81 3.7%

Ann Arbor, MI

$90 3.3% 10.3% $8.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,237 in Calgary and $2,062 in Ann Arbor, MI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ann Arbor, MI pays 50% 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 $59.0 in Ann Arbor, MI. Groceries flip the comparison at $387 vs $431, with Calgary cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇺🇸 Ann Arbor, MI

🕒 Local time

01:14 1:14 AM

03:14 3:14 AM

2 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

123,851

💱 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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Between locations

Calgary Ann Arbor, MI 2,490 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Calgary
Ann Arbor, MI

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 Ann Arbor, MI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary and Ann Arbor, MI differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($2,232 vs $2,756 including rent). Calgary is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 50% lower in Ann Arbor, MI. 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: $1,237 in Calgary versus $2,062 in Ann Arbor, MI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Calgary – a meal for two runs $71.0 versus $59.0 in Ann Arbor, MI. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,232 per month in Calgary versus $2,756 in Ann Arbor, MI – a 23% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,232 in Calgary versus $2,756 in Ann Arbor, MI, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Ann Arbor, MI. 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 Ann Arbor, MI 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 23% less than in Ann Arbor, MI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.