Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Arecibo

For one person, living is cheaper in Arecibo: $1,281 a month against $2,223 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 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
62

Cost of Living Index in Arecibo
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Arecibo Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,223

/mo nomad

Arecibo

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,281

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Arecibo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,223 in Calgary versus $1,281 in Arecibo.

Calgary $2,223
Arecibo $1,281

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,301 in Calgary versus $2,005 in Arecibo.

Calgary $3,301
Arecibo $2,005

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,379 in Calgary versus $2,730 in Arecibo.

Calgary $4,379
Arecibo $2,730

Living in Calgary is roughly 74% more expensive than in Arecibo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Calgary is 65% above, Arecibo is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.22 CA$24.34

$12.13 $12.13

41.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.1 CA$100

$81.2 $81.2

-12.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.53 CA$14.89

$8.55 $8.55

23.16%

Cappuccino

$3.66 CA$5.18

$3.42 $3.42

7.02%

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

$1.98 CA$2.80

$1.90 $1.90

4.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 CA$2.74

$1.50 $1.50

29.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.95 CA$7.00

$3.05 $3.05

62.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.57 CA$7.87

$5.09 $5.09

9.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 CA$2.65

$1.79 $1.79

5.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 CA$3.78

$3.36 $3.36

-20.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.32 CA$7.52

$1.94 $1.94

174.23%

Eggs

$3.79 CA$5.35

$4.48 $4.48

-15.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.09 CA$15.68

$12.78 $12.78

-13.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.36 CA$16.05

$9.48 $9.48

19.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.40 CA$26.01

$13.47 $13.47

36.60%

Apples (1kg)

$4.56 CA$6.45

$4.97 $4.97

-8.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.04

$2.59 $2.59

-44.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.08 CA$5.76

$4.81 $4.81

-15.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.89 CA$5.50

$4.84 $4.84

-19.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.73

$3.69 $3.69

-28.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.73

$3.99 $3.99

-33.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 CA$3.54

$3.53 $3.53

-29.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$1.60 $1.60

-6.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.05 CA$19.86

$11.98 $11.98

17.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.70 CA$22.20

$15.87 $15.87

-1.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 CA$3.45

$3.09 $3.09

-21.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.37

$4.06 $4.06

-23.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 CA$3.99

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 CA$125

$40.63 $40.63

118.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 CA$4.41

$2.54 $2.54

22.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 CA$1.91

$1.46 $1.46

-7.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.02 CA$38.20

$41.96 $41.96

-35.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 CA$1.64

$0.91 $0.91

27.47%

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

$27.9K CA$39.5K

$40.4K $40.4K

-30.89%

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

$20.3K CA$28.8K

$28.2K $28.2K

-27.72%

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

$161 CA$227

$324 $324

-50.43%

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

$38.13 CA$53.9

$68.1 $68.1

-43.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.0 CA$70.7

$66.1 $66.1

-24.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 CA$72.8

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 CA$25.64

Cinema Ticket

$13.82 CA$19.54

$10.59 $10.59

30.50%

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

$786 CA$1,111

$833 $833

-5.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.5K CA$21.8K

$12.6K $12.6K

22.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 CA$82.4

$56.1 $56.1

3.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.27 CA$55.5

$61.5 $61.5

-36.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 CA$127

$109 $109

-17.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$114 $114

-3.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,229 CA$1,737

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,001 CA$1,415

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,921 CA$2,716

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 CA$2,292

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,549 CA$5,018

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,335 CA$4,715

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,165 CA$4,474

$1,191 $1,191

165.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

6.55

-31.15%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 13, 2026

Last update for Arecibo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1K 45%

Arecibo

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$385 17.3%

Arecibo

$395 30.8% 2.5% $9.5

Eating Out

Calgary

$265 11.9%

Arecibo

$203 15.8% 23.4% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$249 11.2%

Arecibo

$459 35.8% 84.2% $210

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$134 6%

Arecibo

$153 12% 14.6% $19

Getting Around

Calgary

$110 4.9%

Arecibo

$50 * 3.9% 54% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$79 3.6%

Arecibo

$21 * 1.7% 73.2% $58

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

Cost Breakdown

Calgary pays 166% 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 $81.0 in Arecibo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $385 vs $395 per month, with Calgary cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇵🇷 Arecibo

🕒 Local time

16:39 4:39 PM

18:39 6:39 PM

2 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

39,634

💱 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 17, 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 17, 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 Arecibo 5,500 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Calgary
Arecibo

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 Arecibo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arecibo is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, transport, and leisure. The 74% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 166% higher in Calgary, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Shoppers in Calgary pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Arecibo – a meal for two runs $81.0 versus $71.0 in Calgary. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,281 in Arecibo versus $2,223 in Calgary, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Arecibo but tight or insufficient in Calgary. The gap between the two cities makes Arecibo 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 Arecibo 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 Arecibo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 74% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.