Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Arlington, VA

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,223 a month against $3,568 in Arlington, VA, rent and utilities included – about $16,100 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
174

Cost of Living Index in Arlington, VA
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Arlington, VA Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,223

/mo nomad

Arlington, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,568

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Arlington, VA

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

A single person spends $2,223 per month in Calgary vs $3,568 in Arlington, VA, rent included.

Calgary $2,223
Arlington, VA $3,568

A couple spends around $3,301 per month in Calgary vs $5,411 in Arlington, VA, rent included.

Calgary $3,301
Arlington, VA $5,411

A family of three spends $4,379 per month in Calgary vs $7,255 in Arlington, VA, rent included.

Calgary $4,379
Arlington, VA $7,255

Calgary is about 38% cheaper than Arlington, VA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Calgary and Arlington, VA sit above the global median – Calgary by 65%, Arlington, VA by 164%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.22 CA$24.34

$23.97 $23.97

-28.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.1 CA$100

$99.0 $99.0

-28.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.53 CA$14.89

$10.85 $10.85

-2.95%

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

$3.09 $3.09

-35.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 CA$2.74

$2.42 $2.42

-19.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.95 CA$7.00

$7.97 $7.97

-37.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.57 CA$7.87

$8.93 $8.93

-37.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 CA$2.65

$1.25 $1.25

50.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 CA$3.78

$4.35 $4.35

-38.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.32 CA$7.52

$5.46 $5.46

-2.56%

Eggs

$3.79 CA$5.35

$5.24 $5.24

-27.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.09 CA$15.68

$21.58 $21.58

-48.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.36 CA$16.05

$15.93 $15.93

-28.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.40 CA$26.01

$23.20 $23.20

-20.69%

Apples (1kg)

$4.56 CA$6.45

$5.70 $5.70

-20.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.04

$1.83 $1.83

-21.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.08 CA$5.76

$4.62 $4.62

-11.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.89 CA$5.50

$5.87 $5.87

-33.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.73

$3.21 $3.21

-17.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.73

$3.77 $3.77

-29.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 CA$3.54

$2.33 $2.33

7.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$2.47 $2.47

-39.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.05 CA$19.86

$10.36 $10.36

35.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.70 CA$22.20

$16.94 $16.94

-7.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 CA$3.45

$2.89 $2.89

-15.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.37

$2.90 $2.90

6.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$2.79 $2.79

1.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 CA$125

$122 $122

-27.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 CA$4.41

$4.08 $4.08

-23.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 CA$1.91

$1.23 $1.23

9.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.02 CA$38.20

$25.15 $25.15

7.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 CA$1.64

$1.01 $1.01

14.85%

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

$27.9K CA$39.5K

$34.3K $34.3K

-18.65%

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

$20.3K CA$28.8K

$25.3K $25.3K

-19.42%

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

$161 CA$227

$165 $165

-2.64%

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

$38.13 CA$53.9

$50.7 $50.7

-24.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.0 CA$70.7

$60.8 $60.8

-17.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 CA$72.8

$70.2 $70.2

-26.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 CA$25.64

$18.96 $18.96

-4.32%

Cinema Ticket

$13.82 CA$19.54

$16.37 $16.37

-15.58%

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

$786 CA$1,111

$1,612 $1,612

-51.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.5K CA$21.8K

$35.9K $35.9K

-56.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 CA$82.4

$55.1 $55.1

5.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.27 CA$55.5

$62.6 $62.6

-37.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 CA$127

$103 $103

-13.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$161 $161

-31.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,229 CA$1,737

$2,488 $2,488

-50.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,001 CA$1,415

$1,987 $1,987

-49.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,921 CA$2,716

$4,810 $4,810

-60.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 CA$2,292

$3,596 $3,596

-54.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,549 CA$5,018

$6,380 $6,380

-44.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,335 CA$4,715

$4,983 $4,983

-33.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,165 CA$4,474

$6,625 $6,625

-52.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

6.79

-33.58%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 13, 2026

Last update for Arlington, VA: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1K 45%

Arlington, VA

$2K 55.7% 98.4% $985

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$385 17.3%

Arlington, VA

$510 14.3% 32.5% $125

Eating Out

Calgary

$265 11.9%

Arlington, VA

$376 10.5% 41.8% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$249 11.2%

Arlington, VA

$277 7.8% 11.1% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$134 6%

Arlington, VA

$172 4.8% 28.7% $38

Getting Around

Calgary

$110 4.9%

Arlington, VA

$143 4% 30.6% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$79 3.6%

Arlington, VA

$103 2.9% 30.1% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,229 in Calgary versus $2,488 in Arlington, VA. 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 109% higher in Arlington, VA, 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 $99.0 in Arlington, VA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $385 vs $510 – making Calgary the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇺🇸 Arlington, VA

🕒 Local time

17:23 5:23 PM

19:23 7:23 PM

2 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

365,438

💱 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 →

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Calgary Arlington, VA 3,160 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Calgary
Arlington, VA

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 Arlington, VA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arlington, VA costs about 60% more than Calgary, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 $5,352 in Arlington, VA. 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.

Groceries cost about 32% more in Arlington, VA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Calgary and $99.0 in Arlington, VA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Calgary, where all-in costs run around $2,223, than in Arlington, VA at $3,568. In Calgary it covers expenses comfortably, while in Arlington, VA 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, Arlington, VA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.