Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Arnhem Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Arnhem

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,523 in Calgary versus $2,209 in Arnhem.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,652 in Calgary versus $3,392 in Arnhem.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,780 in Calgary versus $4,574 in Arnhem.

Living in Calgary is roughly 14% more expensive than Arnhem, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 88% above, Arnhem 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.59 CA$25.83

$18.82 €16.21

-1.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.0 CA$97.3

$71.1 €61.2

-1.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.96 CA$15.22

$13.12 €11.30

-16.46%

Cappuccino

$3.73 CA$5.19

$4.23 €3.64

-11.82%

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

$1.99 CA$2.76

$3.21 €2.76

-38.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 CA$2.39

$2.48 €2.14

-30.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.01 CA$6.97

$6.34 €5.46

-20.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.50 CA$9.04

$5.22 €4.50

24.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CA$3.09

$1.23 €1.06

80.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 CA$3.71

$2.42 €2.08

10.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.53

$3.23 €2.78

0.93%

Eggs

$3.35 CA$4.66

$4.77 €4.11

-29.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 CA$20.14

$13.94 €12.01

4.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.95 CA$17.99

$17.09 €14.72

-24.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.15 CA$22.44

$17.13 €14.75

-5.72%

Apples (1kg)

$4.32 CA$6.00

$2.39 €2.05

80.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 CA$1.88

$2.49 €2.14

-45.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.83 CA$5.32

$1.94 €1.67

97.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 CA$5.81

$4.14 €3.57

0.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.65 CA$3.68

$2.18 €1.88

21.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.74 CA$3.81

$2.16 €1.86

26.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.76 CA$3.84

$1.24 €1.07

122.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 CA$2.71

$0.78 €0.68

150.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.98 CA$20.81

$14.52 €12.50

3.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.67 CA$20.38

$7.18 €6.18

104.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 CA$3.95

$1.36 €1.18

108.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 CA$5.58

$2.74 €2.36

46.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.80 CA$3.89

$4.23 €3.64

-33.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.2 CA$120

$117 €101

-26.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 CA$5.00

$3.86 €3.33

-6.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 CA$1.83

$2.62 €2.26

-49.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.01 CA$40.31

$27.68 €23.84

4.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 CA$1.56

$2.20 €1.89

-49.09%

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

$24.9K CA$34.5K

$37.5K €32.3K

-33.76%

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

$22.0K CA$30.5K

$39.2K €33.8K

-43.95%

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

$217 CA$302

$265 €228

-18.07%

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

$41.55 CA$57.7

$29.80 €25.66

39.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.1 CA$80.7

$52.6 €45.29

10.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.7 CA$76.0

$42.61 €36.69

28.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$52.8 CA$73.4

$7.59 €6.54

595.92%

Cinema Ticket

$12.77 CA$17.74

$14.99 €12.91

-14.81%

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

$874 CA$1,214

$1,866 €1,607

-53.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K CA$22.1K

$6,166 €5,309

158.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 CA$81.7

$94.3 €81.2

-37.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.47 CA$64.6

$17.69 €15.23

162.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.2 CA$121

$85.6 €73.7

1.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$151

$88.7 €76.4

22.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,414 CA$1,964

$1,163 €1,002

21.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,172 CA$1,629

$873 €752

34.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,319 CA$3,222

$2,070 €1,782

12.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,886 CA$2,621

$1,657 €1,427

13.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,892 CA$5,407

$5,398 €4,648

-27.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,503 CA$4,867

$4,238 €3,649

-17.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,149 CA$4,375

$3,834 €3,301

-17.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.71

3.25

75.69%

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

Last update for Calgary: June 1, 2026

Last update for Arnhem: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,414 in Calgary and $1,163 in Arnhem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arnhem pays 22% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $70.0 in Calgary vs $71.0 in Arnhem. Groceries flip the comparison at $397 vs $354, with Arnhem cheaper for home cooking.

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 Arnhem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary and Arnhem differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($2,523 vs $2,209 including rent). Arnhem is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Arnhem earns 22% less. 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: $1,414 in Calgary versus $1,163 in Arnhem. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

Dining out is cheaper in Arnhem – a meal for two runs $71.0 versus $70.0 in Calgary. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,209 in Arnhem versus $2,523 in Calgary, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Arnhem but tight or insufficient in Calgary. The gap between the two cities makes Arnhem 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 Arnhem 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 Arnhem gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.