Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Ashland, MA

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,255 a month against $3,658 in Ashland, MA, rent and utilities included – about $16,800 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
177

Cost of Living Index in Ashland, MA
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Ashland, MA Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,255

/mo nomad

Ashland, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,658

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Ashland, MA

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

A single person spends $2,255 per month in Calgary vs $3,658 in Ashland, MA, rent included.

Calgary $2,255
Ashland, MA $3,658

A couple spends around $3,361 per month in Calgary vs $4,726 in Ashland, MA, rent included.

Calgary $3,361
Ashland, MA $4,726

A family of three spends $4,468 per month in Calgary vs $5,794 in Ashland, MA, rent included.

Calgary $4,468
Ashland, MA $5,794

Calgary is about 38% cheaper than Ashland, MA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Calgary and Ashland, MA sit above the global median – Calgary by 66%, Ashland, MA by 170%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 CA$24.85

$19.75 $19.75

-10.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 CA$97.6

$75.5 $75.5

-8.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 CA$14.97

$13.23 $13.23

-19.95%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.42

$5.16 $5.16

-25.58%

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

$1.93 CA$2.72

$2.86 $2.86

-32.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.66

$2.56 $2.56

-26.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.09 CA$7.20

$5.90 $5.90

-13.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 CA$7.97

$8.73 $8.73

-35.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 CA$2.82

$1.05 $1.05

90.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 CA$3.93

$4.52 $4.52

-38.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.59 CA$7.90

$16.18 $16.18

-65.45%

Eggs

$3.70 CA$5.23

$6.13 $6.13

-39.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.48 CA$16.23

$17.68 $17.68

-35.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.20 CA$15.84

$10.45 $10.45

7.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.59 CA$26.28

$18.80 $18.80

-1.12%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 CA$6.64

$5.43 $5.43

-13.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$4.36 $4.36

-66.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.34 CA$6.13

$3.39 $3.39

28.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.79 CA$5.36

$3.04 $3.04

24.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.81

$2.22 $2.22

21.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.75 CA$3.88

$2.48 $2.48

10.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 CA$3.62

$2.69 $2.69

-4.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$2.88 $2.88

-47.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.39 CA$20.34

$13.66 $13.66

5.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.81 CA$22.35

$16.90 $16.90

-6.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 CA$3.49

$1.83 $1.83

34.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 CA$4.39

$2.85 $2.85

8.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.81 CA$3.97

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.6 CA$128

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 CA$4.64

$6.07 $6.07

-45.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 CA$1.97

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.49 CA$37.45

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.72

$1.03 $1.03

18.45%

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

$28.4K CA$40.1K

$27.8K $27.8K

2.00%

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

$20.8K CA$29.5K

$26.7K $26.7K

-22.03%

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

$165 CA$233

$180 $180

-8.78%

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

$38.24 CA$54.1

$37.21 $37.21

2.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.1 CA$70.9

$58.5 $58.5

-14.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 CA$76.1

$74.6 $74.6

-27.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.04 CA$25.51

$44.11 $44.11

-59.10%

Cinema Ticket

$14.04 CA$19.84

$12.31 $12.31

14.05%

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

$797 CA$1,126

$2,112 $2,112

-62.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K CA$22.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 CA$83.5

$38.70 $38.70

52.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.20 CA$56.8

$16.39 $16.39

145.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.8 CA$128

$98.3 $98.3

-7.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$155

$100 $100

9.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 CA$1,707

$2,107 $2,107

-42.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,011 CA$1,429

$2,339 $2,339

-56.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,949 CA$2,756

$2,923 $2,923

-33.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 CA$2,371

$2,823 $2,823

-40.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,532 CA$4,993

$5,033 $5,033

-29.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,392 CA$4,795

$4,385 $4,385

-22.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,152 CA$4,456

$7,931 $7,931

-60.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

6.51

-30.72%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 18, 2026

Last update for Ashland, MA: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1K 44.8%

Ashland, MA

$2.3K 64% 131% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$392 17.4%

Ashland, MA

$494 13.5% 26.2% $103

Eating Out

Calgary

$270 12%

Ashland, MA

$328 9% 21.4% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$253 11.2%

Ashland, MA

$276 7.6% 9.2% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$135 6%

Ashland, MA

$114 3.1% 15.3% $21

Getting Around

Calgary

$112 5%

Ashland, MA

$6.1 * 0.2% 94.6% $106

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$82 3.6%

Ashland, MA

$99 2.7% 21.2% $17

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,207 in Calgary versus $2,107 in Ashland, MA. 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 152% higher in Ashland, MA, 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 $69.0 in Calgary versus $75.0 in Ashland, MA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $392 vs $494 – making Calgary the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇺🇸 Ashland, MA

🕒 Local time

12:28 12:28 PM

14:28 2:28 PM

2 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

21,684

💱 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 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Calgary Ashland, MA 3,340 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Calgary
Ashland, MA

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 Ashland, MA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ashland, MA costs about 62% 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 $3,382 per month in Calgary and $5,486 in Ashland, MA. 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,255 in Calgary and $3,658 in Ashland, MA. That's a gap of about 62%.

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Calgary and $2,112 in Ashland, MA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Calgary, where all-in costs run around $2,255, than in Ashland, MA at $3,658. In Calgary it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ashland, MA 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.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Calgary. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ashland, MA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.