Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Bethel, AK

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,255 a month against $2,380 in Bethel, AK, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
Learn more

Calgary Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Bethel, AK
Learn more

Bethel, AK Living Index

Jump to prices

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,255

/mo nomad

Bethel, AK

🇺🇸 United States

$2,380

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Bethel, AK

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,255 in Calgary versus $2,380 in Bethel, AK.

Calgary $2,255
Bethel, AK $2,380

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Calgary versus $3,720 in Bethel, AK.

Calgary $3,361
Bethel, AK $3,720

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,468 in Calgary versus $5,060 in Bethel, AK.

Calgary $4,468
Bethel, AK $5,060

Living in Calgary costs roughly 5% less than in Bethel, AK, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 66% above, Bethel, AK 76% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 CA$24.85

$19.36 $19.36

-9.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 CA$97.6

$70.7 $70.7

-2.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 CA$14.97

$11.78 $11.78

-10.10%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.42

$4.91 $4.91

-21.79%

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

$1.93 CA$2.72

$2.49 $2.49

-22.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.66

$2.16 $2.16

-12.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.09 CA$7.20

$6.60 $6.60

-22.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 CA$7.97

$6.31 $6.31

-10.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 CA$2.82

$0.97 $0.97

106.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 CA$3.93

$3.94 $3.94

-29.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.59 CA$7.90

$4.74 $4.74

17.93%

Eggs

$3.70 CA$5.23

$4.35 $4.35

-14.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.48 CA$16.23

$11.54 $11.54

-0.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.20 CA$15.84

$13.23 $13.23

-15.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.59 CA$26.28

$18.29 $18.29

1.64%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 CA$6.64

$5.62 $5.62

-16.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.42 $1.42

2.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.34 CA$6.13

$4.08 $4.08

6.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.79 CA$5.36

$5.14 $5.14

-26.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.81

$3.14 $3.14

-14.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.75 CA$3.88

$2.64 $2.64

4.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 CA$3.62

$2.45 $2.45

4.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$1.95 $1.95

-23.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.39 CA$20.34

$8.64 $8.64

66.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.81 CA$22.35

$13.68 $13.68

15.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 CA$3.49

$2.06 $2.06

19.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 CA$4.39

$3.48 $3.48

-10.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.81 CA$3.97

$1.83 $1.83

53.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.6 CA$128

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 CA$4.64

$2.82 $2.82

16.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 CA$1.97

$1.99 $1.99

-29.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.49 CA$37.45

$28.49 $28.49

-7.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.72

$1.00 $1.00

22.00%

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

$28.4K CA$40.1K

$26.0K $26.0K

9.19%

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

$20.8K CA$29.5K

$27.2K $27.2K

-23.48%

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

$165 CA$233

$175 $175

-5.87%

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

$38.24 CA$54.1

$53.8 $53.8

-28.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.1 CA$70.9

$72.5 $72.5

-30.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 CA$76.1

$43.66 $43.66

23.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.04 CA$25.51

Cinema Ticket

$14.04 CA$19.84

$15.58 $15.58

-9.88%

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

$797 CA$1,126

$1,600 $1,600

-50.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K CA$22.3K

$21.0K $21.0K

-24.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 CA$83.5

$53.8 $53.8

9.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.20 CA$56.8

$41.07 $41.07

-2.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.8 CA$128

$95.3 $95.3

-4.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$155

$123 $123

-11.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 CA$1,707

$1,742 $1,742

-30.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,011 CA$1,429

$1,117 $1,117

-9.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,949 CA$2,756

$2,259 $2,259

-13.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 CA$2,371

$2,265 $2,265

-25.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,532 CA$4,993

$3,049 $3,049

15.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,392 CA$4,795

$2,332 $2,332

45.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,152 CA$4,456

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

6.57

-31.35%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 18, 2026

Last update for Bethel, AK: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1K 44.8%

Bethel, AK

$1.1K 46.9% 10.5% $106

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$392 17.4%

Bethel, AK

$412 17.3% 5.3% $21

Eating Out

Calgary

$270 12%

Bethel, AK

$313 13.2% 15.9% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$253 11.2%

Bethel, AK

$301 12.7% 19% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$135 6%

Bethel, AK

$141 5.9% 4.7% $6.3

Getting Around

Calgary

$112 5%

Bethel, AK

$20 * 0.8% 82.1% $92

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$82 3.6%

Bethel, AK

$75 3.1% 8.6% $7.1

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,207 in Calgary and $1,742 in Bethel, AK. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Calgary vs $71.0 in Bethel, AK for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $392 vs $412 per month, with Calgary cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇺🇸 Bethel, AK

🕒 Local time

14:37 2:37 PM

12:37 12:37 PM

2 h behind Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

6,300

💱 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 Bethel, AK 3,080 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Calgary
Bethel, AK

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 Bethel, AK: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary and Bethel, AK differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($2,255 vs $2,380 including rent). Calgary is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,382 in Calgary and $3,570 in Bethel, AK to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,207 in Calgary versus $1,742 in Bethel, AK. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Bethel, AK. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,255 per month in Calgary versus $2,380 in Bethel, AK – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,255 in Calgary versus $2,380 in Bethel, AK, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Bethel, AK. 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.

Expats usually find Calgary gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Bethel, AK. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.