Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Bethesda, MD

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,223 a month against $3,165 in Bethesda, MD, 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
154

Cost of Living Index in Bethesda, MD
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Bethesda, MD Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,223

/mo nomad

Bethesda, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$3,165

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Bethesda, MD

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

A single person spends $2,223 per month in Calgary vs $3,165 in Bethesda, MD, rent included.

Calgary $2,223
Bethesda, MD $3,165

A couple spends around $3,301 per month in Calgary vs $4,971 in Bethesda, MD, rent included.

Calgary $3,301
Bethesda, MD $4,971

A family of three spends $4,379 per month in Calgary vs $6,778 in Bethesda, MD, rent included.

Calgary $4,379
Bethesda, MD $6,778

Calgary is about 30% cheaper than Bethesda, MD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Calgary and Bethesda, MD sit above the global median – Calgary by 65%, Bethesda, MD by 134%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.22 CA$24.34

$22.08 $22.08

-22.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.1 CA$100

$98.9 $98.9

-28.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.53 CA$14.89

$10.91 $10.91

-3.48%

Cappuccino

$3.66 CA$5.18

$5.38 $5.38

-31.97%

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

$1.98 CA$2.80

$3.04 $3.04

-34.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 CA$2.74

$2.48 $2.48

-21.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.95 CA$7.00

$7.08 $7.08

-30.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.57 CA$7.87

$9.12 $9.12

-38.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 CA$2.65

$1.16 $1.16

62.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 CA$3.78

$4.14 $4.14

-35.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.32 CA$7.52

$3.90 $3.90

36.41%

Eggs

$3.79 CA$5.35

$4.67 $4.67

-18.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.09 CA$15.68

$16.60 $16.60

-33.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.36 CA$16.05

$15.51 $15.51

-26.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.40 CA$26.01

$22.46 $22.46

-18.08%

Apples (1kg)

$4.56 CA$6.45

$5.45 $5.45

-16.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.04

$1.36 $1.36

5.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.08 CA$5.76

$4.05 $4.05

0.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.89 CA$5.50

$4.26 $4.26

-8.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.73

$2.22 $2.22

18.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.73

$2.65 $2.65

-0.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 CA$3.54

$2.39 $2.39

4.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$2.53 $2.53

-40.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.05 CA$19.86

$10.53 $10.53

33.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.70 CA$22.20

$18.01 $18.01

-12.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 CA$3.45

$1.71 $1.71

42.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.37

$2.83 $2.83

9.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$3.06 $3.06

-7.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 CA$125

$101 $101

-12.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 CA$4.41

$4.11 $4.11

-24.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 CA$1.91

$1.21 $1.21

11.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.02 CA$38.20

$24.70 $24.70

9.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 CA$1.64

$0.93 $0.93

24.73%

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

$27.9K CA$39.5K

$23.1K $23.1K

20.70%

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

$20.3K CA$28.8K

$24.2K $24.2K

-15.97%

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

$161 CA$227

$163 $163

-1.47%

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

$38.13 CA$53.9

$39.56 $39.56

-3.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.0 CA$70.7

$62.6 $62.6

-20.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 CA$72.8

$104 $104

-50.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 CA$25.64

$30.41 $30.41

-40.35%

Cinema Ticket

$13.82 CA$19.54

$16.16 $16.16

-14.48%

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

$786 CA$1,111

$1,606 $1,606

-51.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.5K CA$21.8K

$35.8K $35.8K

-56.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 CA$82.4

$54.8 $54.8

6.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.27 CA$55.5

$57.3 $57.3

-31.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 CA$127

$102 $102

-11.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$149 $149

-26.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,229 CA$1,737

$2,340 $2,340

-47.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,001 CA$1,415

$1,669 $1,669

-40.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,921 CA$2,716

$4,118 $4,118

-53.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 CA$2,292

$3,299 $3,299

-50.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,549 CA$5,018

$5,862 $5,862

-39.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,335 CA$4,715

$5,456 $5,456

-38.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,165 CA$4,474

$8,749 $8,749

-63.83%

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 Bethesda, MD: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1K 45%

Bethesda, MD

$1.7K 52.7% 66.7% $668

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$385 17.3%

Bethesda, MD

$457 14.4% 18.6% $72

Eating Out

Calgary

$265 11.9%

Bethesda, MD

$350 11.1% 32% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$249 11.2%

Bethesda, MD

$265 8.4% 6.6% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$134 6%

Bethesda, MD

$163 5.2% 22.1% $30

Getting Around

Calgary

$110 4.9%

Bethesda, MD

$124 3.9% 12.7% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$79 3.6%

Bethesda, MD

$137 4.3% 72.7% $58

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,229 in Calgary versus $2,340 in Bethesda, MD. 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 176% higher in Bethesda, MD, 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 Bethesda, MD. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $385 vs $457 – making Calgary the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇺🇸 Bethesda, MD

🕒 Local time

20:59 8:59 PM

22:59 10:59 PM

2 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

60,858

💱 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 18, 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Calgary Bethesda, MD 3,160 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Calgary
Bethesda, MD

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 Bethesda, MD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Bethesda, MD is pricier by about 42%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,335 per month in Calgary and $4,747 in Bethesda, MD. 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.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,223 in Calgary and $3,165 in Bethesda, MD. That's a gap of about 42%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Calgary, where all-in costs run around $2,223, than in Bethesda, MD at $3,165. In Calgary it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bethesda, MD 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, Bethesda, MD makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.