Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Boston, MA

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,232 a month against $4,347 in Boston, MA, rent and utilities included – about $25,400 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
213

Cost of Living Index in Boston, MA
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Boston, MA Living Index

Jump to prices

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,232

/mo nomad

Boston, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,347

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Boston, 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 Boston, MA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,232 per month in Calgary vs $4,347 in Boston, MA, rent included.

Calgary $2,232
Boston, MA $4,347

A couple spends around $3,363 per month in Calgary vs $6,138 in Boston, MA, rent included.

Calgary $3,363
Boston, MA $6,138

A family of three spends $4,493 per month in Calgary vs $7,930 in Boston, MA, rent included.

Calgary $4,493
Boston, MA $7,930

Calgary is about 49% cheaper than Boston, MA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Calgary and Boston, MA sit above the global median – Calgary by 67%, Boston, MA by 224%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.22 CA$24.54

$29.79 $29.79

-42.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.2 CA$101

$122 $122

-41.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 CA$15.06

$11.91 $11.91

-11.34%

Cappuccino

$3.77 CA$5.38

$5.36 $5.36

-29.66%

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

$1.91 CA$2.73

$3.17 $3.17

-39.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 CA$2.63

$2.28 $2.28

-19.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.86 CA$6.93

$8.07 $8.07

-39.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 CA$7.91

$9.20 $9.20

-39.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 CA$2.68

$1.27 $1.27

48.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 CA$3.89

$4.46 $4.46

-38.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.34 CA$7.61

$6.92 $6.92

-22.83%

Eggs

$3.77 CA$5.37

$5.99 $5.99

-37.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.29 CA$16.09

$15.85 $15.85

-28.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.34

$15.04 $15.04

-23.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.26 CA$26.03

$19.14 $19.14

-4.60%

Apples (1kg)

$4.64 CA$6.62

$7.57 $7.57

-38.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.05

$2.06 $2.06

-30.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.22 CA$6.02

$5.36 $5.36

-21.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.86 CA$5.50

$7.39 $7.39

-47.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 CA$3.74

$4.33 $4.33

-39.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 CA$3.79

$4.11 $4.11

-35.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.59 CA$3.69

$2.89 $2.89

-10.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 CA$2.19

$3.00 $3.00

-49.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.26 CA$20.32

$12.33 $12.33

15.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.27 CA$21.76

$15.83 $15.83

-3.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 CA$3.44

$3.08 $3.08

-21.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.41

$5.38 $5.38

-42.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 CA$4.11

$2.34 $2.34

23.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.7 CA$126

$88.8 $88.8

-0.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.61

$2.67 $2.67

20.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 CA$1.97

$1.78 $1.78

-22.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.49 CA$37.75

$27.83 $27.83

-4.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 CA$1.68

$1.10 $1.10

7.27%

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

$28.3K CA$40.3K

$36.8K $36.8K

-23.08%

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

$20.7K CA$29.5K

$26.3K $26.3K

-21.06%

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

$159 CA$227

$246 $246

-35.17%

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

$37.61 CA$53.6

$54.2 $54.2

-30.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.68 CA$70.8

$85.1 $85.1

-41.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 CA$75.9

$85.3 $85.3

-37.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.31 CA$26.10

$41.31 $41.31

-55.68%

Cinema Ticket

$14.08 CA$20.06

$15.84 $15.84

-11.11%

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

$809 CA$1,154

$2,888 $2,888

-71.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K CA$22.6K

$35.4K $35.4K

-55.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 CA$83.8

$77.7 $77.7

-24.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.84 CA$55.4

$52.0 $52.0

-25.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.4 CA$130

$118 $118

-22.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$155

$165 $165

-34.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 CA$1,764

$3,396 $3,396

-63.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$996 CA$1,420

$2,658 $2,658

-62.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,908 CA$2,720

$6,022 $6,022

-68.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 CA$2,382

$3,980 $3,980

-58.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,530 CA$5,032

$13.2K $13.2K

-73.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,336 CA$4,755

$6,302 $6,302

-47.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,130 CA$4,461

$5,977 $5,977

-47.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

6.66

-32.28%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 3, 2026

Last update for Boston, MA: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$996 44.8%

Boston, MA

$2.7K 60.4% 167% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$387 17.4%

Boston, MA

$524 11.9% 35.4% $137

Eating Out

Calgary

$265 11.9%

Boston, MA

$419 9.5% 58% $154

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$247 11.1%

Boston, MA

$385 8.8% 56.1% $138

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$134 6%

Boston, MA

$186 4.2% 38.4% $51

Getting Around

Calgary

$110 5%

Boston, MA

$110 2.5% 0.6% $0.6

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$81 3.7%

Boston, MA

$117 2.7% 43.6% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,237 in Calgary versus $3,396 in Boston, 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 91% higher in Boston, 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 $71.0 in Calgary versus $122 in Boston, MA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $387 vs $524 – making Calgary the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇺🇸 Boston, MA

🕒 Local time

00:22 12:22 AM

02:22 2:22 AM

2 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

675,647

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Between locations

Calgary Boston, MA 3,370 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Calgary
Boston, 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 Boston, MA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Boston, MA costs about 95% more than Calgary, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,349 per month in Calgary and $6,520 in Boston, 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.

Groceries cost about 35% more in Boston, MA, 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 $122 in Boston, MA. 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 $2,232, than in Boston, MA at $4,347. In Calgary it covers expenses comfortably, while in Boston, MA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Calgary costs $2,232 versus $4,347 in Boston, MA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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