Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Buffalo, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,232 a month against $2,632 in Buffalo, NY, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 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
127

Cost of Living Index in Buffalo, NY
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Buffalo, NY Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,232

/mo nomad

Buffalo, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,632

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Buffalo, NY

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 Buffalo, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,232 in Calgary versus $2,632 in Buffalo, NY.

Calgary $2,232
Buffalo, NY $2,632

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,363 in Calgary versus $3,732 in Buffalo, NY.

Calgary $3,363
Buffalo, NY $3,732

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,493 in Calgary versus $4,832 in Buffalo, NY.

Calgary $4,493
Buffalo, NY $4,832

Living in Calgary costs roughly 15% less than in Buffalo, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 67% above, Buffalo, NY 96% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.22 CA$24.54

$22.92 $22.92

-24.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.2 CA$101

$96.4 $96.4

-26.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 CA$15.06

$11.81 $11.81

-10.58%

Cappuccino

$3.77 CA$5.38

$6.06 $6.06

-37.79%

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

$1.91 CA$2.73

$2.84 $2.84

-32.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 CA$2.63

$2.18 $2.18

-15.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.86 CA$6.93

$5.62 $5.62

-13.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 CA$7.91

$6.89 $6.89

-19.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 CA$2.68

$0.96 $0.96

95.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 CA$3.89

$3.82 $3.82

-28.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.34 CA$7.61

$5.65 $5.65

-5.49%

Eggs

$3.77 CA$5.37

$4.52 $4.52

-16.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.29 CA$16.09

$12.90 $12.90

-12.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.34

$10.09 $10.09

13.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.26 CA$26.03

$15.79 $15.79

15.64%

Apples (1kg)

$4.64 CA$6.62

$4.96 $4.96

-6.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.05

$1.51 $1.51

-4.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.22 CA$6.02

$4.55 $4.55

-7.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.86 CA$5.50

$5.27 $5.27

-26.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 CA$3.74

$2.72 $2.72

-3.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 CA$3.79

$3.04 $3.04

-12.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.59 CA$3.69

$2.30 $2.30

12.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 CA$2.19

$2.33 $2.33

-34.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.26 CA$20.32

$14.62 $14.62

-2.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.27 CA$21.76

$17.64 $17.64

-13.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 CA$3.44

$2.07 $2.07

16.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.41

$4.03 $4.03

-23.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 CA$4.11

$1.97 $1.97

46.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.7 CA$126

$75.2 $75.2

17.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.61

$5.18 $5.18

-37.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 CA$1.97

$2.17 $2.17

-36.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.49 CA$37.75

$44.40 $44.40

-40.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 CA$1.68

$1.16 $1.16

1.72%

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

$28.3K CA$40.3K

$35.5K $35.5K

-20.30%

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

$20.7K CA$29.5K

$25.6K $25.6K

-18.95%

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

$159 CA$227

$323 $323

-50.77%

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

$37.61 CA$53.6

$51.6 $51.6

-27.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.68 CA$70.8

$65.9 $65.9

-24.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 CA$75.9

$36.57 $36.57

45.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.31 CA$26.10

$57.3 $57.3

-68.06%

Cinema Ticket

$14.08 CA$20.06

$13.10 $13.10

7.48%

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

$809 CA$1,154

$1,532 $1,532

-47.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K CA$22.6K

$32.6K $32.6K

-51.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 CA$83.8

$52.1 $52.1

12.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.84 CA$55.4

$45.77 $45.77

-15.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.4 CA$130

$117 $117

-22.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$155

$115 $115

-5.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 CA$1,764

$1,711 $1,711

-27.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$996 CA$1,420

$1,100 $1,100

-9.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,908 CA$2,720

$2,382 $2,382

-19.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 CA$2,382

$1,586 $1,586

5.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,530 CA$5,032

$3,033 $3,033

16.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,336 CA$4,755

$1,758 $1,758

89.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,130 CA$4,461

$3,676 $3,676

-14.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

6.52

-30.83%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 3, 2026

Last update for Buffalo, NY: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$996 44.8%

Buffalo, NY

$1.1K 42.1% 10.5% $104

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$387 17.4%

Buffalo, NY

$409 15.6% 5.5% $21

Eating Out

Calgary

$265 11.9%

Buffalo, NY

$353 13.5% 33.3% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$247 11.1%

Buffalo, NY

$441 16.9% 78.8% $194

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$134 6%

Buffalo, NY

$149 5.7% 10.9% $15

Getting Around

Calgary

$110 5%

Buffalo, NY

$99 3.8% 10.2% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$81 3.7%

Buffalo, NY

$63 2.4% 22.9% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,237 in Calgary and $1,711 in Buffalo, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buffalo, NY pays 17% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $71.0 in Calgary vs $96.0 in Buffalo, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $387 vs $409 per month, with Calgary cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇺🇸 Buffalo, NY

🕒 Local time

04:05 4:05 AM

06:05 6:05 AM

2 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

258,071

💱 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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Calgary Buffalo, NY 2,790 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Calgary
Buffalo, NY

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Calgary vs Buffalo, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Buffalo, NY. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Calgary the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 17% lower in Buffalo, NY. 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: $1,237 in Calgary versus $1,711 in Buffalo, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $809 in Calgary versus $1,532 in Buffalo, NY. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Buffalo, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,232 in Calgary versus $2,632 in Buffalo, NY, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Buffalo, NY. The gap between the two cities makes Calgary the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Calgary delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,232 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Calgary hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Calgary gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Buffalo, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.