Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Burlington, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,255 a month against $2,604 in Burlington, NC, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Burlington, NC outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Burlington, NC
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Burlington, NC Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,255

/mo nomad

Burlington, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,604

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Burlington, NC

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 Burlington, NC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,255 per month in Calgary vs $2,604 in Burlington, NC, rent included.

Calgary $2,255
Burlington, NC $2,604

A couple spends around $3,361 per month in Calgary vs $3,784 in Burlington, NC, rent included.

Calgary $3,361
Burlington, NC $3,784

A family of three spends $4,468 per month in Calgary vs $4,963 in Burlington, NC, rent included.

Calgary $4,468
Burlington, NC $4,963

Calgary is about 13% cheaper than Burlington, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Calgary and Burlington, NC sit above the global median – Calgary by 66%, Burlington, NC by 92%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 CA$24.85

$18.93 $18.93

-7.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 CA$97.6

$74.7 $74.7

-7.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 CA$14.97

$10.89 $10.89

-2.75%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.42

$5.23 $5.23

-26.58%

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

$1.93 CA$2.72

$2.51 $2.51

-23.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.66

$2.06 $2.06

-8.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.09 CA$7.20

$6.14 $6.14

-17.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 CA$7.97

$6.80 $6.80

-17.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 CA$2.82

$1.04 $1.04

92.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 CA$3.93

$3.57 $3.57

-22.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.59 CA$7.90

$4.35 $4.35

28.51%

Eggs

$3.70 CA$5.23

$4.22 $4.22

-12.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.48 CA$16.23

$12.47 $12.47

-7.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.20 CA$15.84

$11.29 $11.29

-0.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.59 CA$26.28

$15.63 $15.63

18.94%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 CA$6.64

$5.02 $5.02

-6.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.56 $1.56

-7.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.34 CA$6.13

$4.20 $4.20

3.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.79 CA$5.36

$4.81 $4.81

-21.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.81

$2.91 $2.91

-7.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.75 CA$3.88

$2.76 $2.76

-0.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 CA$3.62

$2.11 $2.11

21.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$2.08 $2.08

-27.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.39 CA$20.34

$9.37 $9.37

53.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.81 CA$22.35

$14.08 $14.08

12.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 CA$3.49

$1.85 $1.85

33.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 CA$4.39

$3.33 $3.33

-6.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.81 CA$3.97

$2.02 $2.02

39.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.6 CA$128

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 CA$4.64

$3.40 $3.40

-3.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 CA$1.97

$1.65 $1.65

-15.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.49 CA$37.45

$28.99 $28.99

-8.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.72

$0.89 $0.89

37.08%

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

$28.4K CA$40.1K

$29.9K $29.9K

-5.00%

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

$20.8K CA$29.5K

$25.5K $25.5K

-18.15%

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

$165 CA$233

$191 $191

-13.62%

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

$38.24 CA$54.1

$52.9 $52.9

-27.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.1 CA$70.9

$67.0 $67.0

-25.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 CA$76.1

$42.35 $42.35

27.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.04 CA$25.51

Cinema Ticket

$14.04 CA$19.84

$13.34 $13.34

5.25%

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

$797 CA$1,126

$1,282 $1,282

-37.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K CA$22.3K

$23.7K $23.7K

-33.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 CA$83.5

$51.0 $51.0

15.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.20 CA$56.8

$39.90 $39.90

0.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.8 CA$128

$85.3 $85.3

6.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$155

$112 $112

-2.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 CA$1,707

$1,632 $1,632

-26.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,011 CA$1,429

$1,378 $1,378

-26.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,949 CA$2,756

$2,653 $2,653

-26.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 CA$2,371

$2,241 $2,241

-25.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,532 CA$4,993

$2,740 $2,740

28.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,392 CA$4,795

$2,417 $2,417

40.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,152 CA$4,456

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 Burlington, NC: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1K 44.8%

Burlington, NC

$1.4K 52.9% 36.3% $367

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$392 17.4%

Burlington, NC

$388 14.9% 0.9% $3.5

Eating Out

Calgary

$270 12%

Burlington, NC

$309 11.9% 14.4% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$253 11.2%

Burlington, NC

$310 11.9% 22.7% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$135 6%

Burlington, NC

$130 5% 3.7% $5

Getting Around

Calgary

$112 5%

Burlington, NC

$20 * 0.8% 82.4% $92

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$82 3.6%

Burlington, NC

$69 2.7% 15.7% $13

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 $1,632 in Burlington, NC. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Calgary versus $75.0 in Burlington, NC. Groceries tell a different story – $392 in Calgary vs $388 in Burlington, NC – so Burlington, NC wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇺🇸 Burlington, NC

🕒 Local time

15:25 3:25 PM

17:25 5:25 PM

2 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

44,743

💱 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

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Between locations

Calgary Burlington, NC 3,200 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Calgary
Burlington, NC

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 Burlington, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,255 in Calgary, $2,604 in Burlington, NC – roughly 16% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,382 per month in Calgary and $3,907 in Burlington, NC. 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 $2,604 in Burlington, NC. That's a gap of about 16%.

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Calgary and $1,282 in Burlington, NC. 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 Burlington, NC at $2,604. In Calgary it covers expenses comfortably, while in Burlington, NC 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, Burlington, NC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.