Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and California, MD

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,255 a month against $2,616 in California, MD, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 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
126

Cost of Living Index in California, MD
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California, MD Living Index

Jump to prices

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,255

/mo nomad

California, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,616

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,255 in Calgary versus $2,616 in California, MD.

Calgary $2,255
California, MD $2,616

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Calgary versus $3,733 in California, MD.

Calgary $3,361
California, MD $3,733

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,468 in Calgary versus $4,849 in California, MD.

Calgary $4,468
California, MD $4,849

Living in Calgary costs roughly 14% less than in California, MD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 66% above, California, MD 93% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 CA$24.85

$24.81 $24.81

-29.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 CA$97.6

$75.1 $75.1

-8.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 CA$14.97

$9.93 $9.93

6.65%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.42

$5.98 $5.98

-35.79%

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

$1.93 CA$2.72

$2.73 $2.73

-29.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.66

$2.44 $2.44

-22.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.09 CA$7.20

$5.10 $5.10

-0.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 CA$7.97

$7.80 $7.80

-27.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 CA$2.82

$1.00 $1.00

100.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 CA$3.93

$3.83 $3.83

-27.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.59 CA$7.90

$2.17 $2.17

157.60%

Eggs

$3.70 CA$5.23

$3.97 $3.97

-6.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.48 CA$16.23

$11.81 $11.81

-2.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.20 CA$15.84

$14.61 $14.61

-23.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.59 CA$26.28

$13.07 $13.07

42.23%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 CA$6.64

$4.37 $4.37

7.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$2.21 $2.21

-34.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.34 CA$6.13

$4.38 $4.38

-0.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.79 CA$5.36

$6.70 $6.70

-43.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.81

$4.37 $4.37

-38.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.75 CA$3.88

$3.94 $3.94

-30.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 CA$3.62

$1.97 $1.97

29.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$2.01 $2.01

-25.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.39 CA$20.34

$8.89 $8.89

61.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.81 CA$22.35

$14.05 $14.05

12.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 CA$3.49

$1.68 $1.68

47.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 CA$4.39

$4.80 $4.80

-35.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.81 CA$3.97

$2.16 $2.16

30.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.6 CA$128

$81.4 $81.4

11.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 CA$4.64

$3.05 $3.05

7.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 CA$1.97

$1.41 $1.41

-0.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.49 CA$37.45

$22.46 $22.46

17.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.72

$0.94 $0.94

29.79%

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

$28.4K CA$40.1K

$33.5K $33.5K

-15.20%

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

$20.8K CA$29.5K

$23.1K $23.1K

-9.72%

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

$165 CA$233

$98.2 $98.2

67.62%

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

$38.24 CA$54.1

$41.44 $41.44

-7.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.1 CA$70.9

$62.0 $62.0

-19.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 CA$76.1

$39.40 $39.40

36.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.04 CA$25.51

$10.91 $10.91

65.35%

Cinema Ticket

$14.04 CA$19.84

$18.19 $18.19

-22.81%

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

$797 CA$1,126

$1,875 $1,875

-57.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K CA$22.3K

$31.9K $31.9K

-50.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 CA$83.5

$53.9 $53.9

9.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.20 CA$56.8

$47.77 $47.77

-15.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.8 CA$128

$85.3 $85.3

6.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$155

$108 $108

1.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 CA$1,707

$1,693 $1,693

-28.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,011 CA$1,429

$1,338 $1,338

-24.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,949 CA$2,756

$1,793 $1,793

8.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 CA$2,371

$1,887 $1,887

-11.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,532 CA$4,993

$6,716 $6,716

-47.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,392 CA$4,795

$6,236 $6,236

-45.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,152 CA$4,456

$7,062 $7,062

-55.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

6.4

-29.53%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 18, 2026

Last update for California, MD: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1K 44.8%

California, MD

$1.3K 51.2% 32.4% $327

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$392 17.4%

California, MD

$406 15.5% 3.6% $14

Eating Out

Calgary

$270 12%

California, MD

$362 13.8% 33.8% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$253 11.2%

California, MD

$202 7.7% 20.3% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$135 6%

California, MD

$133 5.1% 1.5% $2.1

Getting Around

Calgary

$112 5%

California, MD

$100 3.8% 10.6% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$82 3.6%

California, MD

$76 2.9% 7.4% $6.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,207 in Calgary and $1,693 in California, MD. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

California, MD pays 124% 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: $69.0 in Calgary vs $75.0 in California, MD for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $392 vs $406 per month, with Calgary cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇺🇸 California, MD

🕒 Local time

22:40 10:40 PM

00:40 12:40 AM

2 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

13,000

💱 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 22, 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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Between locations

Calgary California, MD 3,240 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Calgary
California, 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 California, MD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 124% lower in California, MD. 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: $1,207 in Calgary versus $1,693 in California, MD. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Calgary – a meal for two runs $69.0 versus $75.0 in California, MD. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,255 per month in Calgary versus $2,616 in California, MD – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,255 in Calgary versus $2,616 in California, MD, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in California, MD. 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 16% less than in California, MD. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.