Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Cienfuegos

For one person, living is cheaper in Cienfuegos: $1,209 a month against $2,232 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
Learn more

Calgary Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Cienfuegos
Learn more

Cienfuegos Living Index

Jump to prices

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,232

/mo nomad

Cienfuegos

🇨🇺 Cuba

$1,209

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Cienfuegos

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,232 in Calgary versus $1,209 in Cienfuegos.

Calgary $2,232
Cienfuegos $1,209

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,363 in Calgary versus $1,700 in Cienfuegos.

Calgary $3,363
Cienfuegos $1,700

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,493 in Calgary versus $2,191 in Cienfuegos.

Calgary $4,493
Cienfuegos $2,191

Living in Calgary is roughly 85% more expensive than in Cienfuegos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

The two cities straddle the global median: Calgary is 67% above, Cienfuegos is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.22 CA$24.54

$9.84 CUP 236

75.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.2 CA$101

$30.79 CUP 739

131.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 CA$15.06

$6.37 CUP 153

65.78%

Cappuccino

$3.77 CA$5.38

$2.31 CUP 55.4

63.20%

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

$1.91 CA$2.73

$4.85 CUP 116

-60.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 CA$2.63

$1.00 CUP 24.02

84.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.86 CA$6.93

$0.98 CUP 23.62

395.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 CA$7.91

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 CA$2.68

$2.05 CUP 49.19

-8.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 CA$3.89

$0.68 CUP 16.24

301.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.34 CA$7.61

$1.49 CUP 35.70

258.39%

Eggs

$3.77 CA$5.37

$3.61 CUP 86.7

4.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.29 CA$16.09

$3.91 CUP 93.8

188.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.34

$3.61 CUP 86.6

217.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.26 CA$26.03

$6.81 CUP 164

168.14%

Apples (1kg)

$4.64 CA$6.62

$4.64 CUP 111

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.05

$1.15 CUP 27.53

25.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.22 CA$6.02

$1.38 CUP 33.12

205.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.86 CA$5.50

$1.64 CUP 39.26

135.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 CA$3.74

$1.57 CUP 37.66

66.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 CA$3.79

$1.95 CUP 46.91

36.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.59 CA$3.69

$0.73 CUP 17.58

254.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 CA$2.19

$0.77 CUP 18.38

98.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.26 CA$20.32

$2.44 CUP 58.5

484.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.27 CA$21.76

$6.60 CUP 158

131.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 CA$3.44

$1.86 CUP 44.75

29.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.41

$1.91 CUP 45.86

61.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 CA$4.11

$0.36 CUP 8.67

700.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.7 CA$126

$19.90 CUP 478

345.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.61

$0.99 CUP 23.68

226.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 CA$1.97

$0.52 CUP 12.38

165.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.49 CA$37.75

$13.76 CUP 330

92.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 CA$1.68

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

$28.3K CA$40.3K

$50.5K CUP 1.2M

-44.02%

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

$20.7K CA$29.5K

$63.2K CUP 1.5M

-67.22%

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

$159 CA$227

$35.39 CUP 849

350.01%

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

$37.61 CA$53.6

$40.04 CUP 961

-6.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.68 CA$70.8

$249 CUP 5,967

-80.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 CA$75.9

$39.84 CUP 956

33.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.31 CA$26.10

$10.17 CUP 244

80.04%

Cinema Ticket

$14.08 CA$20.06

$0.98 CUP 23.48

1336.73%

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

$809 CA$1,154

$110 CUP 2,646

634.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K CA$22.6K

$9,987 CUP 239.7K

58.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 CA$83.8

$35.05 CUP 841

67.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.84 CA$55.4

$27.59 CUP 662

40.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.4 CA$130

$57.0 CUP 1,368

60.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$155

$51.9 CUP 1,246

110.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 CA$1,764

$357 CUP 8,562

246.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$996 CA$1,420

$375 CUP 8,991

165.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,908 CA$2,720

$1,025 CUP 24.6K

86.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 CA$2,382

$607 CUP 14.6K

175.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,530 CA$5,032

$346 CUP 8,304

920.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,336 CA$4,755

$246 CUP 5,899

1257.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,130 CA$4,461

$37.71 CUP 905

8200.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

6.67

-32.38%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 3, 2026

Last update for Cienfuegos: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$996 44.8%

Cienfuegos

$375 31.6% 62.4% $621

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$387 17.4%

Cienfuegos

$189 15.9% 51.3% $199

Eating Out

Calgary

$265 11.9%

Cienfuegos

$154 * 13% 42% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$247 11.1%

Cienfuegos

$324 27.3% 31.4% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$134 6%

Cienfuegos

$77 6.5% 42.4% $57

Getting Around

Calgary

$110 5%

Cienfuegos

$25 2.1% 77.4% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$81 3.7%

Cienfuegos

$42 3.5% 48.6% $40

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,237 in Calgary and $357 in Cienfuegos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays 8200% 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 $31.00 in Cienfuegos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $387 vs $189 per month, with Cienfuegos cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇨🇺 Cienfuegos

🕒 Local time

09:04 9:04 AM

11:04 11:04 AM

2 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

150,404

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Cuban Peso CUP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

100 CUP = 4.17 USD

100 CUP = 3.72 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CUP, 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).

Cuban Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 24 CUP (100 CUP = 4.17 USD). 1 EUR = 26.89 CUP (100 CUP = 3.72 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Calgary Cienfuegos 4,330 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Calgary
Cienfuegos

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 Cienfuegos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cienfuegos is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 85% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 8200% higher in Calgary, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,237 in Calgary versus $357 in Cienfuegos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Cienfuegos – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $71.0 in Calgary. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,232 per month in Calgary versus $1,209 in Cienfuegos – a 85% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,209 in Cienfuegos versus $2,232 in Calgary, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cienfuegos but tight or insufficient in Calgary. The gap between the two cities makes Cienfuegos 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 Cienfuegos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 85% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.