Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Fairfax, VA

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,223 a month against $3,409 in Fairfax, VA, rent and utilities included – about $14,200 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
168

Cost of Living Index in Fairfax, VA
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Fairfax, VA Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,223

/mo nomad

Fairfax, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,409

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Fairfax, VA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,223 in Calgary versus $3,409 in Fairfax, VA.

Calgary $2,223
Fairfax, VA $3,409

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,301 in Calgary versus $4,871 in Fairfax, VA.

Calgary $3,301
Fairfax, VA $4,871

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,379 in Calgary versus $6,333 in Fairfax, VA.

Calgary $4,379
Fairfax, VA $6,333

Living in Calgary costs roughly 35% less than in Fairfax, VA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 65% above, Fairfax, VA 153% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.22 CA$24.34

$18.62 $18.62

-7.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.1 CA$100

$94.7 $94.7

-24.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.53 CA$14.89

$11.88 $11.88

-11.36%

Cappuccino

$3.66 CA$5.18

$6.07 $6.07

-39.70%

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

$1.98 CA$2.80

$3.14 $3.14

-36.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 CA$2.74

$2.67 $2.67

-27.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.95 CA$7.00

$6.84 $6.84

-27.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.57 CA$7.87

$8.01 $8.01

-30.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 CA$2.65

$1.15 $1.15

63.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 CA$3.78

$4.22 $4.22

-36.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.32 CA$7.52

$5.18 $5.18

2.70%

Eggs

$3.79 CA$5.35

$5.44 $5.44

-30.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.09 CA$15.68

$17.00 $17.00

-34.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.36 CA$16.05

$14.50 $14.50

-21.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.40 CA$26.01

$18.78 $18.78

-2.02%

Apples (1kg)

$4.56 CA$6.45

$5.97 $5.97

-23.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.04

$2.29 $2.29

-37.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.08 CA$5.76

$5.80 $5.80

-29.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.89 CA$5.50

$5.65 $5.65

-31.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.73

$2.87 $2.87

-8.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.73

$3.86 $3.86

-31.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 CA$3.54

$2.37 $2.37

5.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$2.64 $2.64

-43.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.05 CA$19.86

$14.17 $14.17

-0.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.70 CA$22.20

$15.38 $15.38

2.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 CA$3.45

$2.62 $2.62

-6.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.37

$4.54 $4.54

-31.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$5.03 $5.03

-43.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 CA$125

$70.1 $70.1

26.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 CA$4.41

$2.98 $2.98

4.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 CA$1.91

$1.44 $1.44

-6.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.02 CA$38.20

$23.92 $23.92

12.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 CA$1.64

$1.04 $1.04

11.54%

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

$27.9K CA$39.5K

$36.4K $36.4K

-23.31%

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

$20.3K CA$28.8K

$25.7K $25.7K

-20.67%

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

$161 CA$227

$207 $207

-22.45%

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

$38.13 CA$53.9

$67.0 $67.0

-43.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.0 CA$70.7

$76.9 $76.9

-34.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 CA$72.8

$73.8 $73.8

-30.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 CA$25.64

$25.45 $25.45

-28.72%

Cinema Ticket

$13.82 CA$19.54

$18.15 $18.15

-23.86%

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

$786 CA$1,111

$1,946 $1,946

-59.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.5K CA$21.8K

$34.4K $34.4K

-55.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 CA$82.4

$53.3 $53.3

9.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.27 CA$55.5

$54.6 $54.6

-28.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 CA$127

$92.2 $92.2

-2.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$112 $112

-1.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,229 CA$1,737

$2,439 $2,439

-49.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,001 CA$1,415

$1,895 $1,895

-47.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,921 CA$2,716

$3,506 $3,506

-45.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 CA$2,292

$2,903 $2,903

-44.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,549 CA$5,018

$5,545 $5,545

-35.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,335 CA$4,715

$4,018 $4,018

-16.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,165 CA$4,474

$5,577 $5,577

-43.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

6.72

-32.89%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 13, 2026

Last update for Fairfax, VA: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1K 45%

Fairfax, VA

$1.9K 55.6% 89.3% $894

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$385 17.3%

Fairfax, VA

$481 14.1% 24.9% $96

Eating Out

Calgary

$265 11.9%

Fairfax, VA

$331 9.7% 24.9% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$249 11.2%

Fairfax, VA

$351 10.3% 41.1% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$134 6%

Fairfax, VA

$140 4.1% 5% $6.7

Getting Around

Calgary

$110 4.9%

Fairfax, VA

$100 2.9% 8.6% $9.5

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$79 3.6%

Fairfax, VA

$110 3.2% 39.2% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,229 in Calgary and $2,439 in Fairfax, VA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fairfax, VA pays 76% 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 $95.0 in Fairfax, VA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $385 vs $481 per month, with Calgary cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇺🇸 Fairfax, VA

🕒 Local time

07:11 7:11 AM

09:11 9:11 AM

2 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

24,146

💱 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 18, 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Between locations

Calgary Fairfax, VA 3,150 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Calgary
Fairfax, VA

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 Fairfax, VA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 53% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 76% lower in Fairfax, VA. 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: $1,229 in Calgary versus $2,439 in Fairfax, VA. 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 $71.0 versus $95.0 in Fairfax, VA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,223 per month in Calgary versus $3,409 in Fairfax, VA – a 53% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,223 in Calgary versus $3,409 in Fairfax, VA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Fairfax, VA. 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 53% less than in Fairfax, VA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.