Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Gaithersburg, MD

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,223 a month against $2,885 in Gaithersburg, MD, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 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
139

Cost of Living Index in Gaithersburg, MD
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Gaithersburg, MD Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,223

/mo nomad

Gaithersburg, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,885

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,223 in Calgary versus $2,885 in Gaithersburg, MD.

Calgary $2,223
Gaithersburg, MD $2,885

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,301 in Calgary versus $4,150 in Gaithersburg, MD.

Calgary $3,301
Gaithersburg, MD $4,150

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,379 in Calgary versus $5,415 in Gaithersburg, MD.

Calgary $4,379
Gaithersburg, MD $5,415

Living in Calgary costs roughly 23% less than in Gaithersburg, MD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 65% above, Gaithersburg, MD 114% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.22 CA$24.34

$20.11 $20.11

-14.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.1 CA$100

$90.7 $90.7

-21.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.53 CA$14.89

$6.90 $6.90

52.61%

Cappuccino

$3.66 CA$5.18

$5.74 $5.74

-36.24%

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

$1.98 CA$2.80

$2.77 $2.77

-28.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 CA$2.74

$2.39 $2.39

-18.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.95 CA$7.00

$7.79 $7.79

-36.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.57 CA$7.87

$8.72 $8.72

-36.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 CA$2.65

$1.19 $1.19

57.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 CA$3.78

$4.44 $4.44

-39.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.32 CA$7.52

$5.33 $5.33

-0.19%

Eggs

$3.79 CA$5.35

$5.19 $5.19

-26.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.09 CA$15.68

$17.77 $17.77

-37.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.36 CA$16.05

$15.82 $15.82

-28.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.40 CA$26.01

$19.18 $19.18

-4.07%

Apples (1kg)

$4.56 CA$6.45

$4.77 $4.77

-4.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.04

$1.72 $1.72

-16.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.08 CA$5.76

$4.57 $4.57

-10.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.89 CA$5.50

$5.47 $5.47

-28.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.73

$3.06 $3.06

-13.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.73

$2.04 $2.04

29.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 CA$3.54

$2.16 $2.16

15.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$2.48 $2.48

-39.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.05 CA$19.86

$14.23 $14.23

-1.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.70 CA$22.20

$14.86 $14.86

5.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 CA$3.45

$1.77 $1.77

37.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.37

$2.91 $2.91

6.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 CA$3.99

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 CA$125

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 CA$4.41

$4.04 $4.04

-22.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 CA$1.91

$1.26 $1.26

7.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.02 CA$38.20

$25.37 $25.37

6.50%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

3.75%

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

$20.3K CA$28.8K

$25.2K $25.2K

-19.25%

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

$161 CA$227

$165 $165

-2.58%

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

$38.13 CA$53.9

$52.5 $52.5

-27.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.0 CA$70.7

$62.5 $62.5

-19.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 CA$72.8

$31.65 $31.65

62.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 CA$25.64

Cinema Ticket

$13.82 CA$19.54

$17.08 $17.08

-19.09%

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

$786 CA$1,111

$1,569 $1,569

-49.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.5K CA$21.8K

$36.0K $36.0K

-57.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 CA$82.4

$56.4 $56.4

3.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.27 CA$55.5

$36.25 $36.25

8.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 CA$127

$101 $101

-11.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$118 $118

-6.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,229 CA$1,737

$1,814 $1,814

-32.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,001 CA$1,415

$1,597 $1,597

-37.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,921 CA$2,716

$2,401 $2,401

-20.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 CA$2,292

$2,434 $2,434

-33.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,549 CA$5,018

$2,474 $2,474

43.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,335 CA$4,715

$2,606 $2,606

27.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,165 CA$4,474

$5,141 $5,141

-38.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

6.79

-33.58%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 13, 2026

Last update for Gaithersburg, MD: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1K 45%

Gaithersburg, MD

$1.6K 55.4% 59.5% $595

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$385 17.3%

Gaithersburg, MD

$464 16.1% 20.5% $79

Eating Out

Calgary

$265 11.9%

Gaithersburg, MD

$328 11.4% 23.6% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$249 11.2%

Gaithersburg, MD

$280 9.7% 12.5% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$134 6%

Gaithersburg, MD

$140 4.9% 4.9% $6.6

Getting Around

Calgary

$110 4.9%

Gaithersburg, MD

$10 * 0.4% 90.6% $99

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$79 3.6%

Gaithersburg, MD

$66 2.3% 16.8% $13

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 $1,229 in Calgary and $1,814 in Gaithersburg, MD. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gaithersburg, MD pays 62% 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 $91.0 in Gaithersburg, MD for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $385 vs $464 per month, with Calgary cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇺🇸 Gaithersburg, MD

🕒 Local time

12:04 12:04 PM

14:04 2:04 PM

2 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

69,657

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 USD = 0.889 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 17, 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Calgary Gaithersburg, MD 3,140 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 62% lower in Gaithersburg, 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: $1,229 in Calgary versus $1,814 in Gaithersburg, MD. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $786 in Calgary versus $1,569 in Gaithersburg, MD. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Calgary – a meal for two runs $71.0 versus $91.0 in Gaithersburg, MD. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,223 in Calgary versus $2,885 in Gaithersburg, MD, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Gaithersburg, 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 30% less than in Gaithersburg, MD. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.