Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Lelystad

For one person, living is cheaper in Lelystad: $1,710 a month against $2,303 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index
82

Cost of Living Index in Lelystad
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Lelystad Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,303

/mo nomad

Lelystad

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$1,710

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Lelystad

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,303 in Calgary versus $1,710 in Lelystad.

Calgary $2,303
Lelystad $1,710

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,366 in Calgary versus $2,651 in Lelystad.

Calgary $3,366
Lelystad $2,651

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,428 in Calgary versus $3,592 in Lelystad.

Calgary $4,428
Lelystad $3,592

Living in Calgary is roughly 35% more expensive than in Lelystad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 69% above, Lelystad 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 CA$24.63

$22.27 €20.00

-21.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.4 CA$98.8

$82.4 €74.0

-14.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.69 CA$15.00

$13.37 €12.01

-20.04%

Cappuccino

$3.89 CA$5.46

$4.10 €3.69

-5.12%

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

$2.04 CA$2.86

$2.60 €2.34

-21.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.64

$2.33 €2.10

-19.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 CA$6.87

$5.20 €4.67

-5.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.78 CA$8.11

$4.51 €4.05

28.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 CA$2.75

$1.26 €1.13

55.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 CA$3.84

$1.63 €1.46

68.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.46 CA$7.67

$2.40 €2.15

127.50%

Eggs

$3.69 CA$5.17

$4.60 €4.13

-19.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.24 CA$15.78

$6.80 €6.11

65.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 CA$16.19

$14.20 €12.75

-18.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 CA$25.79

$16.57 €14.89

10.92%

Apples (1kg)

$4.90 CA$6.88

$2.11 €1.89

132.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$2.00

$2.46 €2.21

-42.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.91

$1.83 €1.65

130.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 CA$5.65

$3.53 €3.17

13.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.78

$1.74 €1.56

54.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 CA$3.74

$1.74 €1.56

52.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CA$3.67

$1.28 €1.15

103.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 CA$2.24

$0.81 €0.73

97.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.00 CA$19.65

$9.44 €8.48

48.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.40 CA$21.61

$6.85 €6.15

124.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 CA$3.50

$1.28 €1.15

95.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.34

$2.42 €2.18

27.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.93 CA$4.11

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.3 CA$125

$111 €99.4

-19.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 CA$4.59

$3.72 €3.34

-12.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 CA$1.89

$2.63 €2.36

-48.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.39 CA$38.43

$26.07 €23.42

5.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.65

$2.18 €1.95

-46.33%

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

$27.9K CA$39.2K

$33.6K €30.1K

-16.73%

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

$21.0K CA$29.5K

$39.4K €35.4K

-46.56%

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

$167 CA$234

$242 €217

-31.01%

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

$38.27 CA$53.7

$14.72 €13.22

159.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.9 CA$71.5

$32.30 €29.01

57.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 CA$71.5

$42.75 €38.40

19.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.17 CA$25.50

Cinema Ticket

$14.44 CA$20.27

$13.62 €12.24

6.02%

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

$545 CA$766

$2,725 €2,448

-79.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$22.7K

$8,152 €7,323

98.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 CA$82.6

$92.9 €83.5

-36.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.75 CA$55.8

$48.39 €43.47

-17.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$131

$93.7 €84.2

-0.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

$115 €103

-4.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 CA$1,760

$668 €600

87.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 CA$1,483

$447 €402

136.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,022 CA$2,838

$1,330 €1,195

51.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,629 CA$2,286

$770 €692

111.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,600 CA$5,053

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,243 CA$4,551

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,115 CA$4,372

$2,420 €2,173

28.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

3.23

39.63%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 26, 2026

Last update for Lelystad: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1.1K 45.9%

Lelystad

$447 26.2% 57.7% $609

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$393 17.1%

Lelystad

$297 17.4% 24.4% $96

Eating Out

Calgary

$271 11.8%

Lelystad

$322 18.8% 19% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$256 11.1%

Lelystad

$289 16.9% 12.8% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$136 5.9%

Lelystad

$158 9.2% 16% $22

Getting Around

Calgary

$111 4.8%

Lelystad

$128 * 7.5% 14.9% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$80 3.5%

Lelystad

$70 4.1% 12.3% $9.8

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 $1,254 in Calgary and $668 in Lelystad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays 29% 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: $70 in Calgary vs $82 in Lelystad. Groceries flip the comparison at $393 vs $297, with Lelystad cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇳🇱 Lelystad

🕒 Local time

15:18 3:18 PM

22:18 10:18 PM

7 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

78,598

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.64 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Calgary Lelystad 7,190 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Calgary
Lelystad

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 Lelystad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lelystad is about 26% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 29% 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: $1,254 in Calgary versus $668 in Lelystad. 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 $70 versus $82 in Lelystad. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,303 per month in Calgary versus $1,710 in Lelystad – Lelystad is about 26% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,710 in Lelystad versus $2,303 in Calgary, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lelystad but tight or insufficient in Calgary. The gap between the two cities makes Lelystad 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.

It comes down to priorities – Lelystad wins on affordability, Calgary on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.