Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Madison Heights, MI

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,223 a month against $2,539 in Madison Heights, MI, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Madison Heights, MI outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Madison Heights, MI
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Madison Heights, MI Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,223

/mo nomad

Madison Heights, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,539

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Madison Heights, MI

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 Madison Heights, MI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,223 in Calgary versus $2,539 in Madison Heights, MI.

Calgary $2,223
Madison Heights, MI $2,539

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,301 in Calgary versus $3,711 in Madison Heights, MI.

Calgary $3,301
Madison Heights, MI $3,711

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,379 in Calgary versus $4,883 in Madison Heights, MI.

Calgary $4,379
Madison Heights, MI $4,883

Living in Calgary costs roughly 12% less than in Madison Heights, MI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 65% above, Madison Heights, MI 88% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.22 CA$24.34

$17.80 $17.80

-3.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.1 CA$100

$62.4 $62.4

13.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.53 CA$14.89

$10.90 $10.90

-3.39%

Cappuccino

$3.66 CA$5.18

$5.62 $5.62

-34.88%

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

$1.98 CA$2.80

$2.55 $2.55

-22.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 CA$2.74

$1.97 $1.97

-1.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.95 CA$7.00

$5.90 $5.90

-16.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.57 CA$7.87

$7.84 $7.84

-28.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 CA$2.65

$0.85 $0.85

121.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 CA$3.78

$3.24 $3.24

-17.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.32 CA$7.52

$4.41 $4.41

20.63%

Eggs

$3.79 CA$5.35

$3.97 $3.97

-4.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.09 CA$15.68

$13.51 $13.51

-17.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.36 CA$16.05

$11.39 $11.39

-0.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.40 CA$26.01

$16.22 $16.22

13.44%

Apples (1kg)

$4.56 CA$6.45

$5.11 $5.11

-10.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.04

$1.59 $1.59

-9.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.08 CA$5.76

$4.12 $4.12

-0.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.89 CA$5.50

$3.91 $3.91

-0.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.73

$2.59 $2.59

1.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.73

$3.04 $3.04

-13.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 CA$3.54

$2.27 $2.27

10.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$2.19 $2.19

-31.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.05 CA$19.86

$9.95 $9.95

41.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.70 CA$22.20

$15.12 $15.12

3.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 CA$3.45

$2.43 $2.43

0.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.37

$3.55 $3.55

-12.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$2.06 $2.06

36.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 CA$125

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 CA$4.41

$2.73 $2.73

14.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 CA$1.91

$1.59 $1.59

-15.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.02 CA$38.20

$24.42 $24.42

10.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 CA$1.64

$1.07 $1.07

8.41%

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

$27.9K CA$39.5K

$36.1K $36.1K

-22.65%

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

$20.3K CA$28.8K

$25.5K $25.5K

-20.26%

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

$161 CA$227

$211 $211

-23.84%

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

$38.13 CA$53.9

$58.9 $58.9

-35.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.0 CA$70.7

$69.5 $69.5

-28.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 CA$72.8

$40.86 $40.86

26.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 CA$25.64

Cinema Ticket

$13.82 CA$19.54

$12.13 $12.13

13.93%

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

$786 CA$1,111

$1,101 $1,101

-28.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.5K CA$21.8K

$19.0K $19.0K

-18.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 CA$82.4

$58.8 $58.8

-0.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.27 CA$55.5

$39.47 $39.47

-0.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 CA$127

$95.3 $95.3

-5.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$116 $116

-5.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,229 CA$1,737

$1,593 $1,593

-22.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,001 CA$1,415

$1,280 $1,280

-21.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,921 CA$2,716

$2,498 $2,498

-23.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 CA$2,292

$2,185 $2,185

-25.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,549 CA$5,018

$2,745 $2,745

29.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,335 CA$4,715

$2,449 $2,449

36.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,165 CA$4,474

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

6.49

-30.51%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 13, 2026

Last update for Madison Heights, MI: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1K 45%

Madison Heights, MI

$1.3K 50.4% 27.8% $278

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$385 17.3%

Madison Heights, MI

$390 15.4% 1.3% $5

Eating Out

Calgary

$265 11.9%

Madison Heights, MI

$306 12% 15.4% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$249 11.2%

Madison Heights, MI

$340 13.4% 36.4% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$134 6%

Madison Heights, MI

$139 5.5% 4.3% $5.8

Getting Around

Calgary

$110 4.9%

Madison Heights, MI

$19 * 0.8% 82.8% $91

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$79 3.6%

Madison Heights, MI

$65 2.6% 17.7% $14

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 $1,593 in Madison Heights, MI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $71.0 in Calgary vs $62.0 in Madison Heights, MI. Groceries flip the comparison at $385 vs $390, with Calgary cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇺🇸 Madison Heights, MI

🕒 Local time

04:45 4:45 AM

06:45 6:45 AM

2 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

30,042

💱 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 19, 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Between locations

Calgary Madison Heights, MI 2,520 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Calgary
Madison Heights, MI

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 Madison Heights, MI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,335 in Calgary and $3,808 in Madison Heights, MI to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,229 in Calgary versus $1,593 in Madison Heights, MI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $786 in Calgary versus $1,101 in Madison Heights, MI. 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 $62.0 in Madison Heights, MI. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,223 in Calgary versus $2,539 in Madison Heights, MI, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Madison Heights, MI. 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.

Safety-wise, Calgary and Madison Heights, MI are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Calgary gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Madison Heights, MI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.