Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and McLean, VA

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,232 a month against $3,046 in McLean, VA, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 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
145

Cost of Living Index in McLean, VA
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McLean, VA Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,232

/mo nomad

McLean, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,046

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,232 in Calgary versus $3,046 in McLean, VA.

Calgary $2,232
McLean, VA $3,046

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,363 in Calgary versus $4,819 in McLean, VA.

Calgary $3,363
McLean, VA $4,819

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,493 in Calgary versus $6,593 in McLean, VA.

Calgary $4,493
McLean, VA $6,593

Living in Calgary costs roughly 27% less than in McLean, VA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 67% above, McLean, VA 127% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.22 CA$24.54

$16.20 $16.20

6.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.2 CA$101

$70.7 $70.7

0.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 CA$15.06

$11.51 $11.51

-8.25%

Cappuccino

$3.77 CA$5.38

$5.35 $5.35

-29.53%

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

$1.91 CA$2.73

$2.36 $2.36

-19.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 CA$2.63

$1.94 $1.94

-5.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.86 CA$6.93

$8.74 $8.74

-44.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 CA$7.91

$10.07 $10.07

-44.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 CA$2.68

$1.34 $1.34

40.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 CA$3.89

$4.15 $4.15

-34.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.34 CA$7.61

$2.22 $2.22

140.54%

Eggs

$3.77 CA$5.37

$4.70 $4.70

-19.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.29 CA$16.09

$17.33 $17.33

-34.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.34

$16.91 $16.91

-32.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.26 CA$26.03

$18.48 $18.48

-1.19%

Apples (1kg)

$4.64 CA$6.62

$6.07 $6.07

-23.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.05

$1.69 $1.69

-14.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.22 CA$6.02

$4.88 $4.88

-13.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.86 CA$5.50

$5.80 $5.80

-33.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 CA$3.74

$2.89 $2.89

-9.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 CA$3.79

$3.75 $3.75

-29.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.59 CA$3.69

$2.68 $2.68

-3.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 CA$2.19

$2.66 $2.66

-42.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.26 CA$20.32

$14.02 $14.02

1.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.27 CA$21.76

$16.12 $16.12

-5.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 CA$3.44

$3.30 $3.30

-26.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.41

$5.81 $5.81

-46.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 CA$4.11

$2.56 $2.56

12.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.7 CA$126

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.61

$3.97 $3.97

-18.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 CA$1.97

$1.63 $1.63

-15.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.49 CA$37.75

$25.34 $25.34

4.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 CA$1.68

$0.91 $0.91

29.67%

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

$28.3K CA$40.3K

$35.9K $35.9K

-21.16%

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

$20.7K CA$29.5K

$26.9K $26.9K

-22.81%

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

$159 CA$227

$213 $213

-25.39%

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

$37.61 CA$53.6

$76.5 $76.5

-50.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.68 CA$70.8

$54.3 $54.3

-8.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 CA$75.9

$89.6 $89.6

-40.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.31 CA$26.10

Cinema Ticket

$14.08 CA$20.06

$18.20 $18.20

-22.64%

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

$809 CA$1,154

$1,932 $1,932

-58.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K CA$22.6K

$42.2K $42.2K

-62.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 CA$83.8

$52.5 $52.5

11.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.84 CA$55.4

$43.98 $43.98

-11.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.4 CA$130

$69.5 $69.5

31.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$155

$66.1 $66.1

64.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 CA$1,764

$2,822 $2,822

-56.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$996 CA$1,420

$1,601 $1,601

-37.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,908 CA$2,720

$3,954 $3,954

-51.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 CA$2,382

$3,436 $3,436

-51.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,530 CA$5,032

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,336 CA$4,755

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,130 CA$4,461

$5,759 $5,759

-45.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

6.63

-31.98%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 3, 2026

Last update for McLean, VA: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$996 44.8%

McLean, VA

$1.6K 53.5% 60.7% $605

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$387 17.4%

McLean, VA

$483 16.2% 24.7% $96

Eating Out

Calgary

$265 11.9%

McLean, VA

$309 10.4% 16.7% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$247 11.1%

McLean, VA

$344 11.5% 39.6% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$134 6%

McLean, VA

$104 3.5% 22.1% $30

Getting Around

Calgary

$110 5%

McLean, VA

$22 * 0.8% 79.8% $88

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$81 3.7%

McLean, VA

$126 4.2% 54.8% $45

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 $2,822 in McLean, VA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

McLean, VA pays 84% 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 $71.0 in McLean, VA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $387 vs $483 per month, with Calgary cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇺🇸 McLean, VA

🕒 Local time

09:21 9:21 AM

11:21 11:21 AM

2 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

48,115

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 11, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 11, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

Calgary
McLean, 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 McLean, VA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 36% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 84% lower in McLean, 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: $1,237 in Calgary versus $2,822 in McLean, VA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $809 in Calgary versus $1,932 in McLean, VA. 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 $71.0 in McLean, VA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,232 in Calgary versus $3,046 in McLean, VA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in McLean, 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 36% less than in McLean, VA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.