Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Montanita

For one person, living is cheaper in Montanita: $894 a month against $2,297 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $16,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
Learn more

Calgary Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Montanita
Learn more

Montanita Living Index

Jump to prices

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,297

/mo nomad

Montanita

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$894

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Montanita

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,297 in Calgary versus $894 in Montanita.

Calgary $2,297
Montanita $894

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,378 in Calgary versus $1,349 in Montanita.

Calgary $3,378
Montanita $1,349

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,459 in Calgary versus $1,805 in Montanita.

Calgary $4,459
Montanita $1,805

Living in Calgary is roughly 157% more expensive than in Montanita, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Calgary is 70% above, Montanita is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.94 CA$25.23

$3.45 $3.45

420.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.9 CA$96.9

$28.46 $28.46

141.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.94 CA$15.38

$7.47 $7.47

46.45%

Cappuccino

$3.70 CA$5.21

$2.52 $2.52

46.83%

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

$2.07 CA$2.91

$0.87 $0.87

137.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 CA$2.87

$0.67 $0.67

204.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 CA$8.08

$2.05 $2.05

180.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 CA$8.02

$3.59 $3.59

58.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.98 CA$2.78

$1.09 $1.09

81.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 CA$3.72

$1.62 $1.62

63.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.84 CA$8.21

$1.56 $1.56

274.36%

Eggs

$3.81 CA$5.36

$2.18 $2.18

74.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.81 CA$15.20

$5.60 $5.60

93.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.02 CA$15.50

$5.46 $5.46

101.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.87 CA$25.14

$6.14 $6.14

191.04%

Apples (1kg)

$4.88 CA$6.87

$2.08 $2.08

134.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.04

$1.20 $1.20

20.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.15 CA$5.84

$1.08 $1.08

284.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 CA$5.61

$1.09 $1.09

266.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.93 CA$4.12

$1.44 $1.44

103.47%

Onion (1kg)

$3.02 CA$4.25

$1.08 $1.08

179.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.67 CA$3.75

$0.48 $0.48

456.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.21

$0.99 $0.99

58.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.11 CA$19.84

$6.18 $6.18

128.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.45 CA$21.73

$9.87 $9.87

56.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 CA$3.52

$1.52 $1.52

64.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 CA$4.47

$2.44 $2.44

30.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.85 CA$4.00

$0.34 $0.34

738.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.2 CA$127

$23.63 $23.63

281.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 CA$4.45

$1.47 $1.47

114.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 CA$1.98

$0.99 $0.99

42.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.46 CA$38.62

$9.96 $9.96

175.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 CA$1.66

$0.63 $0.63

87.30%

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

$27.9K CA$39.2K

$24.7K $24.7K

12.93%

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

$21.1K CA$29.6K

$28.5K $28.5K

-26.08%

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

$182 CA$256

$39.32 $39.32

362.36%

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

$36.01 CA$50.7

$13.65 $13.65

163.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.80 CA$68.6

$30.74 $30.74

58.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.78 CA$68.6

$30.35 $30.35

60.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.15 CA$25.53

$14.74 $14.74

23.13%

Cinema Ticket

$14.52 CA$20.42

$7.39 $7.39

96.48%

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

$542 CA$762

$254 $254

113.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.2K CA$29.8K

$5,701 $5,701

271.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 CA$83.1

$56.1 $56.1

5.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.34 CA$59.5

$43.64 $43.64

-2.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.2 CA$132

$99.0 $99.0

-4.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$153

$75.9 $75.9

43.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,214 CA$1,707

$342 $342

254.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 CA$1,457

$322 $322

222.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,045 CA$2,876

$632 $632

223.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,655 CA$2,327

$507 $507

226.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,653 CA$5,137

$1,259 $1,259

190.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,183 CA$4,476

$1,013 $1,013

214.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,219 CA$4,526

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.43

-55.70%

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

Last update for Calgary: November 2, 2026

Last update for Montanita: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1K 45.1%

Montanita

$322 36% 69% $715

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$390 17%

Montanita

$184 20.6% 52.7% $205

Eating Out

Calgary

$277 12.1%

Montanita

$104 11.6% 62.6% $174

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$267 11.6%

Montanita

$84 9.4% 68.6% $183

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$137 6%

Montanita

$124 13.8% 9.7% $13

Getting Around

Calgary

$112 4.9%

Montanita

$31 3.5% 71.9% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$78 3.4%

Montanita

$45 5.1% 42% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,214 in Calgary and $342 in Montanita. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69 in Calgary vs $28 in Montanita for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $390 vs $184 per month, with Montanita cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇪🇨 Montanita

🕒 Local time

15:28 3:28 PM

16:28 4:28 PM

1 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

5,000

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.711 USD

1 CAD = 0.636 EUR

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.711 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.636 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Calgary Montanita 6,670 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Calgary
Montanita

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 Montanita: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montanita is about 61% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $3,445 in Calgary and $1,341 in Montanita 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: $1,214 in Calgary versus $342 in Montanita. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Montanita – a meal for two runs $28 versus $69 in Calgary. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,297 per month in Calgary versus $894 in Montanita – Montanita is about 61% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $894 in Montanita versus $2,297 in Calgary, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Montanita but tight or insufficient in Calgary. The gap between the two cities makes Montanita 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 Montanita gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.