Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Monteria

For one person, living is cheaper in Monteria: $1,358 a month against $2,297 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Calgary, Canada
Monteria, Colombia
Calgary
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,297
/mo nomad
Monteria
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,358
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Monteria

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,297 in Calgary versus $1,358 in Monteria.

  • Calgary $2,297
  • Monteria $1,358

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,378 in Calgary versus $2,064 in Monteria.

  • Calgary $3,378
  • Monteria $2,064

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,459 in Calgary versus $2,770 in Monteria.

  • Calgary $4,459
  • Monteria $2,770

Living in Calgary is roughly 69% more expensive than in Monteria, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Calgary
Monteria
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.94 CA$25.15
$5.66 COP 18.3K
216.96%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.9 CA$96.5
$47.00 COP 151.8K
46.53%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.94 CA$15.33
$10.08 COP 32.6K
8.53%
Cappuccino
$3.70 CA$5.19
$2.66 COP 8,604
39.10%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.07 CA$2.90
$2.56 COP 8,265
-19.14%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.04 CA$2.86
$2.33 COP 7,540
-12.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.74 CA$8.05
$3.35 COP 10.8K
71.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.70 CA$7.99
$5.11 COP 16.5K
11.55%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Calgary
Monteria
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.98 CA$2.77
$1.84 COP 5,951
7.61%
White Bread (500g)
$2.65 CA$3.71
$2.90 COP 9,363
-8.62%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.84 CA$8.18
$1.48 COP 4,785
294.59%
Eggs
$3.81 CA$5.35
$4.85 COP 15.7K
-21.44%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.81 CA$15.15
$8.11 COP 26.2K
33.29%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.02 CA$15.45
$9.96 COP 32.2K
10.64%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.87 CA$25.06
$12.47 COP 40.3K
43.30%
Apples (1kg)
$4.88 CA$6.84
$3.78 COP 12.2K
29.10%
Banana (1kg)
$1.45 CA$2.03
$1.45 COP 4,674
-
Oranges (1kg)
$4.15 CA$5.82
$1.94 COP 6,278
113.92%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.99 CA$5.59
$2.02 COP 6,531
97.52%
Potato (1kg)
$2.93 CA$4.10
$1.61 COP 5,196
81.99%
Onion (1kg)
$3.02 CA$4.24
$1.47 COP 4,762
105.44%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.67 CA$3.74
$1.13 COP 3,639
136.28%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.57 CA$2.20
$1.19 COP 3,830
31.93%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.11 CA$19.77
$4.11 COP 13.3K
243.31%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.45 CA$21.66
$14.43 COP 46.6K
7.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.50 CA$3.51
$1.39 COP 4,494
79.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.18 CA$4.45
$2.37 COP 7,669
34.18%
🚌 Getting Around
Calgary
Monteria
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.85 CA$3.99
$1.07 COP 3,463
166.36%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$90.2 CA$126
$65.2 COP 210.5K
38.39%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.16 CA$4.43
$1.61 COP 5,197
96.27%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.41 CA$1.97
$2.09 COP 6,741
-32.54%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.46 CA$38.49
$9.19 COP 29.7K
198.80%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.18 CA$1.66
$1.28 COP 4,144
-7.81%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.9K CA$39.1K
$34.9K COP 112.7M
-20.16%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.1K CA$29.5K
$34.9K COP 112.7M
-39.63%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Calgary
Monteria
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$182 CA$255
$79.7 COP 257.4K
128.13%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$36.01 CA$50.5
$13.46 COP 43.5K
167.53%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$48.80 CA$68.4
$27.98 COP 90.4K
74.41%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Calgary
Monteria
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$48.78 CA$68.4
$38.09 COP 123.0K
28.07%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.15 CA$25.45
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.52 CA$20.35
$8.12 COP 26.2K
78.82%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Calgary
Monteria
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$542 CA$760
$634 COP 2.0M
-14.46%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.2K CA$29.7K
$5,860 COP 18.9M
261.25%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Calgary
Monteria
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.1 CA$82.8
$83.8 COP 270.5K
-29.47%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.34 CA$59.4
$52.0 COP 168.0K
-18.61%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.2 CA$132
$137 COP 442.1K
-31.21%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$109 CA$152
$99.5 COP 321.3K
9.20%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Calgary
Monteria
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,214 CA$1,702
$725 COP 2.3M
67.39%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,036 CA$1,453
$482 COP 1.6M
114.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,045 CA$2,867
$1,394 COP 4.5M
46.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,655 CA$2,319
$774 COP 2.5M
113.76%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,653 CA$5,121
$2,193 COP 7.1M
66.58%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,183 CA$4,462
$1,787 COP 5.8M
78.15%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Calgary
Monteria
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,219 CA$4,512
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.43
15
-70.47%

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

Last update for Calgary: November 2, 2026

Last update for Monteria: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Calgary
$1K
Monteria
$482 53.4% $554
Groceries & Markets
Calgary
$390
Monteria
$297 23.8% $93
Eating Out
Calgary
$277
Monteria
$154 44.5% $123
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Calgary
$267
Monteria
$121 54.6% $145
Clothing & Footwear
Calgary
$137
Monteria
$167 22.3% $31
Getting Around
Calgary
$112
Monteria
$82 27.1% $30
Sport & Entertainment
Calgary
$78
Monteria
$54 30.2% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,214 in Calgary and $725 in Monteria. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69 in Calgary vs $47 in Monteria for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $390 vs $297 per month, with Monteria cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Calgary
🇨🇴 Monteria
🕒 Local time
04:02 4:02 AM
05:02 5:02 AM
1 h ahead of Calgary
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,267,344
454,032
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.635 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3,230 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,628 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Calgary Monteria 5,850 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Calgary
  • Monteria

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 Monteria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Monteria cheaper than Calgary?
Monteria is about 41% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $3,445 in Calgary and $2,037 in Monteria 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.
What is the rent difference between Calgary and Monteria?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,214 in Calgary versus $725 in Monteria. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Is eating out cheaper in Calgary or in Monteria?
Dining out is cheaper in Monteria – a meal for two runs $47 versus $69 in Calgary. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
What are total monthly expenses in Calgary and in Monteria?
All in, you’ll spend $2,297 per month in Calgary versus $1,358 in Monteria – Monteria is about 41% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Is $1,000 enough to cover costs in Calgary or in Monteria?
Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Monteria is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Is it better to live in Calgary or in Monteria?
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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Monteria gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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