Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and North Brunswick, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,255 a month against $2,641 in North Brunswick, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Calgary
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,255
/mo nomad
North Brunswick, NJ
🇺🇸 United States
$2,641
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in North Brunswick, NJ

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 North Brunswick, NJ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,255 in Calgary versus $2,641 in North Brunswick, NJ.

  • Calgary $2,255
  • North Brunswick, NJ $2,641

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Calgary versus $3,632 in North Brunswick, NJ.

  • Calgary $3,361
  • North Brunswick, NJ $3,632

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,468 in Calgary versus $4,623 in North Brunswick, NJ.

  • Calgary $4,468
  • North Brunswick, NJ $4,623

Living in Calgary costs roughly 15% less than in North Brunswick, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 66% above, North Brunswick, NJ 95% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Calgary
North Brunswick, NJ
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.58 CA$24.85
$20.38 $20.38
-13.74%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$69.1 CA$97.6
$60.4 $60.4
14.36%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.59 CA$14.97
$12.05 $12.05
-12.12%
Cappuccino
$3.84 CA$5.42
$3.04 $3.04
26.32%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.93 CA$2.72
$2.68 $2.68
-27.99%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.88 CA$2.66
$1.18 $1.18
59.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.09 CA$7.20
$6.64 $6.64
-23.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.64 CA$7.97
$5.94 $5.94
-5.05%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Calgary
North Brunswick, NJ
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.00 CA$2.82
$1.11 $1.11
80.18%
White Bread (500g)
$2.78 CA$3.93
$1.60 $1.60
73.75%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.59 CA$7.90
$5.62 $5.62
-0.53%
Eggs
$3.70 CA$5.23
$4.59 $4.59
-19.39%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.48 CA$16.23
$13.21 $13.21
-13.10%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.20 CA$15.84
$17.20 $17.20
-34.88%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.59 CA$26.28
$15.96 $15.96
16.48%
Apples (1kg)
$4.70 CA$6.64
$3.96 $3.96
18.69%
Banana (1kg)
$1.45 CA$2.05
$1.86 $1.86
-22.04%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.34 CA$6.13
$4.27 $4.27
1.64%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.79 CA$5.36
$6.02 $6.02
-37.04%
Potato (1kg)
$2.69 CA$3.81
$3.23 $3.23
-16.72%
Onion (1kg)
$2.75 CA$3.88
$3.37 $3.37
-18.40%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.56 CA$3.62
$2.32 $2.32
10.34%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.50 CA$2.12
$2.04 $2.04
-26.47%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.39 CA$20.34
$14.66 $14.66
-1.84%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.81 CA$22.35
$18.04 $18.04
-12.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.47 CA$3.49
$2.60 $2.60
-5.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.10 CA$4.39
$4.11 $4.11
-24.57%
🚌 Getting Around
Calgary
North Brunswick, NJ
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.81 CA$3.97
$1.99 $1.99
41.21%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$90.6 CA$128
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.28 CA$4.64
$2.81 $2.81
16.73%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.40 CA$1.97
$3.67 $3.67
-61.85%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$26.49 CA$37.45
$49.62 $49.62
-46.61%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.22 CA$1.72
$0.99 $0.99
23.23%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.4K CA$40.1K
$27.4K $27.4K
3.59%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.8K CA$29.5K
$26.5K $26.5K
-21.34%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Calgary
North Brunswick, NJ
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$165 CA$233
$127 $127
29.68%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$38.24 CA$54.1
$47.32 $47.32
-19.19%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$50.1 CA$70.9
$56.7 $56.7
-11.62%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Calgary
North Brunswick, NJ
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$53.8 CA$76.1
$47.51 $47.51
13.24%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.04 CA$25.51
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.04 CA$19.84
$13.03 $13.03
7.75%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Calgary
North Brunswick, NJ
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 CA$1,126
$1,418 $1,418
-43.83%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.8K CA$22.3K
$23.3K $23.3K
-32.10%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Calgary
North Brunswick, NJ
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.1 CA$83.5
$54.1 $54.1
9.25%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.20 CA$56.8
$50.5 $50.5
-20.35%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.8 CA$128
$122 $122
-25.83%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$109 CA$155
$132 $132
-16.85%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Calgary
North Brunswick, NJ
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,207 CA$1,707
$1,430 $1,430
-15.61%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,011 CA$1,429
$1,423 $1,423
-28.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,949 CA$2,756
$2,221 $2,221
-12.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,677 CA$2,371
$1,902 $1,902
-11.78%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,532 CA$4,993
$2,715 $2,715
30.09%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,392 CA$4,795
$2,046 $2,046
65.82%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Calgary
North Brunswick, NJ
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,152 CA$4,456
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.51
7.01
-35.66%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 18, 2026

Last update for North Brunswick, NJ: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Calgary
$1K
North Brunswick, NJ
$1.4K 40.8% $412
Groceries & Markets
Calgary
$392
North Brunswick, NJ
$427 9.1% $35
Eating Out
Calgary
$270
North Brunswick, NJ
$296 9.5% $26
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Calgary
$253
North Brunswick, NJ
$231 8.7% $22
Clothing & Footwear
Calgary
$135
North Brunswick, NJ
$161 19.7% $27
Getting Around
Calgary
$112
North Brunswick, NJ
$29 * 74% $83
Sport & Entertainment
Calgary
$82
North Brunswick, NJ
$74 10.1% $8.3

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 $1,207 in Calgary and $1,430 in North Brunswick, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Calgary vs $60.0 in North Brunswick, NJ. Groceries flip the comparison at $392 vs $427, with Calgary cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Calgary
🇺🇸 North Brunswick, NJ
🕒 Local time
23:58 11:58 PM
01:58 1:58 AM
2 h ahead of Calgary
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,267,344
43,905
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Calgary North Brunswick, NJ 3,240 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Calgary
  • North Brunswick, NJ

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 North Brunswick, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is North Brunswick, NJ cheaper than Calgary?
Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $3,382 in Calgary and $3,962 in North Brunswick, NJ 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 North Brunswick, NJ?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,207 in Calgary versus $1,430 in North Brunswick, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $797 in Calgary versus $1,418 in North Brunswick, NJ. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Calgary or in North Brunswick, NJ?
Dining out is cheaper in Calgary – a meal for two runs $69.0 versus $60.0 in North Brunswick, NJ. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Calgary or in North Brunswick, NJ?
At $2,255 in Calgary versus $2,641 in North Brunswick, NJ, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in North Brunswick, NJ. The gap between the two cities makes Calgary the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Calgary or in North Brunswick, NJ?
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 safer, Calgary or North Brunswick, NJ?
Safety-wise, Calgary and North Brunswick, NJ are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Calgary gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in North Brunswick, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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