Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Queens, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,255 a month against $3,339 in Queens, NY, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 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
160

Cost of Living Index in Queens, NY
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Queens, NY Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,255

/mo nomad

Queens, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$3,339

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Queens, NY

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,255 in Calgary versus $3,339 in Queens, NY.

Calgary $2,255
Queens, NY $3,339

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Calgary versus $4,831 in Queens, NY.

Calgary $3,361
Queens, NY $4,831

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,468 in Calgary versus $6,323 in Queens, NY.

Calgary $4,468
Queens, NY $6,323

Living in Calgary costs roughly 32% less than in Queens, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 66% above, Queens, NY 146% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 CA$24.85

$19.16 $19.16

-8.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 CA$97.6

$80.1 $80.1

-13.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 CA$14.97

$13.04 $13.04

-18.79%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.42

$6.18 $6.18

-37.86%

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

$1.93 CA$2.72

$2.53 $2.53

-23.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.66

$1.49 $1.49

26.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.09 CA$7.20

$9.25 $9.25

-44.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 CA$7.97

$6.93 $6.93

-18.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 CA$2.82

$1.27 $1.27

57.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 CA$3.93

$4.36 $4.36

-36.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.59 CA$7.90

$6.02 $6.02

-7.14%

Eggs

$3.70 CA$5.23

$6.88 $6.88

-46.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.48 CA$16.23

$13.73 $13.73

-16.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.20 CA$15.84

$10.31 $10.31

8.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.59 CA$26.28

$19.51 $19.51

-4.72%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 CA$6.64

$5.99 $5.99

-21.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$3.49 $3.49

-58.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.34 CA$6.13

$4.40 $4.40

-1.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.79 CA$5.36

$5.21 $5.21

-27.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.81

$3.02 $3.02

-10.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.75 CA$3.88

$3.05 $3.05

-9.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 CA$3.62

$3.11 $3.11

-17.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$3.09 $3.09

-51.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.39 CA$20.34

$14.63 $14.63

-1.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.81 CA$22.35

$14.84 $14.84

6.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 CA$3.49

$1.85 $1.85

33.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 CA$4.39

$3.51 $3.51

-11.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.81 CA$3.97

$2.94 $2.94

-4.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.6 CA$128

$131 $131

-30.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 CA$4.64

$2.96 $2.96

10.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 CA$1.97

$2.22 $2.22

-36.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.49 CA$37.45

$41.49 $41.49

-36.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.72

$1.09 $1.09

11.93%

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

$28.4K CA$40.1K

$27.9K $27.9K

1.88%

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

$20.8K CA$29.5K

$25.5K $25.5K

-18.42%

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

$165 CA$233

$175 $175

-5.82%

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

$38.24 CA$54.1

$49.84 $49.84

-23.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.1 CA$70.9

$50.7 $50.7

-1.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 CA$76.1

$45.68 $45.68

17.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.04 CA$25.51

$67.6 $67.6

-73.32%

Cinema Ticket

$14.04 CA$19.84

$20.43 $20.43

-31.28%

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

$797 CA$1,126

$1,979 $1,979

-59.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K CA$22.3K

$16.2K $16.2K

-2.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 CA$83.5

$49.52 $49.52

19.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.20 CA$56.8

$81.0 $81.0

-50.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.8 CA$128

$85.7 $85.7

5.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$155

$104 $104

5.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 CA$1,707

$2,272 $2,272

-46.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,011 CA$1,429

$1,870 $1,870

-45.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,949 CA$2,756

$5,863 $5,863

-66.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 CA$2,371

$2,964 $2,964

-43.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,532 CA$4,993

$8,775 $8,775

-59.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,392 CA$4,795

$6,134 $6,134

-44.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,152 CA$4,456

$3,625 $3,625

-13.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

6.8

-33.68%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 18, 2026

Last update for Queens, NY: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1K 44.8%

Queens, NY

$1.9K 56% 84.9% $859

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$392 17.4%

Queens, NY

$464 13.9% 18.6% $73

Eating Out

Calgary

$270 12%

Queens, NY

$343 10.3% 26.7% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$253 11.2%

Queens, NY

$275 8.3% 8.8% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$135 6%

Queens, NY

$144 4.3% 6.8% $9.2

Getting Around

Calgary

$112 5%

Queens, NY

$156 4.7% 39.5% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$82 3.6%

Queens, NY

$87 2.6% 5.7% $4.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,207 in Calgary and $2,272 in Queens, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Queens, NY pays 15% 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: $69.0 in Calgary vs $80.0 in Queens, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $392 vs $464 per month, with Calgary cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇺🇸 Queens, NY

🕒 Local time

17:45 5:45 PM

19:45 7:45 PM

2 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

2,405,464

💱 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 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Calgary Queens, NY 3,270 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Calgary vs Queens, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 48% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 15% lower in Queens, NY. 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: $1,207 in Calgary versus $2,272 in Queens, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Calgary – a meal for two runs $69.0 versus $80.0 in Queens, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,255 per month in Calgary versus $3,339 in Queens, NY – a 48% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,255 in Calgary versus $3,339 in Queens, NY, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Queens, NY. The gap between the two cities makes Calgary the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Calgary is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Queens, NY, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Calgary gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Queens, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.