Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Salento

For one person, living is cheaper in Salento: $797 a month against $2,297 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $18,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Salento
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Salento Living Index

Jump to prices

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,297

/mo nomad

Salento

🇨🇴 Colombia

$797

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Salento

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,297 in Calgary versus $797 in Salento.

Calgary $2,297
Salento $797

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,378 in Calgary versus $1,212 in Salento.

Calgary $3,378
Salento $1,212

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,459 in Calgary versus $1,627 in Salento.

Calgary $4,459
Salento $1,627

Living in Calgary is roughly 188% more expensive than in Salento, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Calgary is 70% above, Salento is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.94 CA$25.15

$3.85 COP 12.4K

365.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.9 CA$96.5

$23.41 COP 75.6K

194.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.94 CA$15.33

$7.45 COP 24.1K

46.85%

Cappuccino

$3.70 CA$5.19

$1.56 COP 5,051

137.18%

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

$2.07 CA$2.90

$0.93 COP 3,000

122.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 CA$2.86

$0.57 COP 1,847

257.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 CA$8.05

$1.14 COP 3,682

403.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 CA$7.99

$2.14 COP 6,923

166.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.98 CA$2.77

$1.11 COP 3,584

78.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 CA$3.71

$1.30 COP 4,214

103.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.84 CA$8.18

$1.14 COP 3,692

412.28%

Eggs

$3.81 CA$5.35

$2.14 COP 6,918

78.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.81 CA$15.15

$4.56 COP 14.7K

137.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.02 CA$15.45

$5.43 COP 17.5K

102.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.87 CA$25.06

$7.42 COP 24.0K

140.84%

Apples (1kg)

$4.88 CA$6.84

$2.46 COP 7,960

98.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.03

$1.09 COP 3,519

33.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.15 CA$5.82

$1.30 COP 4,211

219.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 CA$5.59

$1.11 COP 3,573

259.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.93 CA$4.10

$1.15 COP 3,716

154.78%

Onion (1kg)

$3.02 CA$4.24

$1.13 COP 3,666

167.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.67 CA$3.74

$0.87 COP 2,818

206.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.20

$0.65 COP 2,087

141.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.11 CA$19.77

$2.35 COP 7,590

500.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.45 CA$21.66

$9.34 COP 30.2K

65.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 CA$3.51

$1.08 COP 3,497

131.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 CA$4.45

$1.74 COP 5,607

82.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.85 CA$3.99

$0.69 COP 2,224

313.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.2 CA$126

$29.71 COP 96.0K

203.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 CA$4.43

$1.48 COP 4,783

113.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 CA$1.97

$1.70 COP 5,494

-17.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.46 CA$38.49

$6.08 COP 19.6K

351.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 CA$1.66

$0.96 COP 3,086

22.92%

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

$27.9K CA$39.1K

$17.7K COP 57.3M

57.07%

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

$21.1K CA$29.5K

$25.0K COP 80.9M

-15.94%

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

$182 CA$255

$83.6 COP 269.9K

117.57%

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

$36.01 CA$50.5

$8.89 COP 28.7K

305.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.80 CA$68.4

$22.56 COP 72.9K

116.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.78 CA$68.4

$23.36 COP 75.5K

108.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.15 CA$25.45

Cinema Ticket

$14.52 CA$20.35

$4.04 COP 13.1K

259.41%

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

$542 CA$760

$242 COP 782.8K

123.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.2K CA$29.7K

$5,913 COP 19.1M

257.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 CA$82.8

$57.8 COP 186.7K

2.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.34 CA$59.4

$32.60 COP 105.3K

29.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.2 CA$132

$84.6 COP 273.1K

11.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$152

$73.7 COP 238.1K

47.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,214 CA$1,702

$274 COP 885.0K

343.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 CA$1,453

$234 COP 755.2K

343.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,045 CA$2,867

$525 COP 1.7M

289.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,655 CA$2,319

$418 COP 1.3M

296.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,653 CA$5,121

$1,417 COP 4.6M

157.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,183 CA$4,462

$1,069 COP 3.5M

197.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,219 CA$4,512

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.43

13.06

-66.08%

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

Last update for Calgary: November 2, 2026

Last update for Salento: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1K 45.1%

Salento

$234 29.3% 77.4% $802

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$390 17%

Salento

$175 21.9% 55.2% $215

Eating Out

Calgary

$277 12.1%

Salento

$88 11% 68.3% $189

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$267 11.6%

Salento

$115 14.4% 56.9% $152

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$137 6%

Salento

$112 14% 18.2% $25

Getting Around

Calgary

$112 4.9%

Salento

$42 5.3% 62% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$78 3.4%

Salento

$31 4% 59.6% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,214 in Calgary and $274 in Salento. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69 in Calgary vs $23 in Salento for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $390 vs $175 per month, with Salento cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇨🇴 Salento

🕒 Local time

04:01 4:01 AM

05:01 5:01 AM

1 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

9,748

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.635 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

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).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Between locations

Calgary Salento 6,270 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Calgary
Salento

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 Salento: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Salento is about 65% 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 $1,196 in Salento 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 $274 in Salento. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Salento – a meal for two runs $23 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 $797 in Salento – Salento is about 65% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $797 in Salento versus $2,297 in Calgary, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Salento but tight or insufficient in Calgary. The gap between the two cities makes Salento 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 Salento gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.