Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Santa Cruz

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Cruz: $1,891 a month against $2,223 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Calgary outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,223

/mo nomad

Santa Cruz

🇦🇼 Aruba

$1,891

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Santa Cruz

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,223 in Calgary versus $1,891 in Santa Cruz.

Calgary $2,223
Santa Cruz $1,891

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,301 in Calgary versus $2,891 in Santa Cruz.

Calgary $3,301
Santa Cruz $2,891

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,379 in Calgary versus $3,890 in Santa Cruz.

Calgary $4,379
Santa Cruz $3,890

Living in Calgary is roughly 18% more expensive than in Santa Cruz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 65% above, Santa Cruz 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.22 CA$24.34

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.1 CA$100

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.53 CA$14.89

Cappuccino

$3.66 CA$5.18

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

$1.98 CA$2.80

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 CA$2.74

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.95 CA$7.00

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.57 CA$7.87

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 CA$2.65

$2.09 AWG 3.74

-10.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 CA$3.78

$2.71 AWG 4.85

-1.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.32 CA$7.52

$4.52 AWG 8.08

17.70%

Eggs

$3.79 CA$5.35

$4.64 AWG 8.31

-18.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.09 CA$15.68

$7.92 AWG 14.17

40.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.36 CA$16.05

$7.65 AWG 13.69

48.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.40 CA$26.01

$6.48 AWG 11.60

183.95%

Apples (1kg)

$4.56 CA$6.45

$4.54 AWG 8.13

0.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.04

$4.36 AWG 7.81

-66.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.08 CA$5.76

$8.08 AWG 14.45

-49.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.89 CA$5.50

$6.60 AWG 11.80

-41.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.73

$6.88 AWG 12.31

-61.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.73

$1.91 AWG 3.42

38.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 CA$3.54

$3.03 AWG 5.43

-17.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$4.37 AWG 7.82

-65.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.05 CA$19.86

$10.45 AWG 18.70

34.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.70 CA$22.20

$19.07 AWG 34.12

-17.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 CA$3.45

$2.56 AWG 4.57

-4.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.37

$3.10 AWG 5.55

-0.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$1.92 AWG 3.43

46.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 CA$125

$157 AWG 281

-43.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 CA$4.41

$19.50 AWG 34.89

-84.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 CA$1.91

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.02 CA$38.20

$19.79 AWG 35.41

36.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 CA$1.64

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

$27.9K CA$39.5K

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

$20.3K CA$28.8K

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

$161 CA$227

$140 AWG 251

14.66%

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

$38.13 CA$53.9

$71.4 AWG 128

-46.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.0 CA$70.7

$207 AWG 371

-75.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 CA$72.8

$70.2 AWG 126

-26.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 CA$25.64

$46.90 AWG 83.9

-61.32%

Cinema Ticket

$13.82 CA$19.54

$8.44 AWG 15.10

63.74%

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

$786 CA$1,111

$139 AWG 248

466.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.5K CA$21.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 CA$82.4

$77.2 AWG 138

-24.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.27 CA$55.5

$111 AWG 198

-64.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 CA$127

$140 AWG 250

-35.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$139 AWG 248

-20.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,229 CA$1,737

$1,271 AWG 2,274

-3.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,001 CA$1,415

$565 AWG 1,010

77.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,921 CA$2,716

$1,532 AWG 2,742

25.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 CA$2,292

$1,389 AWG 2,485

16.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,549 CA$5,018

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,335 CA$4,715

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,165 CA$4,474

$3,638 AWG 6,511

-13.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

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

Last update for Calgary: October 13, 2026

Last update for Santa Cruz: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1K 45%

Santa Cruz

–

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$385 17.3%

Santa Cruz

–

Eating Out

Calgary

$265 11.9%

Santa Cruz

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$249 11.2%

Santa Cruz

–

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$134 6%

Santa Cruz

–

Getting Around

Calgary

$110 4.9%

Santa Cruz

–

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$79 3.6%

Santa Cruz

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,229 in Calgary and $1,271 in Santa Cruz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Cruz pays 15% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇦🇼 Santa Cruz

🕒 Local time

23:37 11:37 PM

01:37 1:37 AM

2 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

15,236

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Aruban Florin AWG ƒ

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 AWG = 0.559 USD

1 AWG = 0.497 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AWG, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Aruban Florin exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.79 AWG (1 AWG = 0.559 USD). 1 EUR = 2.01 AWG (1 AWG = 0.497 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Calgary Santa Cruz 5,830 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Calgary
Santa Cruz

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 Santa Cruz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Cruz is cheaper overall, especially in eating out. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 15% lower in Santa Cruz. 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: $1,229 in Calgary versus $1,271 in Santa Cruz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $786 in Calgary versus $139 in Santa Cruz. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Santa Cruz runs roughly 77% less than in Calgary. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,891 in Santa Cruz versus $2,223 in Calgary, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Santa Cruz but tight or insufficient in Calgary. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Cruz 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.

Safety-wise, Calgary and Santa Cruz are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Santa Cruz gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.