Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Santa Cruz

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Cruz: $676 a month against $2,232 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $18,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
Learn more

Calgary Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Santa Cruz
Learn more

Santa Cruz Living Index

Jump to prices

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,232

/mo nomad

Santa Cruz

🇧🇴 Bolivia

$676

/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: $2,232 in Calgary versus $676 in Santa Cruz.

Calgary $2,232
Santa Cruz $676

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,363 in Calgary versus $1,255 in Santa Cruz.

Calgary $3,363
Santa Cruz $1,255

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,493 in Calgary versus $1,834 in Santa Cruz.

Calgary $4,493
Santa Cruz $1,834

Living in Calgary is roughly 230% more expensive than in Santa Cruz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Calgary is 67% above, Santa Cruz is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.22 CA$24.54

$2.08 BOB 24.47

727.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.2 CA$101

$17.80 BOB 209

300.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 CA$15.06

$5.59 BOB 65.8

88.91%

Cappuccino

$3.77 CA$5.38

$1.89 BOB 22.26

99.47%

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

$1.91 CA$2.73

$0.53 BOB 6.24

260.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 CA$2.63

$0.43 BOB 5.03

327.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.86 CA$6.93

$0.98 BOB 11.57

395.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 CA$7.91

$1.34 BOB 15.81

314.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 CA$2.68

$0.82 BOB 9.63

129.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 CA$3.89

$1.06 BOB 12.44

157.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.34 CA$7.61

$1.09 BOB 12.84

389.91%

Eggs

$3.77 CA$5.37

$1.13 BOB 13.27

233.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.29 CA$16.09

$3.43 BOB 40.41

229.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.34

$2.77 BOB 32.58

313.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.26 CA$26.03

$5.29 BOB 62.3

245.18%

Apples (1kg)

$4.64 CA$6.62

$1.89 BOB 22.26

145.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.05

$0.68 BOB 7.99

111.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.22 CA$6.02

$0.80 BOB 9.47

427.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.86 CA$5.50

$0.78 BOB 9.14

394.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 CA$3.74

$0.74 BOB 8.73

254.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 CA$3.79

$0.70 BOB 8.19

280.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.59 CA$3.69

$0.64 BOB 7.51

304.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 CA$2.19

$0.73 BOB 8.57

109.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.26 CA$20.32

$2.07 BOB 24.40

588.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.27 CA$21.76

$4.44 BOB 52.2

243.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 CA$3.44

$1.15 BOB 13.56

109.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.41

$1.66 BOB 19.54

86.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 CA$4.11

$0.28 BOB 3.31

928.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.7 CA$126

$24.41 BOB 287

263.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.61

$1.84 BOB 21.60

75.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 CA$1.97

$0.99 BOB 11.67

39.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.49 CA$37.75

$6.80 BOB 80.0

289.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 CA$1.68

$0.65 BOB 7.65

81.54%

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

$28.3K CA$40.3K

$14.7K BOB 173.5K

91.85%

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

$20.7K CA$29.5K

$20.6K BOB 242.4K

0.65%

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

$159 CA$227

$38.52 BOB 453

313.45%

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

$37.61 CA$53.6

$20.51 BOB 241

83.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.68 CA$70.8

$18.97 BOB 223

161.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 CA$75.9

$20.99 BOB 247

153.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.31 CA$26.10

$13.61 BOB 160

34.53%

Cinema Ticket

$14.08 CA$20.06

$6.38 BOB 75.1

120.69%

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

$809 CA$1,154

$120 BOB 1,416

572.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K CA$22.6K

$3,216 BOB 37.9K

392.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 CA$83.8

$29.21 BOB 344

101.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.84 CA$55.4

$37.59 BOB 442

3.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.4 CA$130

$72.1 BOB 848

26.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$155

$62.0 BOB 730

75.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 CA$1,764

$277 BOB 3,258

346.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$996 CA$1,420

$255 BOB 3,005

290.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,908 CA$2,720

$910 BOB 10.7K

109.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 CA$2,382

$873 BOB 10.3K

91.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,530 CA$5,032

$1,342 BOB 15.8K

163.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,336 CA$4,755

$750 BOB 8,822

345.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,130 CA$4,461

$302 BOB 3,553

936.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

6.17

-26.90%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 3, 2026

Last update for Santa Cruz: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$996 44.8%

Santa Cruz

$255 37.6% 74.4% $741

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$387 17.4%

Santa Cruz

$121 17.9% 68.7% $266

Eating Out

Calgary

$265 11.9%

Santa Cruz

$68 10% 74.5% $198

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$247 11.1%

Santa Cruz

$78 11.5% 68.4% $169

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$134 6%

Santa Cruz

$90 13.3% 32.6% $44

Getting Around

Calgary

$110 5%

Santa Cruz

$32 4.8% 70.7% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$81 3.7%

Santa Cruz

$34 5% 58.5% $48

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,237 in Calgary and $277 in Santa Cruz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays 937% 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: $71.0 in Calgary vs $18.00 in Santa Cruz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $387 vs $121 per month, with Santa Cruz cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇧🇴 Santa Cruz

🕒 Local time

05:49 5:49 AM

07:49 7:49 AM

2 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

1,800,000

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Bolivian Boliviano BOB Bs.

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

100 BOB = 8.5 USD

100 BOB = 7.58 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BOB, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

Bolivian Boliviano exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 11.77 BOB (100 BOB = 8.5 USD). 1 EUR = 13.19 BOB (100 BOB = 7.58 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Calgary Santa Cruz 9,110 km ≈ 12 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 groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 230% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 937% higher in Calgary, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,237 in Calgary versus $277 in Santa Cruz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Santa Cruz – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $71.0 in Calgary. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,232 per month in Calgary versus $676 in Santa Cruz – a 230% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $676 in Santa Cruz versus $2,232 in Calgary, a $1,500 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.

Expats usually find Santa Cruz gentler on the wallet – expenses run 230% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.