Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Tortola

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,232 a month against $2,412 in Tortola, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,232

/mo nomad

Tortola

🇻🇬 British Virgin Islands

$2,412

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Tortola

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,232 in Calgary versus $2,412 in Tortola.

Calgary $2,232
Tortola $2,412

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,363 in Calgary versus $4,179 in Tortola.

Calgary $3,363
Tortola $4,179

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,493 in Calgary versus $5,947 in Tortola.

Calgary $4,493
Tortola $5,947

Living in Calgary costs roughly 7% less than in Tortola, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 67% above, Tortola 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.22 CA$24.54

$21.16 $21.16

-18.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.2 CA$101

$82.9 $82.9

-14.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 CA$15.06

$14.94 $14.94

-29.32%

Cappuccino

$3.77 CA$5.38

$7.95 $7.95

-52.58%

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

$1.91 CA$2.73

$1.88 $1.88

1.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 CA$2.63

$1.36 $1.36

35.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.86 CA$6.93

$3.94 $3.94

23.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 CA$7.91

$4.91 $4.91

13.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 CA$2.68

$2.94 $2.94

-36.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 CA$3.89

$4.53 $4.53

-39.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.34 CA$7.61

$6.65 $6.65

-19.70%

Eggs

$3.77 CA$5.37

$7.40 $7.40

-49.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.29 CA$16.09

$13.08 $13.08

-13.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.34

$13.24 $13.24

-13.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.26 CA$26.03

$19.93 $19.93

-8.38%

Apples (1kg)

$4.64 CA$6.62

$2.01 $2.01

130.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.05

$3.95 $3.95

-63.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.22 CA$6.02

$2.05 $2.05

105.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.86 CA$5.50

$7.55 $7.55

-48.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 CA$3.74

$6.06 $6.06

-56.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 CA$3.79

$5.05 $5.05

-47.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.59 CA$3.69

$12.04 $12.04

-78.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 CA$2.19

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.26 CA$20.32

$4.95 $4.95

188.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.27 CA$21.76

$10.98 $10.98

39.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 CA$3.44

$4.02 $4.02

-40.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.41

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 CA$4.11

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.7 CA$126

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.61

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 CA$1.97

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.49 CA$37.75

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 CA$1.68

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

$28.3K CA$40.3K

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

$20.7K CA$29.5K

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

$159 CA$227

$102 $102

56.77%

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

$37.61 CA$53.6

$98.9 $98.9

-61.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.68 CA$70.8

$100.0 $100.0

-50.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 CA$75.9

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.31 CA$26.10

Cinema Ticket

$14.08 CA$20.06

$19.76 $19.76

-28.74%

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

$809 CA$1,154

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K CA$22.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 CA$83.8

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.84 CA$55.4

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.4 CA$130

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$155

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 CA$1,764

$1,403 $1,403

-11.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$996 CA$1,420

$1,271 $1,271

-21.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,908 CA$2,720

$3,355 $3,355

-43.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 CA$2,382

$3,053 $3,053

-45.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,530 CA$5,032

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,336 CA$4,755

$10.9K $10.9K

-69.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,130 CA$4,461

$1,614 $1,614

93.92%

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 3, 2026

Last update for Tortola: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$996 44.8%

Tortola

–

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$387 17.4%

Tortola

–

Eating Out

Calgary

$265 11.9%

Tortola

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$247 11.1%

Tortola

–

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$134 6%

Tortola

–

Getting Around

Calgary

$110 5%

Tortola

–

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$81 3.7%

Tortola

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,237 in Calgary and $1,403 in Tortola. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays 94% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $71.0 in Calgary vs $83.0 in Tortola for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $387 vs $494 per month, with Calgary cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇻🇬 Tortola

🕒 Local time

05:49 5:49 AM

07:49 7:49 AM

2 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

8,449

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Calgary Tortola 5,630 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Calgary
Tortola

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 Tortola: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 94% 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 $1,403 in Tortola. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Tortola. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Calgary – a meal for two runs $71.0 versus $83.0 in Tortola. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,232 in Calgary versus $2,412 in Tortola, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Tortola. The gap between the two cities makes Calgary 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 Tortola 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 Calgary gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Tortola. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.