Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Union, SC

For one person, living costs are similar in Calgary and in Union, SC: $2,255 and $2,296 a month, rent and utilities included.

109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index
113

Cost of Living Index in Union, SC
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Union, SC Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,255

/mo nomad

Union, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,296

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Union, SC

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,255 in Calgary versus $2,296 in Union, SC.

Calgary $2,255
Union, SC $2,296

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Calgary versus $3,597 in Union, SC.

Calgary $3,361
Union, SC $3,597

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,468 in Calgary versus $4,897 in Union, SC.

Calgary $4,468
Union, SC $4,897

Living in Calgary costs roughly 2% less than in Union, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 66% above, Union, SC 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 CA$24.85

$9.15 $9.15

92.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 CA$97.6

$99.0 $99.0

-30.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 CA$14.97

$8.51 $8.51

24.44%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.42

$5.98 $5.98

-35.79%

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

$1.93 CA$2.72

$2.33 $2.33

-17.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.66

$1.94 $1.94

-3.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.09 CA$7.20

$2.80 $2.80

81.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 CA$7.97

$3.42 $3.42

64.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 CA$2.82

$1.07 $1.07

86.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 CA$3.93

$3.26 $3.26

-14.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.59 CA$7.90

$2.45 $2.45

128.16%

Eggs

$3.70 CA$5.23

$3.30 $3.30

12.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.48 CA$16.23

$8.96 $8.96

28.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.20 CA$15.84

$13.31 $13.31

-15.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.59 CA$26.28

$14.71 $14.71

26.38%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 CA$6.64

$2.81 $2.81

67.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.31 $1.31

10.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.34 CA$6.13

$3.24 $3.24

33.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.79 CA$5.36

$4.44 $4.44

-14.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.81

$2.37 $2.37

13.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.75 CA$3.88

$2.12 $2.12

29.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 CA$3.62

$1.75 $1.75

46.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$1.29 $1.29

16.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.39 CA$20.34

$8.35 $8.35

72.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.81 CA$22.35

$8.75 $8.75

80.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 CA$3.49

$1.79 $1.79

37.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 CA$4.39

$5.16 $5.16

-39.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.81 CA$3.97

$2.09 $2.09

34.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.6 CA$128

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 CA$4.64

$4.62 $4.62

-29.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 CA$1.97

$3.02 $3.02

-53.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.49 CA$37.45

$34.96 $34.96

-24.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.72

$0.91 $0.91

34.07%

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

$28.4K CA$40.1K

$28.0K $28.0K

1.44%

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

$20.8K CA$29.5K

$25.2K $25.2K

-17.47%

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

$165 CA$233

$177 $177

-7.01%

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

$38.24 CA$54.1

$64.9 $64.9

-41.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.1 CA$70.9

$45.72 $45.72

9.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 CA$76.1

$41.73 $41.73

28.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.04 CA$25.51

Cinema Ticket

$14.04 CA$19.84

$13.17 $13.17

6.61%

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

$797 CA$1,126

$2,585 $2,585

-69.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K CA$22.3K

$23.0K $23.0K

-31.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 CA$83.5

$47.21 $47.21

25.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.20 CA$56.8

$20.96 $20.96

91.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.8 CA$128

$85.6 $85.6

6.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$155

$99.0 $99.0

10.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 CA$1,707

$1,390 $1,390

-13.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,011 CA$1,429

$1,259 $1,259

-19.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,949 CA$2,756

$2,203 $2,203

-11.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 CA$2,371

$2,419 $2,419

-30.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,532 CA$4,993

$2,700 $2,700

30.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,392 CA$4,795

$2,125 $2,125

59.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,152 CA$4,456

$2,496 $2,496

26.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

12.75%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 18, 2026

Last update for Union, SC: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1K 44.8%

Union, SC

$1.3K 54.8% 24.5% $248

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$392 17.4%

Union, SC

$332 14.4% 15.3% $60

Eating Out

Calgary

$270 12%

Union, SC

$208 9.1% 22.9% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$253 11.2%

Union, SC

$288 12.5% 13.7% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$135 6%

Union, SC

$114 5% 15.6% $21

Getting Around

Calgary

$112 5%

Union, SC

$28 * 1.2% 75% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$82 3.6%

Union, SC

$68 3% 16.9% $14

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,207 in Calgary and $1,390 in Union, SC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays 26% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Calgary vs $99.0 in Union, SC. Groceries flip the comparison at $392 vs $332, with Union, SC cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇺🇸 Union, SC

🕒 Local time

05:38 5:38 AM

07:38 7:38 AM

2 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

8,000

💱 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 22, 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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Calgary Union, SC 3,170 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Calgary
Union, SC

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 Union, SC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in utilities. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 26% 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: $1,207 in Calgary versus $1,390 in Union, SC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $797 in Calgary versus $2,585 in Union, SC. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Calgary – a meal for two runs $69.0 versus $99.0 in Union, SC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,255 in Calgary versus $2,296 in Union, SC, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Union, SC. 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.

Expats usually find Calgary gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Union, SC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.