Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Varadero

For one person, living is cheaper in Varadero: $1,178 a month against $2,223 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Varadero
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Varadero Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,223

/mo nomad

Varadero

🇨🇺 Cuba

$1,178

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Varadero

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,223 in Calgary versus $1,178 in Varadero.

Calgary $2,223
Varadero $1,178

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,301 in Calgary versus $1,542 in Varadero.

Calgary $3,301
Varadero $1,542

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,379 in Calgary versus $1,905 in Varadero.

Calgary $4,379
Varadero $1,905

Living in Calgary is roughly 89% more expensive than in Varadero, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Calgary is 65% above, Varadero is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.22 CA$24.34

$3.63 CUP 87.1

374.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.1 CA$100

$20.10 CUP 482

253.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.53 CA$14.89

$4.97 CUP 119

111.87%

Cappuccino

$3.66 CA$5.18

$1.05 CUP 25.23

248.57%

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

$1.98 CA$2.80

$1.52 CUP 36.39

30.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 CA$2.74

$0.97 CUP 23.37

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.95 CA$7.00

$1.21 CUP 29.08

309.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.57 CA$7.87

$2.01 CUP 48.28

177.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 CA$2.65

$2.78 CUP 66.7

-32.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 CA$3.78

$1.20 CUP 28.80

122.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.32 CA$7.52

$1.51 CUP 36.31

252.32%

Eggs

$3.79 CA$5.35

$2.23 CUP 53.5

69.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.09 CA$15.68

$4.31 CUP 104

157.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.36 CA$16.05

$4.43 CUP 106

156.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.40 CA$26.01

$8.25 CUP 198

123.03%

Apples (1kg)

$4.56 CA$6.45

$3.42 CUP 82.1

33.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.04

$1.00 CUP 24.00

44.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.08 CA$5.76

$1.50 CUP 36.11

172.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.89 CA$5.50

$1.55 CUP 37.10

150.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.73

$2.10 CUP 50.3

25.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.73

$2.69 CUP 64.5

-1.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 CA$3.54

$0.67 CUP 16.00

273.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$0.53 CUP 12.72

183.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.05 CA$19.86

$1.69 CUP 40.56

731.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.70 CA$22.20

$5.22 CUP 125

200.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 CA$3.45

$0.90 CUP 21.59

171.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.37

$2.12 CUP 50.8

45.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$0.09 CUP 2.24

3033.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 CA$125

$15.57 CUP 374

469.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 CA$4.41

$1.98 CUP 47.46

57.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 CA$1.91

$0.37 CUP 8.76

264.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.02 CA$38.20

$19.77 CUP 475

36.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 CA$1.64

$1.29 CUP 30.89

-10.08%

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

$27.9K CA$39.5K

$70.5K CUP 1.7M

-60.42%

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

$20.3K CA$28.8K

$80.9K CUP 1.9M

-74.85%

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

$161 CA$227

$39.29 CUP 943

309.16%

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

$38.13 CA$53.9

$38.89 CUP 933

-1.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.0 CA$70.7

$89.7 CUP 2,152

-44.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 CA$72.8

$40.58 CUP 974

26.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 CA$25.64

$15.23 CUP 366

19.11%

Cinema Ticket

$13.82 CA$19.54

$0.87 CUP 20.81

1488.51%

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

$786 CA$1,111

$91.2 CUP 2,190

761.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.5K CA$21.8K

$12.6K CUP 301.9K

22.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 CA$82.4

$39.87 CUP 957

46.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.27 CA$55.5

$29.79 CUP 715

31.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 CA$127

$76.3 CUP 1,831

17.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$65.5 CUP 1,571

67.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,229 CA$1,737

$491 CUP 11.8K

150.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,001 CA$1,415

$585 CUP 14.0K

71.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,921 CA$2,716

$1,188 CUP 28.5K

61.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 CA$2,292

$643 CUP 15.4K

152.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,549 CA$5,018

$394 CUP 9,455

801.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,335 CA$4,715

$355 CUP 8,515

839.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,165 CA$4,474

$18.97 CUP 455

16583.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

9.1

-50.44%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 13, 2026

Last update for Varadero: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1K 45%

Varadero

$585 49.7% 41.6% $416

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$385 17.3%

Varadero

$191 16.2% 50.3% $194

Eating Out

Calgary

$265 11.9%

Varadero

$77 6.5% 71.1% $188

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$249 11.2%

Varadero

$168 14.3% 32.6% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$134 6%

Varadero

$95 8.1% 28.9% $39

Getting Around

Calgary

$110 4.9%

Varadero

$20 1.7% 82% $90

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$79 3.6%

Varadero

$42 3.6% 46.5% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,229 in Calgary and $491 in Varadero. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays 16583% 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 $20.00 in Varadero for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $385 vs $191 per month, with Varadero cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇨🇺 Varadero

🕒 Local time

13:29 1:29 PM

15:29 3:29 PM

2 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

27,170

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Cuban Peso CUP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

100 CUP = 4.17 USD

100 CUP = 3.71 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CUP, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Cuban Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 24 CUP (100 CUP = 4.17 USD). 1 EUR = 26.98 CUP (100 CUP = 3.71 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Calgary Varadero 4,190 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Calgary
Varadero

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 Varadero: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Varadero is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 89% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 16583% 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: $1,229 in Calgary versus $491 in Varadero. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Varadero – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $71.0 in Calgary. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,223 per month in Calgary versus $1,178 in Varadero – a 89% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,178 in Varadero versus $2,223 in Calgary, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Varadero but tight or insufficient in Calgary. The gap between the two cities makes Varadero 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 Varadero gentler on the wallet – expenses run 89% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.