Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Wichita, KS

For one person, living costs are similar in Calgary and in Wichita, KS: $2,255 and $2,195 a month, rent and utilities included.

Calgary
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,255
/mo nomad
Wichita, KS
🇺🇸 United States
$2,195
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Wichita, KS

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,255 in Calgary versus $2,195 in Wichita, KS.

  • Calgary $2,255
  • Wichita, KS $2,195

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Calgary versus $3,219 in Wichita, KS.

  • Calgary $3,361
  • Wichita, KS $3,219

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,468 in Calgary versus $4,243 in Wichita, KS.

  • Calgary $4,468
  • Wichita, KS $4,243

Living in Calgary is roughly 3% more expensive than in Wichita, KS, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 66% above, Wichita, KS 62% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Calgary
Wichita, KS
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.58 CA$24.85
$17.98 $17.98
-2.22%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$69.1 CA$97.6
$59.7 $59.7
15.64%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.59 CA$14.97
$10.81 $10.81
-2.04%
Cappuccino
$3.84 CA$5.42
$5.30 $5.30
-27.55%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.93 CA$2.72
$2.51 $2.51
-23.11%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.88 CA$2.66
$1.82 $1.82
3.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.09 CA$7.20
$5.04 $5.04
0.99%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.64 CA$7.97
$6.10 $6.10
-7.54%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Calgary
Wichita, KS
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.00 CA$2.82
$0.86 $0.86
132.56%
White Bread (500g)
$2.78 CA$3.93
$3.82 $3.82
-27.23%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.59 CA$7.90
$4.66 $4.66
19.96%
Eggs
$3.70 CA$5.23
$4.07 $4.07
-9.09%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.48 CA$16.23
$11.56 $11.56
-0.69%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.20 CA$15.84
$10.13 $10.13
10.56%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.59 CA$26.28
$18.14 $18.14
2.48%
Apples (1kg)
$4.70 CA$6.64
$5.98 $5.98
-21.40%
Banana (1kg)
$1.45 CA$2.05
$1.73 $1.73
-16.18%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.34 CA$6.13
$5.06 $5.06
-14.23%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.79 CA$5.36
$5.26 $5.26
-27.95%
Potato (1kg)
$2.69 CA$3.81
$2.82 $2.82
-4.61%
Onion (1kg)
$2.75 CA$3.88
$2.75 $2.75
-
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.56 CA$3.62
$2.30 $2.30
11.30%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.50 CA$2.12
$2.30 $2.30
-34.78%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.39 CA$20.34
$9.51 $9.51
51.31%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.81 CA$22.35
$14.79 $14.79
6.90%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.47 CA$3.49
$2.16 $2.16
14.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.10 CA$4.39
$3.78 $3.78
-17.99%
🚌 Getting Around
Calgary
Wichita, KS
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.81 CA$3.97
$1.70 $1.70
65.29%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$90.6 CA$128
$54.1 $54.1
67.49%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.28 CA$4.64
$2.51 $2.51
30.68%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.40 CA$1.97
$1.52 $1.52
-7.89%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$26.49 CA$37.45
$40.29 $40.29
-34.25%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.22 CA$1.72
$0.98 $0.98
24.49%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.4K CA$40.1K
$28.2K $28.2K
0.61%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.8K CA$29.5K
$25.9K $25.9K
-19.52%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Calgary
Wichita, KS
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$165 CA$233
$277 $277
-40.58%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$38.24 CA$54.1
$82.3 $82.3
-53.54%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$50.1 CA$70.9
$69.9 $69.9
-28.29%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Calgary
Wichita, KS
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$53.8 CA$76.1
$30.57 $30.57
75.99%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.04 CA$25.51
$19.66 $19.66
-8.24%
Cinema Ticket
$14.04 CA$19.84
$15.26 $15.26
-7.99%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Calgary
Wichita, KS
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 CA$1,126
$922 $922
-13.64%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.8K CA$22.3K
$16.3K $16.3K
-2.94%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Calgary
Wichita, KS
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.1 CA$83.5
$47.32 $47.32
24.83%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.20 CA$56.8
$30.83 $30.83
30.39%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.8 CA$128
$110 $110
-17.20%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$109 CA$155
$141 $141
-22.33%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Calgary
Wichita, KS
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,207 CA$1,707
$994 $994
21.46%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,011 CA$1,429
$784 $784
28.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,949 CA$2,756
$1,575 $1,575
23.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,677 CA$2,371
$1,289 $1,289
30.11%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,532 CA$4,993
$1,510 $1,510
133.94%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,392 CA$4,795
$1,508 $1,508
124.89%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Calgary
Wichita, KS
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,152 CA$4,456
$3,571 $3,571
-11.73%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.51
6.65
-32.18%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 18, 2026

Last update for Wichita, KS: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Calgary
$1K
Wichita, KS
$784 22.4% $227
Groceries & Markets
Calgary
$392
Wichita, KS
$407 3.9% $15
Eating Out
Calgary
$270
Wichita, KS
$295 9% $24
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Calgary
$253
Wichita, KS
$429 69.7% $176
Clothing & Footwear
Calgary
$135
Wichita, KS
$148 9.8% $13
Getting Around
Calgary
$112
Wichita, KS
$71 36.7% $41
Sport & Entertainment
Calgary
$82
Wichita, KS
$61 25.4% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,207 in Calgary and $994 in Wichita, KS. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wichita, KS pays 13% 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 $60.0 in Wichita, KS. Groceries flip the comparison at $392 vs $407, with Calgary cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Calgary
🇺🇸 Wichita, KS
🕒 Local time
20:31 8:31 PM
21:31 9:31 PM
1 h ahead of Calgary
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,267,344
357,698
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 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 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Calgary Wichita, KS 1,980 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Calgary
  • Wichita, KS

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 Wichita, KS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Wichita, KS cheaper than Calgary?
Wichita, KS is cheaper overall, especially in transport and leisure. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Calgary or Wichita, KS?
On paper, salaries run 13% lower in Wichita, KS. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Calgary and Wichita, KS?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,207 in Calgary versus $994 in Wichita, KS. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Is eating out cheaper in Calgary or in Wichita, KS?
Dining out is cheaper in Wichita, KS – a meal for two runs $60.0 versus $69.0 in Calgary. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
What are total monthly expenses in Calgary and in Wichita, KS?
All in, you'll spend $2,255 per month in Calgary versus $2,195 in Wichita, KS – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Calgary or in Wichita, KS?
At $2,195 in Wichita, KS versus $2,255 in Calgary, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Wichita, KS but tight or insufficient in Calgary. The gap between the two cities makes Wichita, KS the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Calgary or in Wichita, KS?
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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Wichita, KS gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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