Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Wilkes-Barre, PA

For one person, living costs are similar in Calgary and in Wilkes-Barre, PA: $2,255 and $2,190 a month, rent and utilities included.

Calgary
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,255
/mo nomad
Wilkes-Barre, PA
🇺🇸 United States
$2,190
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Wilkes-Barre, PA

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 Wilkes-Barre, PA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,255 in Calgary versus $2,190 in Wilkes-Barre, PA.

  • Calgary $2,255
  • Wilkes-Barre, PA $2,190

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Calgary versus $3,358 in Wilkes-Barre, PA.

  • Calgary $3,361
  • Wilkes-Barre, PA $3,358

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,468 in Calgary versus $4,526 in Wilkes-Barre, PA.

  • Calgary $4,468
  • Wilkes-Barre, PA $4,526

Living in Calgary is roughly 3% more expensive than in Wilkes-Barre, PA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 66% above, Wilkes-Barre, PA 62% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Calgary
Wilkes-Barre, PA
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.58 CA$24.85
$18.15 $18.15
-3.14%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$69.1 CA$97.6
$49.37 $49.37
39.86%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.59 CA$14.97
$10.40 $10.40
1.83%
Cappuccino
$3.84 CA$5.42
$3.91 $3.91
-1.79%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.93 CA$2.72
$0.99 $0.99
94.95%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.88 CA$2.66
$1.99 $1.99
-5.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.09 CA$7.20
$6.85 $6.85
-25.69%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.64 CA$7.97
$7.31 $7.31
-22.85%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Calgary
Wilkes-Barre, PA
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.00 CA$2.82
$0.90 $0.90
122.22%
White Bread (500g)
$2.78 CA$3.93
$3.25 $3.25
-14.46%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.59 CA$7.90
$4.38 $4.38
27.63%
Eggs
$3.70 CA$5.23
$4.02 $4.02
-7.96%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.48 CA$16.23
$10.82 $10.82
6.10%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.20 CA$15.84
$13.33 $13.33
-15.98%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.59 CA$26.28
$17.75 $17.75
4.73%
Apples (1kg)
$4.70 CA$6.64
$6.42 $6.42
-26.79%
Banana (1kg)
$1.45 CA$2.05
$1.39 $1.39
4.32%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.34 CA$6.13
$5.39 $5.39
-19.48%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.79 CA$5.36
$6.79 $6.79
-44.18%
Potato (1kg)
$2.69 CA$3.81
$2.90 $2.90
-7.24%
Onion (1kg)
$2.75 CA$3.88
$3.77 $3.77
-27.06%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.56 CA$3.62
$2.97 $2.97
-13.80%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.50 CA$2.12
$2.74 $2.74
-45.26%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.39 CA$20.34
$15.11 $15.11
-4.77%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.81 CA$22.35
$14.83 $14.83
6.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.47 CA$3.49
$3.06 $3.06
-19.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.10 CA$4.39
$4.70 $4.70
-34.04%
🚌 Getting Around
Calgary
Wilkes-Barre, PA
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.81 CA$3.97
$1.47 $1.47
91.16%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$90.6 CA$128
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.28 CA$4.64
$3.83 $3.83
-14.36%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.40 CA$1.97
$2.19 $2.19
-36.07%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$26.49 CA$37.45
$29.91 $29.91
-11.43%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.22 CA$1.72
$1.10 $1.10
10.91%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.4K CA$40.1K
$30.9K $30.9K
-8.30%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.8K CA$29.5K
$26.8K $26.8K
-22.41%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Calgary
Wilkes-Barre, PA
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$165 CA$233
$238 $238
-30.83%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$38.24 CA$54.1
$57.5 $57.5
-33.44%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$50.1 CA$70.9
$74.2 $74.2
-32.46%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Calgary
Wilkes-Barre, PA
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$53.8 CA$76.1
$49.49 $49.49
8.71%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.04 CA$25.51
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.04 CA$19.84
$14.75 $14.75
-4.81%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Calgary
Wilkes-Barre, PA
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 CA$1,126
$1,732 $1,732
-54.01%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.8K CA$22.3K
$17.7K $17.7K
-10.45%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Calgary
Wilkes-Barre, PA
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.1 CA$83.5
$54.5 $54.5
8.31%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.20 CA$56.8
$48.05 $48.05
-16.34%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.8 CA$128
$96.1 $96.1
-5.55%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$109 CA$155
$124 $124
-11.66%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Calgary
Wilkes-Barre, PA
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,207 CA$1,707
$1,253 $1,253
-3.62%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,011 CA$1,429
$852 $852
18.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,949 CA$2,756
$1,736 $1,736
12.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,677 CA$2,371
$1,752 $1,752
-4.25%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,532 CA$4,993
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,392 CA$4,795
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Calgary
Wilkes-Barre, PA
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,152 CA$4,456
$4,296 $4,296
-26.63%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.51
6.67
-32.38%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 18, 2026

Last update for Wilkes-Barre, PA: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Calgary
$1K
Wilkes-Barre, PA
$852 15.7% $159
Groceries & Markets
Calgary
$392
Wilkes-Barre, PA
$439 12% $47
Eating Out
Calgary
$270
Wilkes-Barre, PA
$284 5.1% $14
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Calgary
$253
Wilkes-Barre, PA
$370 46.1% $117
Clothing & Footwear
Calgary
$135
Wilkes-Barre, PA
$145 7.7% $10
Getting Around
Calgary
$112
Wilkes-Barre, PA
$21 * 81.5% $91
Sport & Entertainment
Calgary
$82
Wilkes-Barre, PA
$79 3.5% $2.9

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 $1,253 in Wilkes-Barre, PA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wilkes-Barre, PA pays 36% 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 $49.00 in Wilkes-Barre, PA. Groceries flip the comparison at $392 vs $439, with Calgary cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Calgary
🇺🇸 Wilkes-Barre, PA
🕒 Local time
19:57 7:57 PM
21:57 9:57 PM
2 h ahead of Calgary
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,267,344
41,288
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 Wilkes-Barre, PA 3,090 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Calgary
  • Wilkes-Barre, PA

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 Wilkes-Barre, PA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Wilkes-Barre, PA cheaper than Calgary?
Wilkes-Barre, PA 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 Wilkes-Barre, PA?
On paper, salaries run 36% lower in Wilkes-Barre, PA. 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 Wilkes-Barre, PA?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,207 in Calgary versus $1,253 in Wilkes-Barre, PA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $797 in Calgary versus $1,732 in Wilkes-Barre, PA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Calgary or in Wilkes-Barre, PA?
Dining out is cheaper in Wilkes-Barre, PA – a meal for two runs $49.00 versus $69.0 in Calgary. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Calgary or in Wilkes-Barre, PA?
At $2,190 in Wilkes-Barre, PA versus $2,255 in Calgary, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Wilkes-Barre, PA but tight or insufficient in Calgary. The gap between the two cities makes Wilkes-Barre, PA the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Calgary or in Wilkes-Barre, PA?
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 Wilkes-Barre, PA 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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