Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cali and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Cali: $1,214 a month against $2,297 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Cali
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Cali Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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Cali

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,214

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,297

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cali and in Calgary

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cali and in Calgary actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,214 in Cali versus $2,297 in Calgary.

Cali $1,214
Calgary $2,297

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,827 in Cali versus $3,378 in Calgary.

Cali $1,827
Calgary $3,378

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,439 in Cali versus $4,459 in Calgary.

Cali $2,439
Calgary $4,459

Living in Cali costs roughly 47% less than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cali is 10% below, Calgary is 70% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.20 COP 16.8K

$17.94 CA$25.15

-71.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.3 COP 181.8K

$68.9 CA$96.5

-18.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.03 COP 19.5K

$10.94 CA$15.33

-44.88%

Cappuccino

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$3.70 CA$5.19

-14.86%

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

$2.37 COP 7,643

$2.07 CA$2.90

14.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 COP 7,253

$2.04 CA$2.86

10.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 COP 10.8K

$5.74 CA$8.05

-41.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 COP 11.3K

$5.70 CA$7.99

-38.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 COP 5,394

$1.98 CA$2.77

-15.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 COP 5,642

$2.65 CA$3.71

-33.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 COP 5,624

$5.84 CA$8.18

-70.21%

Eggs

$3.05 COP 9,838

$3.81 CA$5.35

-19.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.80 COP 28.4K

$10.81 CA$15.15

-18.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.46 COP 30.6K

$11.02 CA$15.45

-14.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.84 COP 35.0K

$17.87 CA$25.06

-39.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 COP 12.1K

$4.88 CA$6.84

-23.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 COP 3,752

$1.45 CA$2.03

-20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,279

$4.15 CA$5.82

-68.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,596

$3.99 CA$5.59

-48.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 COP 5,372

$2.93 CA$4.10

-43.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.60 COP 5,183

$3.02 CA$4.24

-47.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 COP 2,967

$2.67 CA$3.74

-65.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 COP 2,785

$1.57 CA$2.20

-45.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.51 COP 14.6K

$14.11 CA$19.77

-68.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.11 COP 48.8K

$15.45 CA$21.66

-2.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,893

$2.50 CA$3.51

-39.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 COP 6,072

$3.18 CA$4.45

-40.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 COP 3,445

$2.85 CA$3.99

-62.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.6 COP 211.8K

$90.2 CA$126

-27.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 COP 3,840

$3.16 CA$4.43

-62.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 COP 1,837

$1.41 CA$1.97

-59.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.29 COP 10.6K

$27.46 CA$38.49

-88.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,143

$1.18 CA$1.66

8.47%

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

$34.8K COP 112.3M

$27.9K CA$39.1K

24.85%

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

$34.4K COP 111.0M

$21.1K CA$29.5K

63.14%

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

$104 COP 335.0K

$182 CA$255

-42.95%

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

$14.63 COP 47.3K

$36.01 CA$50.5

-59.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.06 COP 87.4K

$48.80 CA$68.4

-44.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.34 COP 98.0K

$48.78 CA$68.4

-37.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.18 COP 32.9K

$18.15 CA$25.45

-43.91%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 COP 15.9K

$14.52 CA$20.35

-66.12%

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

$414 COP 1.3M

$542 CA$760

-23.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K COP 35.8M

$21.2K CA$29.7K

-47.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.6 COP 263.4K

$59.1 CA$82.8

38.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.07 COP 139.1K

$42.34 CA$59.4

1.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 COP 373.9K

$94.2 CA$132

22.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100.0 COP 322.9K

$109 CA$152

-7.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$703 COP 2.3M

$1,214 CA$1,702

-42.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 COP 1.3M

$1,036 CA$1,453

-61.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,501 COP 4.8M

$2,045 CA$2,867

-26.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$543 COP 1.8M

$1,655 CA$2,319

-67.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,720 COP 5.6M

$3,653 CA$5,121

-52.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,429 COP 4.6M

$3,183 CA$4,462

-55.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$598 COP 1.9M

$3,219 CA$4,512

-81.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.88

4.43

213.32%

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

Last update for Cali: November 1, 2026

Last update for Calgary: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cali

$397 32.7%

Calgary

$1K 45.1% 161% $639

Groceries & Markets

Cali

$265 21.8%

Calgary

$390 17% 47.3% $125

Clothing & Footwear

Cali

$153 12.6%

Calgary

$137 6% 10.6% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cali

$145 12%

Calgary

$267 11.6% 83.4% $121

Eating Out

Cali

$140 11.5%

Calgary

$277 12.1% 98.6% $138

Getting Around

Cali

$74 6.1%

Calgary

$112 4.9% 51.3% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Cali

$40 3.3%

Calgary

$78 3.4% 93.6% $38

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $703 in Cali and $1,214 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays about 5.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $56 in Cali vs $69 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $265 vs $390 per month, with Cali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Cali

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

06:58 6:58 AM

05:58 5:58 AM

1 h behind Cali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,568,609

1,267,344

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.635 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3,230 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,628 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.635 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Between locations

Cali Calgary 6,340 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Cali
Calgary

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

Cali vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cali is about 47% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 81% lower in Cali. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $703 in Cali versus $1,214 in Calgary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Cali – a meal for two runs $56 versus $69 in Calgary. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,214 per month in Cali versus $2,297 in Calgary – Cali is about 47% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,214 in Cali versus $2,297 in Calgary, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cali but tight or insufficient in Calgary. The gap between the two cities makes Cali 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 Cali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.