Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between California, MD and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,255 a month against $2,616 in California, MD, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in California, MD
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California, MD Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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California, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,616

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,255

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in California, MD 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 California, MD and in Calgary actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,616 in California, MD versus $2,255 in Calgary.

California, MD $2,616
Calgary $2,255

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,733 in California, MD versus $3,361 in Calgary.

California, MD $3,733
Calgary $3,361

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,849 in California, MD versus $4,468 in Calgary.

California, MD $4,849
Calgary $4,468

Living in California, MD is roughly 16% more expensive than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: California, MD 93% above, Calgary 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.81 $24.81

$17.58 CA$24.85

41.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.1 $75.1

$69.1 CA$97.6

8.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.93 $9.93

$10.59 CA$14.97

-6.23%

Cappuccino

$5.98 $5.98

$3.84 CA$5.42

55.73%

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

$2.73 $2.73

$1.93 CA$2.72

41.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.88 CA$2.66

29.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.10 $5.10

$5.09 CA$7.20

0.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.80 $7.80

$5.64 CA$7.97

38.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$2.00 CA$2.82

-50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.83 $3.83

$2.78 CA$3.93

37.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$5.59 CA$7.90

-61.18%

Eggs

$3.97 $3.97

$3.70 CA$5.23

7.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.81 $11.81

$11.48 CA$16.23

2.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$11.20 CA$15.84

30.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.07 $13.07

$18.59 CA$26.28

-29.69%

Apples (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$4.70 CA$6.64

-7.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.45 CA$2.05

52.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$4.34 CA$6.13

0.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.70 $6.70

$3.79 CA$5.36

76.78%

Potato (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$2.69 CA$3.81

62.45%

Onion (1kg)

$3.94 $3.94

$2.75 CA$3.88

43.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.56 CA$3.62

-23.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.50 CA$2.12

34.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.89 $8.89

$14.39 CA$20.34

-38.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.05 $14.05

$15.81 CA$22.35

-11.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$2.47 CA$3.49

-31.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 $4.80

$3.10 CA$4.39

54.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.81 CA$3.97

-23.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.4 $81.4

$90.6 CA$128

-10.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 $3.05

$3.28 CA$4.64

-7.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.40 CA$1.97

0.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.46 $22.46

$26.49 CA$37.45

-15.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.22 CA$1.72

-22.95%

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

$33.5K $33.5K

$28.4K CA$40.1K

17.93%

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

$23.1K $23.1K

$20.8K CA$29.5K

10.76%

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

$98.2 $98.2

$165 CA$233

-40.34%

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

$41.44 $41.44

$38.24 CA$54.1

8.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.0 $62.0

$50.1 CA$70.9

23.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.40 $39.40

$53.8 CA$76.1

-26.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.91 $10.91

$18.04 CA$25.51

-39.52%

Cinema Ticket

$18.19 $18.19

$14.04 CA$19.84

29.56%

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

$1,875 $1,875

$797 CA$1,126

135.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$15.8K CA$22.3K

101.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 $53.9

$59.1 CA$83.5

-8.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.77 $47.77

$40.20 CA$56.8

18.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.3 $85.3

$90.8 CA$128

-6.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 $108

$109 CA$155

-1.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,693 $1,693

$1,207 CA$1,707

40.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,338 $1,338

$1,011 CA$1,429

32.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,793 $1,793

$1,949 CA$2,756

-8.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 $1,887

$1,677 CA$2,371

12.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,716 $6,716

$3,532 CA$4,993

90.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,236 $6,236

$3,392 CA$4,795

83.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,062 $7,062

$3,152 CA$4,456

124.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.4

4.51

41.91%

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

Last update for California, MD: October 18, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

California, MD

$1.3K 51.2%

Calgary

$1K 44.8% 24.5% $327

Groceries & Markets

California, MD

$406 15.5%

Calgary

$392 17.4% 3.5% $14

Eating Out

California, MD

$362 13.8%

Calgary

$270 12% 25.3% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

California, MD

$202 7.7%

Calgary

$253 11.2% 25.5% $51

Clothing & Footwear

California, MD

$133 5.1%

Calgary

$135 6% 1.6% $2.1

Getting Around

California, MD

$100 3.8%

Calgary

$112 5% 11.9% $12

Sport & Entertainment

California, MD

$76 2.9%

Calgary

$82 3.6% 8% $6.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,693 in California, MD and $1,207 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

California, MD pays 124% 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: $75.0 in California, MD vs $69.0 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $392 per month, with Calgary cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 California, MD

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

23:51 11:51 PM

21:51 9:51 PM

2 h behind California, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,000

1,267,344

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

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).

CAD to USD in detail →

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Between locations

California, MD Calgary 3,240 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

California, MD
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

California, MD vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 124% higher in California, MD, 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: $1,693 in California, MD versus $1,207 in Calgary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Calgary – a meal for two runs $69.0 versus $75.0 in California, MD. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,616 per month in California, MD versus $2,255 in Calgary – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,255 in Calgary versus $2,616 in California, MD, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in California, MD. 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 16% less than in California, MD. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.