Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cambridge, MA and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,223 a month against $4,506 in Cambridge, MA, rent and utilities included – about $27,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

216

Cost of Living Index in Cambridge, MA
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Cambridge, MA Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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Cambridge, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,506

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,506 in Cambridge, MA versus $2,223 in Calgary.

Cambridge, MA $4,506
Calgary $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,767 in Cambridge, MA versus $3,301 in Calgary.

Cambridge, MA $5,767
Calgary $3,301

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,029 in Cambridge, MA versus $4,379 in Calgary.

Cambridge, MA $7,029
Calgary $4,379

Living in Cambridge, MA is roughly 103% more expensive than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cambridge, MA 234% above, Calgary 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.88 $19.88

$17.22 CA$24.34

15.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.2 $99.2

$71.1 CA$100

39.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.19 $12.19

$10.53 CA$14.89

15.76%

Cappuccino

$5.20 $5.20

$3.66 CA$5.18

42.08%

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

$3.17 $3.17

$1.98 CA$2.80

60.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.94 CA$2.74

20.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.13 $8.13

$4.95 CA$7.00

64.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.97 $7.97

$5.57 CA$7.87

43.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.88 CA$2.65

-37.77%

White Bread (500g)

$4.54 $4.54

$2.67 CA$3.78

70.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.97 $6.97

$5.32 CA$7.52

31.02%

Eggs

$4.91 $4.91

$3.79 CA$5.35

29.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.35 $15.35

$11.09 CA$15.68

38.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.08 $15.08

$11.36 CA$16.05

32.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.19 $19.19

$18.40 CA$26.01

4.29%

Apples (1kg)

$6.46 $6.46

$4.56 CA$6.45

41.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.44 CA$2.04

19.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.92 $5.92

$4.08 CA$5.76

45.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.33 $7.33

$3.89 CA$5.50

88.43%

Potato (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.64 CA$3.73

65.91%

Onion (1kg)

$3.81 $3.81

$2.64 CA$3.73

44.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.00 $3.00

$2.50 CA$3.54

20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$1.50 CA$2.12

71.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.66 $12.66

$14.05 CA$19.86

-9.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.72 $15.72

$15.70 CA$22.20

0.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.44 CA$3.45

-19.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.41 $5.41

$3.09 CA$4.37

75.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.82 CA$3.99

-11.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.0 $91.0

$88.6 CA$125

2.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 $2.05

$3.12 CA$4.41

-34.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.35 CA$1.91

11.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.82 $10.82

$27.02 CA$38.20

-59.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.16 CA$1.64

-7.76%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$27.9K CA$39.5K

31.63%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$20.3K CA$28.8K

25.34%

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

$227 $227

$161 CA$227

41.51%

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

$54.4 $54.4

$38.13 CA$53.9

42.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.4 $78.4

$50.0 CA$70.7

56.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.3 $74.3

$51.5 CA$72.8

44.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.56 $30.56

$18.14 CA$25.64

68.47%

Cinema Ticket

$14.78 $14.78

$13.82 CA$19.54

6.95%

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

$2,847 $2,847

$786 CA$1,111

262.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.9K $35.9K

$15.5K CA$21.8K

132.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.4 $76.4

$58.3 CA$82.4

31.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.3 $51.3

$39.27 CA$55.5

30.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$89.8 CA$127

14.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 $138

$110 CA$155

25.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,392 $3,392

$1,229 CA$1,737

176.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,926 $2,926

$1,001 CA$1,415

192.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,218 $5,218

$1,921 CA$2,716

171.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,459 $3,459

$1,621 CA$2,292

113.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,990 $4,990

$3,549 CA$5,018

40.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,067 $5,067

$3,335 CA$4,715

51.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,239 $6,239

$3,165 CA$4,474

97.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

4.51

44.12%

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

Last update for Cambridge, MA: October 12, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cambridge, MA

$2.9K 64.9%

Calgary

$1K 45% 65.8% $1.9K

Groceries & Markets

Cambridge, MA

$502 11.2%

Calgary

$385 17.3% 23.3% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cambridge, MA

$360 8%

Calgary

$249 11.2% 30.9% $111

Eating Out

Cambridge, MA

$337 7.5%

Calgary

$265 11.9% 21.3% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Cambridge, MA

$166 3.7%

Calgary

$134 6% 19.3% $32

Getting Around

Cambridge, MA

$111 2.5%

Calgary

$110 4.9% 0.7% $0.8

Sport & Entertainment

Cambridge, MA

$104 2.3%

Calgary

$79 3.6% 23.8% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,392 in Cambridge, MA and $1,229 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cambridge, MA pays 97% 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: $99.0 in Cambridge, MA vs $71.0 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $502 vs $385 per month, with Calgary cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Cambridge, MA

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

13:38 1:38 PM

11:38 11:38 AM

2 h behind Cambridge, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

105,162

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 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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Cambridge, MA Calgary 3,360 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

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Cambridge, MA
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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

Cambridge, MA vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 103% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 97% higher in Cambridge, MA, 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: $3,392 in Cambridge, MA versus $1,229 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 $71.0 versus $99.0 in Cambridge, MA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $4,506 per month in Cambridge, MA versus $2,223 in Calgary – a 103% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,223 in Calgary versus $4,506 in Cambridge, MA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Cambridge, MA. The gap between the two cities makes Calgary the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Calgary is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cambridge, MA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cambridge, MA and Calgary are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Calgary gentler on the wallet – expenses run 103% less than in Cambridge, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.