Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cary, NC and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,223 a month against $2,842 in Cary, NC, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

138

Cost of Living Index in Cary, NC
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Cary, NC Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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Cary, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,842

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,842 in Cary, NC versus $2,223 in Calgary.

Cary, NC $2,842
Calgary $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,173 in Cary, NC versus $3,301 in Calgary.

Cary, NC $4,173
Calgary $3,301

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,505 in Cary, NC versus $4,379 in Calgary.

Cary, NC $5,505
Calgary $4,379

Living in Cary, NC is roughly 28% more expensive than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cary, NC 111% above, Calgary 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.35 $19.35

$17.22 CA$24.34

12.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.3 $99.3

$71.1 CA$100

39.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 $10.42

$10.53 CA$14.89

-1.04%

Cappuccino

$5.06 $5.06

$3.66 CA$5.18

38.25%

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

$2.03 $2.03

$1.98 CA$2.80

2.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.94 CA$2.74

-4.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 $4.51

$4.95 CA$7.00

-8.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.39 $6.39

$5.57 CA$7.87

14.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.88 CA$2.65

-44.68%

White Bread (500g)

$5.51 $5.51

$2.67 CA$3.78

106.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.18 $6.18

$5.32 CA$7.52

16.17%

Eggs

$4.02 $4.02

$3.79 CA$5.35

6.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.74 $17.74

$11.09 CA$15.68

59.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.62 $16.62

$11.36 CA$16.05

46.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.96 $17.96

$18.40 CA$26.01

-2.39%

Apples (1kg)

$6.25 $6.25

$4.56 CA$6.45

37.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.44 CA$2.04

34.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.75 $3.75

$4.08 CA$5.76

-8.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.90 $6.90

$3.89 CA$5.50

77.38%

Potato (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.64 CA$3.73

23.11%

Onion (1kg)

$4.17 $4.17

$2.64 CA$3.73

57.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.50 CA$3.54

18.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.50 CA$2.12

58.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.06 $10.06

$14.05 CA$19.86

-28.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.71 $9.71

$15.70 CA$22.20

-38.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 $2.33

$2.44 CA$3.45

-4.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 $4.04

$3.09 CA$4.37

30.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.82 CA$3.99

-10.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.7 $78.7

$88.6 CA$125

-11.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 CA$4.41

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 CA$1.91

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.02 CA$38.20

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.16 CA$1.64

-19.83%

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

$27.9K CA$39.5K

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

$28.7K $28.7K

$20.3K CA$28.8K

40.85%

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

$179 $179

$161 CA$227

11.26%

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

$47.18 $47.18

$38.13 CA$53.9

23.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.6 $67.6

$50.0 CA$70.7

35.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$51.5 CA$72.8

51.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.88 $21.88

$18.14 CA$25.64

20.62%

Cinema Ticket

$15.26 $15.26

$13.82 CA$19.54

10.42%

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

$1,455 $1,455

$786 CA$1,111

85.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.5K CA$21.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.9 $65.9

$58.3 CA$82.4

13.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.18 $32.18

$39.27 CA$55.5

-18.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 $119

$89.8 CA$127

33.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 $137

$110 CA$155

24.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,904 $1,904

$1,229 CA$1,737

54.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 $1,407

$1,001 CA$1,415

40.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,710 $2,710

$1,921 CA$2,716

41.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,162 $2,162

$1,621 CA$2,292

33.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,859 $2,859

$3,549 CA$5,018

-19.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,643 $2,643

$3,335 CA$4,715

-20.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,032 $6,032

$3,165 CA$4,474

90.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.42

4.51

42.35%

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

Last update for Cary, NC: October 10, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cary, NC

$1.4K 49.5%

Calgary

$1K 45% 28.9% $406

Groceries & Markets

Cary, NC

$486 17.1%

Calgary

$385 17.3% 20.8% $101

Eating Out

Cary, NC

$298 10.5%

Calgary

$265 11.9% 11% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cary, NC

$294 10.3%

Calgary

$249 11.2% 15.2% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Cary, NC

$160 5.6%

Calgary

$134 6% 16.2% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Cary, NC

$108 3.8%

Calgary

$79 3.6% 27% $29

Getting Around

Cary, NC

$89 * 3.1%

Calgary

$110 4.9% 23.7% $21

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 $1,904 in Cary, NC and $1,229 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cary, NC pays 91% 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 Cary, NC vs $71.0 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $486 vs $385 per month, with Calgary cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Cary, NC

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

08:29 8:29 AM

06:29 6:29 AM

2 h behind Cary, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

176,987

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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Cary, NC Calgary 3,270 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Cary, NC
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

Cary, NC vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 91% higher in Cary, NC, 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: $1,904 in Cary, NC 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 Cary, NC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,842 per month in Cary, NC versus $2,223 in Calgary – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,223 in Calgary versus $2,842 in Cary, NC, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Cary, NC. 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 28% less than in Cary, NC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.