Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Charleston, SC and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,223 a month against $3,314 in Charleston, SC, rent and utilities included – about $13,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

160

Cost of Living Index in Charleston, SC
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Charleston, SC Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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Charleston, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$3,314

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,314 in Charleston, SC versus $2,223 in Calgary.

Charleston, SC $3,314
Calgary $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,834 in Charleston, SC versus $3,301 in Calgary.

Charleston, SC $4,834
Calgary $3,301

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,355 in Charleston, SC versus $4,379 in Calgary.

Charleston, SC $6,355
Calgary $4,379

Living in Charleston, SC is roughly 49% more expensive than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Charleston, SC 145% 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

$131 $131

$71.1 CA$100

83.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.91 $11.91

$10.53 CA$14.89

13.11%

Cappuccino

$5.90 $5.90

$3.66 CA$5.18

61.20%

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

$2.91 $2.91

$1.98 CA$2.80

46.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 $2.37

$1.94 CA$2.74

22.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.68 $6.68

$4.95 CA$7.00

34.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.88 $7.88

$5.57 CA$7.87

41.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.88 CA$2.65

-38.83%

White Bread (500g)

$4.13 $4.13

$2.67 CA$3.78

54.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.57 $4.57

$5.32 CA$7.52

-14.10%

Eggs

$5.25 $5.25

$3.79 CA$5.35

38.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.51 $22.51

$11.09 CA$15.68

102.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.38 $14.38

$11.36 CA$16.05

26.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.97 $20.97

$18.40 CA$26.01

13.97%

Apples (1kg)

$7.97 $7.97

$4.56 CA$6.45

74.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.44 CA$2.04

29.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$4.08 CA$5.76

22.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$3.89 CA$5.50

82.26%

Potato (1kg)

$5.08 $5.08

$2.64 CA$3.73

92.42%

Onion (1kg)

$3.65 $3.65

$2.64 CA$3.73

38.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.50 CA$3.54

14.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.30 $3.30

$1.50 CA$2.12

120.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.84 $9.84

$14.05 CA$19.86

-29.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.33 $20.33

$15.70 CA$22.20

29.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 $2.74

$2.44 CA$3.45

12.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 $3.04

$3.09 CA$4.37

-1.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.82 CA$3.99

-29.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.8 $57.8

$88.6 CA$125

-34.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$3.12 CA$4.41

-1.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.35 CA$1.91

-8.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.67 $31.67

$27.02 CA$38.20

17.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.16 CA$1.64

-17.24%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$27.9K CA$39.5K

28.01%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$20.3K CA$28.8K

26.85%

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

$233 $233

$161 CA$227

45.00%

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

$78.3 $78.3

$38.13 CA$53.9

105.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.8 $85.8

$50.0 CA$70.7

71.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.77 $45.77

$51.5 CA$72.8

-11.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.74 $19.74

$18.14 CA$25.64

8.82%

Cinema Ticket

$14.14 $14.14

$13.82 CA$19.54

2.32%

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

$1,274 $1,274

$786 CA$1,111

62.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.2K $27.2K

$15.5K CA$21.8K

76.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.9 $78.9

$58.3 CA$82.4

35.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.52 $45.52

$39.27 CA$55.5

15.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 $114

$89.8 CA$127

26.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 $136

$110 CA$155

24.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,353 $2,353

$1,229 CA$1,737

91.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,728 $1,728

$1,001 CA$1,415

72.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,610 $3,610

$1,921 CA$2,716

87.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,630 $2,630

$1,621 CA$2,292

62.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,673 $5,673

$3,549 CA$5,018

59.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,048 $3,048

$3,335 CA$4,715

-8.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,858 $4,858

$3,165 CA$4,474

53.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

4.51

44.35%

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

Last update for Charleston, SC: 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

Charleston, SC

$1.7K 52.2%

Calgary

$1K 45% 42.1% $727

Groceries & Markets

Charleston, SC

$535 16.1%

Calgary

$385 17.3% 28% $150

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Charleston, SC

$397 12%

Calgary

$249 11.2% 37.3% $148

Eating Out

Charleston, SC

$336 10.1%

Calgary

$265 11.9% 21.1% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Charleston, SC

$169 5.1%

Calgary

$134 6% 20.7% $35

Getting Around

Charleston, SC

$75 2.3%

Calgary

$110 4.9% 46.6% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Charleston, SC

$74 2.2%

Calgary

$79 3.6% 6.9% $5.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,353 in Charleston, SC and $1,229 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Charleston, SC pays 54% 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: $131 in Charleston, SC vs $71.0 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $535 vs $385 per month, with Calgary cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Charleston, SC

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

12:54 12:54 PM

10:54 10:54 AM

2 h behind Charleston, SC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

150,227

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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Charleston, SC Calgary 3,430 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

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Charleston, SC
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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

Charleston, SC vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 49% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 54% higher in Charleston, SC, 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: $2,353 in Charleston, SC 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 $131 in Charleston, SC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,314 per month in Charleston, SC versus $2,223 in Calgary – a 49% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,223 in Calgary versus $3,314 in Charleston, SC, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Charleston, SC. 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 49% less than in Charleston, SC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.