Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Charlottesville, VA and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,223 a month against $2,973 in Charlottesville, VA, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

144

Cost of Living Index in Charlottesville, VA
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Charlottesville, VA Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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Charlottesville, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,973

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,973 in Charlottesville, VA versus $2,223 in Calgary.

Charlottesville, VA $2,973
Calgary $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,460 in Charlottesville, VA versus $3,301 in Calgary.

Charlottesville, VA $4,460
Calgary $3,301

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,948 in Charlottesville, VA versus $4,379 in Calgary.

Charlottesville, VA $5,948
Calgary $4,379

Living in Charlottesville, VA is roughly 34% more expensive than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Charlottesville, VA 120% above, Calgary 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.94 $19.94

$17.22 CA$24.34

15.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$71.1 CA$100

41.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.79 $12.79

$10.53 CA$14.89

21.46%

Cappuccino

$4.44 $4.44

$3.66 CA$5.18

21.31%

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

$2.71 $2.71

$1.98 CA$2.80

36.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.94 CA$2.74

-3.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.44 $6.44

$4.95 CA$7.00

30.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.85 $5.85

$5.57 CA$7.87

5.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.88 CA$2.65

-40.96%

White Bread (500g)

$3.67 $3.67

$2.67 CA$3.78

37.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$5.32 CA$7.52

26.69%

Eggs

$5.09 $5.09

$3.79 CA$5.35

34.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.05 $16.05

$11.09 CA$15.68

44.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.41 $15.41

$11.36 CA$16.05

35.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 $17.76

$18.40 CA$26.01

-3.48%

Apples (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$4.56 CA$6.45

42.98%

Banana (1kg)

$3.84 $3.84

$1.44 CA$2.04

166.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.38 $7.38

$4.08 CA$5.76

80.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.02 $8.02

$3.89 CA$5.50

106.17%

Potato (1kg)

$6.50 $6.50

$2.64 CA$3.73

146.21%

Onion (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$2.64 CA$3.73

146.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.50 CA$3.54

2.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.21 $3.21

$1.50 CA$2.12

114.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.29 $9.29

$14.05 CA$19.86

-33.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.65 $14.65

$15.70 CA$22.20

-6.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.44 CA$3.45

-27.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 $3.82

$3.09 CA$4.37

23.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 CA$3.99

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 CA$125

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.09 $4.09

$3.12 CA$4.41

31.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.35 CA$1.91

52.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.21 $25.21

$27.02 CA$38.20

-6.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.16 CA$1.64

-14.66%

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

$36.3K $36.3K

$27.9K CA$39.5K

29.90%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$20.3K CA$28.8K

23.63%

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

$291 $291

$161 CA$227

81.19%

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

$52.7 $52.7

$38.13 CA$53.9

38.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$99.4 $99.4

$50.0 CA$70.7

98.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.7 $69.7

$51.5 CA$72.8

35.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.56 $7.56

$18.14 CA$25.64

-58.32%

Cinema Ticket

$17.28 $17.28

$13.82 CA$19.54

25.04%

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

$1,391 $1,391

$786 CA$1,111

76.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K $30.2K

$15.5K CA$21.8K

95.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.77 $47.77

$58.3 CA$82.4

-18.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.26 $49.26

$39.27 CA$55.5

25.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.7 $94.7

$89.8 CA$127

5.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 $119

$110 CA$155

8.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 $1,967

$1,229 CA$1,737

60.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,432 $1,432

$1,001 CA$1,415

43.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,107 $3,107

$1,921 CA$2,716

61.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,621 CA$2,292

56.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,816 $2,816

$3,549 CA$5,018

-20.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,771 $2,771

$3,335 CA$4,715

-16.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,612 $4,612

$3,165 CA$4,474

45.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

4.51

46.12%

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

Last update for Charlottesville, VA: 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

Charlottesville, VA

$1.4K 48.2%

Calgary

$1K 45% 30.1% $431

Groceries & Markets

Charlottesville, VA

$526 17.7%

Calgary

$385 17.3% 26.8% $141

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Charlottesville, VA

$443 14.9%

Calgary

$249 11.2% 43.9% $194

Eating Out

Charlottesville, VA

$313 10.5%

Calgary

$265 11.9% 15.5% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Charlottesville, VA

$140 4.7%

Calgary

$134 6% 4.4% $6.2

Sport & Entertainment

Charlottesville, VA

$104 3.5%

Calgary

$79 3.6% 24.1% $25

Getting Around

Charlottesville, VA

$14 * 0.5%

Calgary

$110 4.9% 662% $95

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 $1,967 in Charlottesville, VA and $1,229 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Charlottesville, VA pays 46% 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: $101 in Charlottesville, VA vs $71.0 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $526 vs $385 per month, with Calgary cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Charlottesville, VA

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

10:57 10:57 AM

08:57 8:57 AM

2 h behind Charlottesville, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

43,475

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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Charlottesville, VA Calgary 3,130 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Charlottesville, VA
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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

Charlottesville, VA vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 34% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 46% higher in Charlottesville, VA, 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: $1,967 in Charlottesville, VA versus $1,229 in Calgary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,391 in Charlottesville, VA versus $786 in Calgary. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Calgary – a meal for two runs $71.0 versus $101 in Charlottesville, VA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,223 in Calgary versus $2,973 in Charlottesville, VA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Charlottesville, VA. 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 34% less than in Charlottesville, VA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.