Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Columbia, MD and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,232 a month against $3,341 in Columbia, MD, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

160

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

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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Columbia, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$3,341

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,232

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,341 in Columbia, MD versus $2,232 in Calgary.

Columbia, MD $3,341
Calgary $2,232

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,598 in Columbia, MD versus $3,363 in Calgary.

Columbia, MD $4,598
Calgary $3,363

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,856 in Columbia, MD versus $4,493 in Calgary.

Columbia, MD $5,856
Calgary $4,493

Living in Columbia, MD is roughly 50% more expensive than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Columbia, MD 149% above, Calgary 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.07 $18.07

$17.22 CA$24.54

4.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.4 $97.4

$71.2 CA$101

36.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.20 $12.20

$10.56 CA$15.06

15.53%

Cappuccino

$5.25 $5.25

$3.77 CA$5.38

39.26%

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

$3.11 $3.11

$1.91 CA$2.73

62.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 $2.68

$1.84 CA$2.63

45.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.34 $7.34

$4.86 CA$6.93

51.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.09 $10.09

$5.55 CA$7.91

81.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 $1.35

$1.88 CA$2.68

-28.19%

White Bread (500g)

$4.15 $4.15

$2.73 CA$3.89

52.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.05 $4.05

$5.34 CA$7.61

-24.16%

Eggs

$5.09 $5.09

$3.77 CA$5.37

35.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.15 $13.15

$11.29 CA$16.09

16.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.90 $16.90

$11.46 CA$16.34

47.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 $18.25

$18.26 CA$26.03

-0.05%

Apples (1kg)

$6.88 $6.88

$4.64 CA$6.62

48.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.44 CA$2.05

6.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.75 $5.75

$4.22 CA$6.02

36.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.67 $5.67

$3.86 CA$5.50

46.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.62 CA$3.74

7.25%

Onion (1kg)

$3.73 $3.73

$2.66 CA$3.79

40.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 $2.40

$2.59 CA$3.69

-7.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.53 CA$2.19

78.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.74 $13.74

$14.26 CA$20.32

-3.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.81 $15.81

$15.27 CA$21.76

3.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.41 CA$3.44

8.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 $3.78

$3.09 CA$4.41

22.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.88 CA$4.11

-32.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.79 $39.79

$88.7 CA$126

-55.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.78 $1.78

$3.23 CA$4.61

-44.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.38 CA$1.97

0.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.90 $23.90

$26.49 CA$37.75

-9.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.18 CA$1.68

-8.47%

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

$37.0K $37.0K

$28.3K CA$40.3K

30.70%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$20.7K CA$29.5K

25.47%

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

$212 $212

$159 CA$227

33.15%

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

$67.6 $67.6

$37.61 CA$53.6

79.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.3 $76.3

$49.68 CA$70.8

53.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.1 $50.1

$53.3 CA$75.9

-5.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.26 $20.26

$18.31 CA$26.10

10.65%

Cinema Ticket

$15.19 $15.19

$14.08 CA$20.06

7.88%

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

$2,021 $2,021

$809 CA$1,154

149.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.8K $34.8K

$15.9K CA$22.6K

119.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 $52.7

$58.8 CA$83.8

-10.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.5 $62.5

$38.84 CA$55.4

60.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 $99.8

$91.4 CA$130

9.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$109 CA$155

0.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 $2,094

$1,237 CA$1,764

69.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,844 $1,844

$996 CA$1,420

85.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,961 $2,961

$1,908 CA$2,720

55.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,640 $2,640

$1,671 CA$2,382

57.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,283 $2,283

$3,530 CA$5,032

-35.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,323 $2,323

$3,336 CA$4,755

-30.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,740 $5,740

$3,130 CA$4,461

83.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

4.51

47.01%

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

Last update for Columbia, MD: October 4, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Columbia, MD

$1.8K 56.2%

Calgary

$996 44.8% 46% $848

Groceries & Markets

Columbia, MD

$476 14.5%

Calgary

$387 17.4% 18.6% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Columbia, MD

$356 10.8%

Calgary

$247 11.1% 30.7% $109

Eating Out

Columbia, MD

$324 9.9%

Calgary

$265 11.9% 18.2% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Columbia, MD

$146 4.5%

Calgary

$134 6% 8.2% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Columbia, MD

$80 2.5%

Calgary

$81 3.7% 1.1% $0.9

Getting Around

Columbia, MD

$56 1.7%

Calgary

$110 5% 96.1% $54

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,094 in Columbia, MD and $1,237 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Columbia, MD pays 83% 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: $97.0 in Columbia, MD vs $71.0 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $476 vs $387 per month, with Calgary cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Columbia, MD

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

11:03 11:03 AM

09:03 9:03 AM

2 h behind Columbia, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

139,698

1,267,344

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Columbia, MD Calgary 3,160 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Columbia, 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

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

Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 50% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 83% higher in Columbia, 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: $2,094 in Columbia, MD versus $1,237 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 $97.0 in Columbia, MD. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,341 per month in Columbia, MD versus $2,232 in Calgary – a 50% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,232 in Calgary versus $3,341 in Columbia, MD, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Columbia, 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 50% less than in Columbia, MD. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.