Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Columbus, IN and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Columbus, IN: $2,064 a month against $2,232 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. The total is higher in Calgary despite lower rent and utilities.

101

Cost of Living Index in Columbus, IN
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Columbus, IN Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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Columbus, IN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,064

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,232

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,064 in Columbus, IN versus $2,232 in Calgary.

Columbus, IN $2,064
Calgary $2,232

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,089 in Columbus, IN versus $3,363 in Calgary.

Columbus, IN $3,089
Calgary $3,363

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,115 in Columbus, IN versus $4,493 in Calgary.

Columbus, IN $4,115
Calgary $4,493

Living in Columbus, IN costs roughly 8% less than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Columbus, IN 54% above, Calgary 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.72 $14.72

$17.22 CA$24.54

-14.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.43 $49.43

$71.2 CA$101

-30.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 $9.89

$10.56 CA$15.06

-6.34%

Cappuccino

$5.08 $5.08

$3.77 CA$5.38

34.75%

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

$2.21 $2.21

$1.91 CA$2.73

15.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.84 CA$2.63

-7.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.36 $5.36

$4.86 CA$6.93

10.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.35 $7.35

$5.55 CA$7.91

32.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.88 CA$2.68

-49.47%

White Bread (500g)

$3.23 $3.23

$2.73 CA$3.89

18.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.40 $3.40

$5.34 CA$7.61

-36.33%

Eggs

$2.27 $2.27

$3.77 CA$5.37

-39.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.05 $13.05

$11.29 CA$16.09

15.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.09 $11.09

$11.46 CA$16.34

-3.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.72 $9.72

$18.26 CA$26.03

-46.77%

Apples (1kg)

$4.41 $4.41

$4.64 CA$6.62

-4.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.44 CA$2.05

-8.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 $4.20

$4.22 CA$6.02

-0.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$3.86 CA$5.50

12.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.62 CA$3.74

-0.76%

Onion (1kg)

$3.32 $3.32

$2.66 CA$3.79

24.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.59 CA$3.69

-20.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 $0.44

$1.53 CA$2.19

-71.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.11 $8.11

$14.26 CA$20.32

-43.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.95 $14.95

$15.27 CA$21.76

-2.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.41 CA$3.44

-14.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$3.09 CA$4.41

-1.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 CA$4.11

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.7 CA$126

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.23 CA$4.61

14.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.38 CA$1.97

-11.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.70 $24.70

$26.49 CA$37.75

-6.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.18 CA$1.68

-22.88%

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

$36.3K $36.3K

$28.3K CA$40.3K

28.30%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$20.7K CA$29.5K

22.63%

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

$150 $150

$159 CA$227

-5.95%

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

$55.0 $55.0

$37.61 CA$53.6

46.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.3 $73.3

$49.68 CA$70.8

47.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.15 $45.15

$53.3 CA$75.9

-15.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.29 $35.29

$18.31 CA$26.10

92.74%

Cinema Ticket

$11.92 $11.92

$14.08 CA$20.06

-15.34%

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

$1,438 $1,438

$809 CA$1,154

77.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K $19.5K

$15.9K CA$22.6K

23.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.40 $45.40

$58.8 CA$83.8

-22.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.90 $39.90

$38.84 CA$55.4

2.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.9 $85.9

$91.4 CA$130

-6.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$109 CA$155

0.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,336 $1,336

$1,237 CA$1,764

7.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,004 $1,004

$996 CA$1,420

0.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,832 $1,832

$1,908 CA$2,720

-4.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,791 $1,791

$1,671 CA$2,382

7.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,645 $1,645

$3,530 CA$5,032

-53.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,629 $1,629

$3,336 CA$4,755

-51.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,994 $3,994

$3,130 CA$4,461

27.60%

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 Columbus, IN: October 3, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Columbus, IN

$1K 48.2%

Calgary

$996 44.8% 0.8% $7.7

Groceries & Markets

Columbus, IN

$331 15.9%

Calgary

$387 17.4% 17% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Columbus, IN

$278 13.4%

Calgary

$247 11.1% 11.3% $32

Eating Out

Columbus, IN

$266 12.8%

Calgary

$265 11.9% 0.2% $0.5

Clothing & Footwear

Columbus, IN

$126 6.1%

Calgary

$134 6% 6.1% $7.7

Sport & Entertainment

Columbus, IN

$69 3.3%

Calgary

$81 3.7% 18% $12

Getting Around

Columbus, IN

$9.8 * 0.5%

Calgary

$110 5% 1030% $101

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 $1,336 in Columbus, IN and $1,237 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Columbus, IN pays 28% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $49.00 in Columbus, IN vs $71.0 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $331 vs $387 per month, with Columbus, IN cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Columbus, IN

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

19:12 7:12 PM

17:12 5:12 PM

2 h behind Columbus, IN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

905,748

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 11, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 11, 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Columbus, IN Calgary 2,550 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Columbus, IN
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

Columbus, IN vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Columbus, IN is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 28% higher in Columbus, IN, 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: $1,336 in Columbus, IN versus $1,237 in Calgary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,438 in Columbus, IN versus $809 in Calgary. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Columbus, IN – a meal for two runs $49.00 versus $71.0 in Calgary. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,064 in Columbus, IN versus $2,232 in Calgary, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Columbus, IN but tight or insufficient in Calgary. The gap between the two cities makes Columbus, IN 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 Columbus, IN gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.