Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dartmouth and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Dartmouth: $1,993 a month against $2,223 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

96

Cost of Living Index in Dartmouth
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Dartmouth Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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Dartmouth

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,993

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,993 in Dartmouth versus $2,223 in Calgary.

Dartmouth $1,993
Calgary $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,990 in Dartmouth versus $3,301 in Calgary.

Dartmouth $2,990
Calgary $3,301

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,987 in Dartmouth versus $4,379 in Calgary.

Dartmouth $3,987
Calgary $4,379

Living in Dartmouth costs roughly 10% less than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dartmouth 48% above, Calgary 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.55 CA$14.91

$17.22 CA$24.34

-38.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.5 CA$82.7

$71.1 CA$100

-17.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.96 CA$9.84

$10.53 CA$14.89

-33.90%

Cappuccino

$3.56 CA$5.04

$3.66 CA$5.18

-2.73%

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

$2.00 CA$2.82

$1.98 CA$2.80

1.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.66

$1.94 CA$2.74

-3.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.45 CA$6.30

$4.95 CA$7.00

-10.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 CA$8.05

$5.57 CA$7.87

2.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 CA$3.36

$1.88 CA$2.65

26.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 CA$2.89

$2.67 CA$3.78

-23.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 CA$4.68

$5.32 CA$7.52

-37.78%

Eggs

$3.49 CA$4.93

$3.79 CA$5.35

-7.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.64 CA$10.80

$11.09 CA$15.68

-31.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.18 CA$12.98

$11.36 CA$16.05

-19.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.37 CA$14.65

$18.40 CA$26.01

-43.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 CA$4.78

$4.56 CA$6.45

-25.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 CA$2.15

$1.44 CA$2.04

5.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.47 CA$6.32

$4.08 CA$5.76

9.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.75 CA$8.12

$3.89 CA$5.50

47.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 CA$2.86

$2.64 CA$3.73

-23.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 CA$2.98

$2.64 CA$3.73

-20.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 CA$3.51

$2.50 CA$3.54

-0.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 CA$3.01

$1.50 CA$2.12

42.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.95 CA$19.72

$14.05 CA$19.86

-0.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.17 CA$20.03

$15.70 CA$22.20

-9.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 CA$4.74

$2.44 CA$3.45

37.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 CA$5.47

$3.09 CA$4.37

25.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 CA$2.78

$2.82 CA$3.99

-30.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.6 CA$84.2

$88.6 CA$125

-32.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.76 CA$3.90

$3.12 CA$4.41

-11.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 CA$1.86

$1.35 CA$1.91

-2.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.34 CA$30.17

$27.02 CA$38.20

-21.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 CA$1.58

$1.16 CA$1.64

-3.45%

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

$28.0K CA$39.5K

$27.9K CA$39.5K

0.23%

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

$18.9K CA$26.7K

$20.3K CA$28.8K

-7.30%

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

$77.5 CA$109

$161 CA$227

-51.82%

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

$41.92 CA$59.3

$38.13 CA$53.9

9.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.3 CA$89.5

$50.0 CA$70.7

26.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.19 CA$49.75

$51.5 CA$72.8

-31.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 CA$25.64

Cinema Ticket

$12.41 CA$17.54

$13.82 CA$19.54

-10.20%

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

$373 CA$527

$786 CA$1,111

-52.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K CA$18.7K

$15.5K CA$21.8K

-14.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.41 CA$55.7

$58.3 CA$82.4

-32.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.13 CA$46.84

$39.27 CA$55.5

-15.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.7 CA$94.3

$89.8 CA$127

-25.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.6 CA$105

$110 CA$155

-32.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 CA$1,717

$1,229 CA$1,737

-1.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,037 CA$1,466

$1,001 CA$1,415

3.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 CA$2,765

$1,921 CA$2,716

1.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,818 CA$2,570

$1,621 CA$2,292

12.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,549 CA$5,018

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,335 CA$4,715

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,539 CA$3,589

$3,165 CA$4,474

-19.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

4.51

2.00%

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

Last update for Dartmouth: October 13, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dartmouth

$1K 52.1%

Calgary

$1K 45% 3.5% $36

Groceries & Markets

Dartmouth

$343 17.2%

Calgary

$385 17.3% 12.5% $43

Eating Out

Dartmouth

$197 9.9%

Calgary

$265 11.9% 34.3% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dartmouth

$183 9.2%

Calgary

$249 11.2% 36.3% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Dartmouth

$96 4.8%

Calgary

$134 6% 39% $37

Getting Around

Dartmouth

$77 3.9%

Calgary

$110 4.9% 43% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Dartmouth

$60 3%

Calgary

$79 3.6% 31.9% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,215 in Dartmouth and $1,229 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays 25% 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: $58.0 in Dartmouth vs $71.0 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $343 vs $385 per month, with Dartmouth cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Dartmouth

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

06:29 6:29 AM

03:29 3:29 AM

3 h behind Dartmouth

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

70,000

1,267,344

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Dartmouth Calgary 3,760 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Dartmouth
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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Dartmouth vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dartmouth is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 25% lower in Calgary. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,215 in Dartmouth 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 Dartmouth – a meal for two runs $58.0 versus $71.0 in Calgary. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,993 per month in Dartmouth versus $2,223 in Calgary – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,993 in Dartmouth versus $2,223 in Calgary, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Dartmouth but tight or insufficient in Calgary. The gap between the two cities makes Dartmouth 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 Dartmouth gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.