Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dayton, OH and Calgary

For one person, living costs are similar in Dayton, OH and in Calgary: $2,214 and $2,255 a month, rent and utilities included.

Dayton, OH
🇺🇸 United States
$2,214
/mo nomad
Calgary
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,255
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,214 in Dayton, OH versus $2,255 in Calgary.

  • Dayton, OH $2,214
  • Calgary $2,255

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,280 in Dayton, OH versus $3,361 in Calgary.

  • Dayton, OH $3,280
  • Calgary $3,361

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,345 in Dayton, OH versus $4,468 in Calgary.

  • Dayton, OH $4,345
  • Calgary $4,468

Living in Dayton, OH costs roughly 2% less than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dayton, OH 63% above, Calgary 66% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Dayton, OH
Calgary
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.47 $14.47
$17.58 CA$24.85
-17.69%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$71.1 $71.1
$69.1 CA$97.6
2.98%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.90 $9.90
$10.59 CA$14.97
-6.52%
Cappuccino
$4.25 $4.25
$3.84 CA$5.42
10.68%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.24 $2.24
$1.93 CA$2.72
16.06%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.86 $1.86
$1.88 CA$2.66
-1.06%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.62 $4.62
$5.09 CA$7.20
-9.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.93 $5.93
$5.64 CA$7.97
5.14%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Dayton, OH
Calgary
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.79 $0.79
$2.00 CA$2.82
-60.50%
White Bread (500g)
$2.72 $2.72
$2.78 CA$3.93
-2.16%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.77 $3.77
$5.59 CA$7.90
-32.56%
Eggs
$3.61 $3.61
$3.70 CA$5.23
-2.43%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.32 $13.32
$11.48 CA$16.23
16.03%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$24.28 $24.28
$11.20 CA$15.84
116.79%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.25 $17.25
$18.59 CA$26.28
-7.21%
Apples (1kg)
$5.87 $5.87
$4.70 CA$6.64
24.89%
Banana (1kg)
$1.94 $1.94
$1.45 CA$2.05
33.79%
Oranges (1kg)
$7.23 $7.23
$4.34 CA$6.13
66.59%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.23 $5.23
$3.79 CA$5.36
37.99%
Potato (1kg)
$2.70 $2.70
$2.69 CA$3.81
0.37%
Onion (1kg)
$3.16 $3.16
$2.75 CA$3.88
14.91%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.21 $2.21
$2.56 CA$3.62
-13.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.78 $2.78
$1.50 CA$2.12
85.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.68 $9.68
$14.39 CA$20.34
-32.73%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.70 $19.70
$15.81 CA$22.35
24.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 $1.76
$2.47 CA$3.49
-28.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.56 $3.56
$3.10 CA$4.39
14.84%
🚌 Getting Around
Dayton, OH
Calgary
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.02 $4.02
$2.81 CA$3.97
43.06%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$49.33 $49.33
$90.6 CA$128
-45.54%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.07 $5.07
$3.28 CA$4.64
54.57%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.81 $1.81
$1.40 CA$1.97
29.29%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$50.9 $50.9
$26.49 CA$37.45
92.03%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.03 $1.03
$1.22 CA$1.72
-15.57%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.5K $27.5K
$28.4K CA$40.1K
-2.98%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.8K $26.8K
$20.8K CA$29.5K
28.53%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dayton, OH
Calgary
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$205 $205
$165 CA$233
24.29%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$50.2 $50.2
$38.24 CA$54.1
31.15%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$59.1 $59.1
$50.1 CA$70.9
17.93%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Dayton, OH
Calgary
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.95 $32.95
$53.8 CA$76.1
-38.75%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$45.30 $45.30
$18.04 CA$25.51
151.11%
Cinema Ticket
$14.14 $14.14
$14.04 CA$19.84
0.71%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Dayton, OH
Calgary
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$529 $529
$797 CA$1,126
-33.60%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,520 $6,520
$15.8K CA$22.3K
-58.75%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Dayton, OH
Calgary
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$39.13 $39.13
$59.1 CA$83.5
-33.76%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.07 $47.07
$40.20 CA$56.8
17.09%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$70.4 $70.4
$90.8 CA$128
-22.40%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 $122
$109 CA$155
11.75%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Dayton, OH
Calgary
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,194 $1,194
$1,207 CA$1,707
-1.08%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$901 $901
$1,011 CA$1,429
-10.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,597 $1,597
$1,949 CA$2,756
-18.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,398 $1,398
$1,677 CA$2,371
-16.66%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$3,532 CA$4,993
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,451 $1,451
$3,392 CA$4,795
-57.24%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Dayton, OH
Calgary
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,416 $3,416
$3,152 CA$4,456
8.37%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.74
4.51
49.45%

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

Last update for Dayton, OH: October 19, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Dayton, OH
$901
Calgary
$1K 12.3% $111
Groceries & Markets
Dayton, OH
$486
Calgary
$392 19.4% $94
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dayton, OH
$314
Calgary
$253 19.4% $61
Eating Out
Dayton, OH
$248
Calgary
$270 9.1% $23
Clothing & Footwear
Dayton, OH
$126
Calgary
$135 7.4% $9.2
Getting Around
Dayton, OH
$80
Calgary
$112 40.9% $33
Sport & Entertainment
Dayton, OH
$61
Calgary
$82 33.7% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,194 in Dayton, OH and $1,207 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dayton, OH pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $71.0 in Dayton, OH vs $69.0 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $486 vs $392 per month, with Calgary cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Dayton, OH
🇨🇦 Calgary
🕒 Local time
20:22 8:22 PM
18:22 6:22 PM
2 h behind Dayton, OH
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
156,771
1,267,344
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Dayton, OH Calgary 2,620 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Dayton, OH
  • 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
Dayton, OH vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Calgary cheaper than Dayton, OH?
Dayton, OH is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and transport. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Dayton, OH or Calgary?
Average pay runs 8% higher in Dayton, OH, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Dayton, OH and Calgary?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,194 in Dayton, OH versus $1,207 in Calgary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Is eating out cheaper in Dayton, OH or in Calgary?
Dining out is cheaper in Dayton, OH – a meal for two runs $71.0 versus $69.0 in Calgary. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
What are total monthly expenses in Dayton, OH and in Calgary?
All in, you'll spend $2,214 per month in Dayton, OH versus $2,255 in Calgary – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Dayton, OH or in Calgary?
At $2,214 in Dayton, OH versus $2,255 in Calgary, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Dayton, OH but tight or insufficient in Calgary. The gap between the two cities makes Dayton, OH the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Dayton, OH or in Calgary?
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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Dayton, OH gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Dayton, OH vs other spots: cost of living compared

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