Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Detroit, MI and Calgary

For one person, living costs are similar in Detroit, MI and in Calgary: $2,329 and $2,255 a month, rent and utilities included.

114

Cost of Living Index in Detroit, MI
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Detroit, MI Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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Detroit, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,329

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,255

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,329 in Detroit, MI versus $2,255 in Calgary.

Detroit, MI $2,329
Calgary $2,255

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,536 in Detroit, MI versus $3,361 in Calgary.

Detroit, MI $3,536
Calgary $3,361

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,744 in Detroit, MI versus $4,468 in Calgary.

Detroit, MI $4,744
Calgary $4,468

Living in Detroit, MI is roughly 3% more expensive than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Detroit, MI 72% above, Calgary 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.71 $17.71

$17.58 CA$24.85

0.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.0 $62.0

$69.1 CA$97.6

-10.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.18 $13.18

$10.59 CA$14.97

24.46%

Cappuccino

$5.58 $5.58

$3.84 CA$5.42

45.31%

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

$3.16 $3.16

$1.93 CA$2.72

63.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.88 CA$2.66

7.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$5.09 CA$7.20

54.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.89 $8.89

$5.64 CA$7.97

57.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$2.00 CA$2.82

-48.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.54 $3.54

$2.78 CA$3.93

27.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.53 $5.53

$5.59 CA$7.90

-1.07%

Eggs

$3.88 $3.88

$3.70 CA$5.23

4.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.52 $13.52

$11.48 CA$16.23

17.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.23 $11.23

$11.20 CA$15.84

0.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.72 $16.72

$18.59 CA$26.28

-10.06%

Apples (1kg)

$5.04 $5.04

$4.70 CA$6.64

7.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.45 CA$2.05

6.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$4.34 CA$6.13

5.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$3.79 CA$5.36

24.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 $2.57

$2.69 CA$3.81

-4.46%

Onion (1kg)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.75 CA$3.88

13.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 $2.33

$2.56 CA$3.62

-8.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.50 CA$2.12

62.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.52 $10.52

$14.39 CA$20.34

-26.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.43 $15.43

$15.81 CA$22.35

-2.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.47 CA$3.49

23.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 $3.49

$3.10 CA$4.39

12.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.81 CA$3.97

-28.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$120 $120

$90.6 CA$128

32.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.97 $2.97

$3.28 CA$4.64

-9.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.40 CA$1.97

8.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.20 $24.20

$26.49 CA$37.45

-8.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.22 CA$1.72

-5.74%

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

$34.7K $34.7K

$28.4K CA$40.1K

22.16%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$20.8K CA$29.5K

27.23%

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

$213 $213

$165 CA$233

29.16%

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

$59.6 $59.6

$38.24 CA$54.1

55.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.5 $69.5

$50.1 CA$70.9

38.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.16 $34.16

$53.8 CA$76.1

-36.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.65 $17.65

$18.04 CA$25.51

-2.16%

Cinema Ticket

$11.90 $11.90

$14.04 CA$19.84

-15.24%

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

$1,346 $1,346

$797 CA$1,126

68.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.7K $31.7K

$15.8K CA$22.3K

100.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 $60.0

$59.1 CA$83.5

1.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.12 $41.12

$40.20 CA$56.8

2.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.0 $97.0

$90.8 CA$128

6.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$109 CA$155

7.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,490 $1,490

$1,207 CA$1,707

23.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$910 $910

$1,011 CA$1,429

-10.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,854 $2,854

$1,949 CA$2,756

46.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,720 $1,720

$1,677 CA$2,371

2.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,958 $3,958

$3,532 CA$4,993

12.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,259 $1,259

$3,392 CA$4,795

-62.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,274 $3,274

$3,152 CA$4,456

3.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.49

4.51

43.90%

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

Last update for Detroit, MI: October 17, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Detroit, MI

$910 39.1%

Calgary

$1K 44.8% 11.1% $101

Groceries & Markets

Detroit, MI

$412 17.7%

Calgary

$392 17.4% 5% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Detroit, MI

$342 14.7%

Calgary

$253 11.2% 26% $89

Eating Out

Detroit, MI

$326 14%

Calgary

$270 12% 17.1% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Detroit, MI

$142 6.1%

Calgary

$135 6% 5% $7.1

Getting Around

Detroit, MI

$139 6%

Calgary

$112 5% 19.2% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Detroit, MI

$58 2.5%

Calgary

$82 3.6% 41.3% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,490 in Detroit, MI and $1,207 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Detroit, MI pays 4% 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: $62.0 in Detroit, MI vs $69.0 in Calgary. Groceries flip the comparison at $412 vs $392, with Calgary cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Detroit, MI

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

03:36 3:36 AM

01:36 1:36 AM

2 h behind Detroit, MI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

632,464

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 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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Detroit, MI Calgary 2,530 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

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Detroit, MI
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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

Detroit, MI vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 4% higher in Detroit, MI, 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: $1,490 in Detroit, MI versus $1,207 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 $69.0 versus $62.0 in Detroit, MI. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,329 per month in Detroit, MI versus $2,255 in Calgary – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,255 in Calgary versus $2,329 in Detroit, MI, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Detroit, MI. 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 3% less than in Detroit, MI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.