Cost of Living Comparison Between Dortmund and Calgary Cost of Living Comparison Between Dortmund and Calgary

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,123 in Dortmund versus $2,462 in Calgary.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,319 in Dortmund versus $3,628 in Calgary.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,514 in Dortmund versus $4,795 in Calgary.

Living in Dortmund costs roughly 14% less than in Calgary, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dortmund 59% above, Calgary 84% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €15.12

$18.33 CA$25.70

-5.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 €55.2

$69.9 CA$98.0

-9.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.62 €11.03

$10.95 CA$15.35

15.25%

Cappuccino

$3.64 €3.18

$3.74 CA$5.24

-2.67%

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

$2.82 €2.47

$2.04 CA$2.86

38.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 €2.39

$1.67 CA$2.34

63.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.88 €5.14

$5.20 CA$7.29

13.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.12 €3.60

$6.71 CA$9.41

-38.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.02

$2.25 CA$3.15

-48.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 €2.03

$2.75 CA$3.85

-15.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.38 €2.95

$3.23 CA$4.53

4.64%

Eggs

$3.75 €3.27

$3.45 CA$4.83

8.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.66 €12.80

$14.40 CA$20.19

1.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.20 €12.41

$12.89 CA$18.07

10.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.78 €16.41

$15.86 CA$22.24

18.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$4.30 CA$6.02

-24.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 €1.63

$1.34 CA$1.88

39.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 €2.08

$3.85 CA$5.40

-38.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.16 €4.51

$4.25 CA$5.97

21.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.59

$2.55 CA$3.57

-28.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 €1.64

$2.62 CA$3.68

-28.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 €1.71

$2.80 CA$3.92

-30.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 €0.97

$1.95 CA$2.73

-43.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.63 €8.41

$14.97 CA$20.99

-35.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.93 €6.05

$13.90 CA$19.49

-50.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 €0.95

$2.92 CA$4.10

-62.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.48

$3.91 CA$5.48

-56.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.91 €3.41

$2.74 CA$3.84

42.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.8 €54.0

$87.8 CA$123

-29.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 €5.05

$3.60 CA$5.04

60.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.93 €1.69

$1.30 CA$1.82

48.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$68.9 €60.2

$28.70 CA$40.24

140.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 €1.78

$1.12 CA$1.57

82.14%

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

$31.5K €27.5K

$25.5K CA$35.7K

23.55%

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

$37.9K €33.1K

$21.7K CA$30.5K

74.31%

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

$428 €374

$213 CA$299

100.80%

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

$36.79 €32.15

$40.96 CA$57.4

-10.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 €48.62

$57.9 CA$81.2

-3.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.86 €39.20

$54.2 CA$76.0

-17.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.01 €20.10

$53.8 CA$75.4

-57.19%

Cinema Ticket

$17.68 €15.44

$12.63 CA$17.71

39.98%

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

$426 €373

$874 CA$1,226

-51.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.9K €25.3K

$15.9K CA$22.3K

82.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.6 €83.5

$58.6 CA$82.2

63.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.18 €39.47

$47.01 CA$65.9

-3.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €92.9

$85.1 CA$119

25.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$180 €157

$108 CA$151

67.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$767 €670

$1,380 CA$1,935

-44.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 €545

$1,159 CA$1,625

-46.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,338 €1,169

$2,324 CA$3,259

-42.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,361 €1,189

$1,905 CA$2,670

-28.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,014 €2,634

$3,786 CA$5,308

-20.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,261 €1,975

$3,511 CA$4,922

-35.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,239 €2,830

$2,940 CA$4,121

10.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.98

5.71

-30.30%

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

Last update for Dortmund: July 12, 2026

Last update for Calgary: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $767 in Dortmund and $1,380 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dortmund pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Dortmund vs $70.0 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $351 vs $396 per month, with Dortmund cheaper across the board.

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

Dortmund vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dortmund is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 10% higher in Dortmund, 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: $767 in Dortmund versus $1,380 in Calgary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Dortmund – a meal for two runs $63.0 versus $70.0 in Calgary. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,123 per month in Dortmund versus $2,462 in Calgary – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,123 in Dortmund versus $2,462 in Calgary, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Dortmund but tight or insufficient in Calgary. The gap between the two cities makes Dortmund 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.

Safety-wise, Dortmund and Calgary are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Dortmund gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.