Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Durham, NC and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,223 a month against $2,554 in Durham, NC, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Durham, NC
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Durham, NC Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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Durham, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,554

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,554 in Durham, NC versus $2,223 in Calgary.

Durham, NC $2,554
Calgary $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,914 in Durham, NC versus $3,301 in Calgary.

Durham, NC $3,914
Calgary $3,301

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,274 in Durham, NC versus $4,379 in Calgary.

Durham, NC $5,274
Calgary $4,379

Living in Durham, NC is roughly 15% more expensive than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Durham, NC 89% above, Calgary 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.60 $15.60

$17.22 CA$24.34

-9.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 $103

$71.1 CA$100

45.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.06 $10.06

$10.53 CA$14.89

-4.46%

Cappuccino

$4.61 $4.61

$3.66 CA$5.18

25.96%

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

$3.15 $3.15

$1.98 CA$2.80

59.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.94 CA$2.74

6.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.85 $5.85

$4.95 CA$7.00

18.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.96 $6.96

$5.57 CA$7.87

24.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.88 CA$2.65

-37.23%

White Bread (500g)

$4.96 $4.96

$2.67 CA$3.78

85.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.45 $4.45

$5.32 CA$7.52

-16.35%

Eggs

$3.48 $3.48

$3.79 CA$5.35

-8.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.27 $19.27

$11.09 CA$15.68

73.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.78 $16.78

$11.36 CA$16.05

47.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.16 $17.16

$18.40 CA$26.01

-6.74%

Apples (1kg)

$5.73 $5.73

$4.56 CA$6.45

25.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.44 CA$2.04

28.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.76 $3.76

$4.08 CA$5.76

-7.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.60 $4.60

$3.89 CA$5.50

18.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$2.64 CA$3.73

-13.26%

Onion (1kg)

$3.89 $3.89

$2.64 CA$3.73

47.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.71 $2.71

$2.50 CA$3.54

8.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.50 CA$2.12

31.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.98 $7.98

$14.05 CA$19.86

-43.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.09 $15.09

$15.70 CA$22.20

-3.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 $1.48

$2.44 CA$3.45

-39.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 $4.00

$3.09 CA$4.37

29.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 $1.52

$2.82 CA$3.99

-46.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.28 $25.28

$88.6 CA$125

-71.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 $1.96

$3.12 CA$4.41

-37.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 $0.60

$1.35 CA$1.91

-55.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.02 CA$38.20

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.16 CA$1.64

-17.24%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.9K CA$39.5K

25.58%

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

$24.8K $24.8K

$20.3K CA$28.8K

21.75%

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

$224 $224

$161 CA$227

39.31%

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

$56.2 $56.2

$38.13 CA$53.9

47.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.9 $70.9

$50.0 CA$70.7

41.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.70 $49.70

$51.5 CA$72.8

-3.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 CA$25.64

Cinema Ticket

$13.19 $13.19

$13.82 CA$19.54

-4.56%

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

$1,542 $1,542

$786 CA$1,111

96.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.5K CA$21.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.17 $44.17

$58.3 CA$82.4

-24.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.03 $34.03

$39.27 CA$55.5

-13.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 $92.3

$89.8 CA$127

2.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$110 CA$155

22.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,710 $1,710

$1,229 CA$1,737

39.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 $1,220

$1,001 CA$1,415

21.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,543 $2,543

$1,921 CA$2,716

32.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,210 $2,210

$1,621 CA$2,292

36.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,757 $2,757

$3,549 CA$5,018

-22.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,680 $2,680

$3,335 CA$4,715

-19.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,585 $4,585

$3,165 CA$4,474

44.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

4.51

51.00%

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

Last update for Durham, NC: October 12, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Durham, NC

$1.2K 47.8%

Calgary

$1K 45% 17.9% $219

Groceries & Markets

Durham, NC

$459 18%

Calgary

$385 17.3% 16% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Durham, NC

$351 13.7%

Calgary

$249 11.2% 29.1% $102

Eating Out

Durham, NC

$274 10.7%

Calgary

$265 11.9% 3.5% $9.5

Clothing & Footwear

Durham, NC

$137 5.4%

Calgary

$134 6% 2.7% $3.7

Sport & Entertainment

Durham, NC

$76 3%

Calgary

$79 3.6% 4% $3.1

Getting Around

Durham, NC

$36 1.4%

Calgary

$110 4.9% 202% $73

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,710 in Durham, NC and $1,229 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Durham, NC pays 45% 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: $103 in Durham, NC vs $71.0 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $459 vs $385 per month, with Calgary cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Durham, NC

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

08:01 8:01 AM

06:01 6:01 AM

2 h behind Durham, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

283,506

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 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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Durham, NC Calgary 3,250 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

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Durham, NC
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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

Durham, NC vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 45% higher in Durham, NC, 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: $1,710 in Durham, NC 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 Calgary – a meal for two runs $71.0 versus $103 in Durham, NC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,554 per month in Durham, NC versus $2,223 in Calgary – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,223 in Calgary versus $2,554 in Durham, NC, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Durham, NC. The gap between the two cities makes Calgary the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Calgary is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Durham, NC, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Durham, NC 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 Calgary gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Durham, NC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.