Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hackensack, NJ and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,223 a month against $3,405 in Hackensack, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $14,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

164

Cost of Living Index in Hackensack, NJ
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Hackensack, NJ Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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Hackensack, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,405

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,405 in Hackensack, NJ versus $2,223 in Calgary.

Hackensack, NJ $3,405
Calgary $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,132 in Hackensack, NJ versus $3,301 in Calgary.

Hackensack, NJ $5,132
Calgary $3,301

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,859 in Hackensack, NJ versus $4,379 in Calgary.

Hackensack, NJ $6,859
Calgary $4,379

Living in Hackensack, NJ is roughly 53% more expensive than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hackensack, NJ 152% above, Calgary 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.80 $24.80

$17.22 CA$24.34

44.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.3 $98.3

$71.1 CA$100

38.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.26 $13.26

$10.53 CA$14.89

25.93%

Cappuccino

$5.58 $5.58

$3.66 CA$5.18

52.46%

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

$2.37 $2.37

$1.98 CA$2.80

19.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.94 CA$2.74

-17.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.77 $7.77

$4.95 CA$7.00

56.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.82 $7.82

$5.57 CA$7.87

40.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.88 CA$2.65

-28.72%

White Bread (500g)

$4.21 $4.21

$2.67 CA$3.78

57.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.98 $5.98

$5.32 CA$7.52

12.41%

Eggs

$5.86 $5.86

$3.79 CA$5.35

54.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.41 $12.41

$11.09 CA$15.68

11.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 $7.77

$11.36 CA$16.05

-31.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.01 $17.01

$18.40 CA$26.01

-7.55%

Apples (1kg)

$5.33 $5.33

$4.56 CA$6.45

16.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.44 CA$2.04

22.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$4.08 CA$5.76

5.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.41 $5.41

$3.89 CA$5.50

39.07%

Potato (1kg)

$3.11 $3.11

$2.64 CA$3.73

17.80%

Onion (1kg)

$3.02 $3.02

$2.64 CA$3.73

14.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 $2.84

$2.50 CA$3.54

13.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 $2.84

$1.50 CA$2.12

89.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.53 $11.53

$14.05 CA$19.86

-17.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.74 $14.74

$15.70 CA$22.20

-6.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.44 CA$3.45

-27.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 $3.59

$3.09 CA$4.37

16.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.53 $3.53

$2.82 CA$3.99

25.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.4 $60.4

$88.6 CA$125

-31.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 $2.93

$3.12 CA$4.41

-6.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.35 CA$1.91

48.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.94 $23.94

$27.02 CA$38.20

-11.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.16 CA$1.64

-4.31%

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

$35.1K $35.1K

$27.9K CA$39.5K

25.88%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$20.3K CA$28.8K

25.00%

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

$216 $216

$161 CA$227

34.31%

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

$55.2 $55.2

$38.13 CA$53.9

44.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.4 $50.4

$50.0 CA$70.7

0.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.14 $44.14

$51.5 CA$72.8

-14.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 CA$25.64

Cinema Ticket

$20.06 $20.06

$13.82 CA$19.54

45.15%

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

$1,394 $1,394

$786 CA$1,111

77.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K $15.8K

$15.5K CA$21.8K

2.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.94 $43.94

$58.3 CA$82.4

-24.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.3 $57.3

$39.27 CA$55.5

45.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$89.8 CA$127

-3.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 $101

$110 CA$155

-8.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,389 $2,389

$1,229 CA$1,737

94.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,988 $1,988

$1,001 CA$1,415

98.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,217 $4,217

$1,921 CA$2,716

119.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,633 $3,633

$1,621 CA$2,292

124.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,594 $3,594

$3,549 CA$5,018

1.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,354 $3,354

$3,335 CA$4,715

0.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,238 $6,238

$3,165 CA$4,474

97.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

4.51

50.78%

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

Last update for Hackensack, NJ: October 11, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hackensack, NJ

$2K 58.4%

Calgary

$1K 45% 49.6% $987

Groceries & Markets

Hackensack, NJ

$418 12.3%

Calgary

$385 17.3% 7.8% $33

Eating Out

Hackensack, NJ

$375 11%

Calgary

$265 11.9% 29.4% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hackensack, NJ

$322 9.4%

Calgary

$249 11.2% 22.6% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Hackensack, NJ

$130 3.8%

Calgary

$134 6% 2.8% $3.6

Getting Around

Hackensack, NJ

$87 2.6%

Calgary

$110 4.9% 25.6% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Hackensack, NJ

$84 2.5%

Calgary

$79 3.6% 6.1% $5.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,389 in Hackensack, NJ and $1,229 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hackensack, NJ pays 97% 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: $98.0 in Hackensack, NJ vs $71.0 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $418 vs $385 per month, with Calgary cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Hackensack, NJ

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

00:40 12:40 AM

22:40 10:40 PM

2 h behind Hackensack, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,756

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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 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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Hackensack, NJ Calgary 3,250 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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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

Hackensack, NJ vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 53% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 97% higher in Hackensack, NJ, 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: $2,389 in Hackensack, NJ 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 $98.0 in Hackensack, NJ. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,405 per month in Hackensack, NJ versus $2,223 in Calgary – a 53% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,223 in Calgary versus $3,405 in Hackensack, NJ, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Hackensack, NJ. 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 Hackensack, NJ, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Hackensack, NJ 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 53% less than in Hackensack, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.