Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hartford, CT and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,255 a month against $2,496 in Hartford, CT, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Hartford, CT
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Hartford, CT Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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Hartford, CT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,496

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,255

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,496 in Hartford, CT versus $2,255 in Calgary.

Hartford, CT $2,496
Calgary $2,255

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,578 in Hartford, CT versus $3,361 in Calgary.

Hartford, CT $3,578
Calgary $3,361

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,661 in Hartford, CT versus $4,468 in Calgary.

Hartford, CT $4,661
Calgary $4,468

Living in Hartford, CT is roughly 11% more expensive than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hartford, CT 84% above, Calgary 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.30 $20.30

$17.58 CA$24.85

15.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.9 $98.9

$69.1 CA$97.6

43.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.82 $11.82

$10.59 CA$14.97

11.61%

Cappuccino

$3.99 $3.99

$3.84 CA$5.42

3.91%

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

$2.59 $2.59

$1.93 CA$2.72

34.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.88 CA$2.66

-22.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.20 $7.20

$5.09 CA$7.20

41.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.32 $7.32

$5.64 CA$7.97

29.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 $1.34

$2.00 CA$2.82

-33.00%

White Bread (500g)

$4.87 $4.87

$2.78 CA$3.93

75.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.18 $4.18

$5.59 CA$7.90

-25.22%

Eggs

$4.18 $4.18

$3.70 CA$5.23

12.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.59 $18.59

$11.48 CA$16.23

61.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.12 $13.12

$11.20 CA$15.84

17.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.12 $17.12

$18.59 CA$26.28

-7.91%

Apples (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$4.70 CA$6.64

45.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.45 CA$2.05

42.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 $4.74

$4.34 CA$6.13

9.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.30 $4.30

$3.79 CA$5.36

13.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 $1.59

$2.69 CA$3.81

-40.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.72 $2.72

$2.75 CA$3.88

-1.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 $1.11

$2.56 CA$3.62

-56.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.50 CA$2.12

70.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.39 $13.39

$14.39 CA$20.34

-6.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.74 $15.74

$15.81 CA$22.35

-0.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.47 CA$3.49

-28.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$3.10 CA$4.39

-34.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.81 CA$3.97

-38.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.1 $62.1

$90.6 CA$128

-31.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.97 $2.97

$3.28 CA$4.64

-9.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.40 CA$1.97

57.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.52 $41.52

$26.49 CA$37.45

56.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.22 CA$1.72

-13.11%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$28.4K CA$40.1K

-2.51%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$20.8K CA$29.5K

23.30%

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

$192 $192

$165 CA$233

16.31%

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

$53.7 $53.7

$38.24 CA$54.1

40.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.7 $52.7

$50.1 CA$70.9

5.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.1 $50.1

$53.8 CA$76.1

-6.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.56 $30.56

$18.04 CA$25.51

69.40%

Cinema Ticket

$12.74 $12.74

$14.04 CA$19.84

-9.26%

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

$826 $826

$797 CA$1,126

3.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.8K $32.8K

$15.8K CA$22.3K

107.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.2 $57.2

$59.1 CA$83.5

-3.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.86 $37.86

$40.20 CA$56.8

-5.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.9 $51.9

$90.8 CA$128

-42.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.2 $81.2

$109 CA$155

-25.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,205 $2,205

$1,207 CA$1,707

82.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 $1,179

$1,011 CA$1,429

16.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,455 $2,455

$1,949 CA$2,756

25.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 $1,579

$1,677 CA$2,371

-5.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,799 $2,799

$3,532 CA$4,993

-20.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,491 $2,491

$3,392 CA$4,795

-26.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,221 $3,221

$3,152 CA$4,456

2.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

4.51

45.45%

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

Last update for Hartford, CT: October 20, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hartford, CT

$1.2K 47.3%

Calgary

$1K 44.8% 14.3% $168

Groceries & Markets

Hartford, CT

$445 17.8%

Calgary

$392 17.4% 12% $53

Eating Out

Hartford, CT

$313 12.5%

Calgary

$270 12% 13.5% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hartford, CT

$298 11.9%

Calgary

$253 11.2% 15.1% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Hartford, CT

$103 4.1%

Calgary

$135 6% 31.3% $32

Getting Around

Hartford, CT

$83 3.3%

Calgary

$112 5% 35% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Hartford, CT

$76 3%

Calgary

$82 3.6% 8.3% $6.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,205 in Hartford, CT and $1,207 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hartford, CT pays 2% 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: $99.0 in Hartford, CT vs $69.0 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $445 vs $392 per month, with Calgary cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Hartford, CT

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

17:10 5:10 PM

15:10 3:10 PM

2 h behind Hartford, CT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

122,366

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 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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Hartford, CT Calgary 3,290 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

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Hartford, CT
Calgary

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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

Hartford, CT vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 2% higher in Hartford, CT, 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: $2,205 in Hartford, CT 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 $99.0 in Hartford, CT. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,496 per month in Hartford, CT versus $2,255 in Calgary – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,255 in Calgary versus $2,496 in Hartford, CT, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Hartford, CT. 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 11% less than in Hartford, CT. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.