Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hickory, NC and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Hickory, NC: $2,070 a month against $2,223 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

101

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

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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Hickory, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,070

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,070 in Hickory, NC versus $2,223 in Calgary.

Hickory, NC $2,070
Calgary $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,958 in Hickory, NC versus $3,301 in Calgary.

Hickory, NC $2,958
Calgary $3,301

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,847 in Hickory, NC versus $4,379 in Calgary.

Hickory, NC $3,847
Calgary $4,379

Living in Hickory, NC costs roughly 7% less than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hickory, NC 53% above, Calgary 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.78 $14.78

$17.22 CA$24.34

-14.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 $61.7

$71.1 CA$100

-13.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.82 $10.82

$10.53 CA$14.89

2.75%

Cappuccino

$4.98 $4.98

$3.66 CA$5.18

36.07%

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

$2.21 $2.21

$1.98 CA$2.80

11.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.94 CA$2.74

-15.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.52 $5.52

$4.95 CA$7.00

11.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.93 $6.93

$5.57 CA$7.87

24.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.88 CA$2.65

-54.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.67 CA$3.78

39.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.12 $3.12

$5.32 CA$7.52

-41.35%

Eggs

$3.54 $3.54

$3.79 CA$5.35

-6.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.40 $10.40

$11.09 CA$15.68

-6.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.88 $8.88

$11.36 CA$16.05

-21.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.93 $16.93

$18.40 CA$26.01

-7.99%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 $4.07

$4.56 CA$6.45

-10.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.44 CA$2.04

17.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$4.08 CA$5.76

-41.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 $1.73

$3.89 CA$5.50

-55.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$2.64 CA$3.73

-13.26%

Onion (1kg)

$3.36 $3.36

$2.64 CA$3.73

27.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 $1.87

$2.50 CA$3.54

-25.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.50 CA$2.12

45.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.18 $8.18

$14.05 CA$19.86

-41.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$15.70 CA$22.20

-6.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.44 CA$3.45

-31.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.09 CA$4.37

-0.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 $1.28

$2.82 CA$3.99

-54.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.47 $45.47

$88.6 CA$125

-48.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 $2.05

$3.12 CA$4.41

-34.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 $2.37

$1.35 CA$1.91

75.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.24 $18.24

$27.02 CA$38.20

-32.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.16 CA$1.64

-25.86%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$27.9K CA$39.5K

27.95%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$20.3K CA$28.8K

23.11%

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

$139 $139

$161 CA$227

-13.44%

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

$60.8 $60.8

$38.13 CA$53.9

59.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.1 $56.1

$50.0 CA$70.7

12.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.92 $27.92

$51.5 CA$72.8

-45.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 CA$25.64

Cinema Ticket

$14.20 $14.20

$13.82 CA$19.54

2.75%

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

$355 $355

$786 CA$1,111

-54.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.5K $25.5K

$15.5K CA$21.8K

64.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.13 $40.13

$58.3 CA$82.4

-31.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.28 $20.28

$39.27 CA$55.5

-48.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$39.82 $39.82

$89.8 CA$127

-55.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.92 $49.92

$110 CA$155

-54.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,267 $1,267

$1,229 CA$1,737

3.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 $1,020

$1,001 CA$1,415

1.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,649 $1,649

$1,921 CA$2,716

-14.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,519 $1,519

$1,621 CA$2,292

-6.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,198 $2,198

$3,549 CA$5,018

-38.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,159 $2,159

$3,335 CA$4,715

-35.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,550 $4,550

$3,165 CA$4,474

43.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.53

4.51

22.62%

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

Last update for Hickory, NC: October 13, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hickory, NC

$1K 49.3%

Calgary

$1K 45% 1.8% $18

Groceries & Markets

Hickory, NC

$339 16.4%

Calgary

$385 17.3% 13.8% $47

Eating Out

Hickory, NC

$267 12.9%

Calgary

$265 11.9% 0.9% $2.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hickory, NC

$256 12.4%

Calgary

$249 11.2% 2.8% $7.1

Clothing & Footwear

Hickory, NC

$68 3.3%

Calgary

$134 6% 97.9% $66

Getting Around

Hickory, NC

$65 3.1%

Calgary

$110 4.9% 70.2% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Hickory, NC

$56 2.7%

Calgary

$79 3.6% 40.5% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,267 in Hickory, NC and $1,229 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hickory, NC pays 44% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $62.0 in Hickory, NC vs $71.0 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $339 vs $385 per month, with Hickory, NC cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Hickory, NC

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

16:13 4:13 PM

14:13 2:13 PM

2 h behind Hickory, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

40,374

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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Hickory, NC Calgary 3,110 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Hickory, NC
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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

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

Hickory, NC is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 44% higher in Hickory, 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: $1,267 in Hickory, 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 Hickory, NC – a meal for two runs $62.0 versus $71.0 in Calgary. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,070 per month in Hickory, NC versus $2,223 in Calgary – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,070 in Hickory, NC versus $2,223 in Calgary, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Hickory, NC but tight or insufficient in Calgary. The gap between the two cities makes Hickory, NC 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 Hickory, NC gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.