Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hilton Head Island, SC and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,223 a month against $2,953 in Hilton Head Island, SC, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Hilton Head Island, SC outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

144

Cost of Living Index in Hilton Head Island, SC
Learn more

Hilton Head Island, SC Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
Learn more

Calgary Living Index

Jump to prices

Hilton Head Island, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,953

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hilton Head Island, SC 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 Hilton Head Island, SC and in Calgary actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,953 in Hilton Head Island, SC versus $2,223 in Calgary.

Hilton Head Island, SC $2,953
Calgary $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,700 in Hilton Head Island, SC versus $3,301 in Calgary.

Hilton Head Island, SC $2,700
Calgary $3,301

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,446 in Hilton Head Island, SC versus $4,379 in Calgary.

Hilton Head Island, SC $2,446
Calgary $4,379

Living in Hilton Head Island, SC is roughly 33% more expensive than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hilton Head Island, SC 119% above, Calgary 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.64 $19.64

$17.22 CA$24.34

14.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.8 $58.8

$71.1 CA$100

-17.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.63 $11.63

$10.53 CA$14.89

10.45%

Cappuccino

$5.02 $5.02

$3.66 CA$5.18

37.16%

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

$3.06 $3.06

$1.98 CA$2.80

54.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.94 CA$2.74

1.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.11 $5.11

$4.95 CA$7.00

3.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.17 $6.17

$5.57 CA$7.87

10.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.76 $0.76

$1.88 CA$2.65

-59.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.28 $3.28

$2.67 CA$3.78

22.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.65 $3.65

$5.32 CA$7.52

-31.39%

Eggs

$2.86 $2.86

$3.79 CA$5.35

-24.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.72 $8.72

$11.09 CA$15.68

-21.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.93 $9.93

$11.36 CA$16.05

-12.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.11 $13.11

$18.40 CA$26.01

-28.75%

Apples (1kg)

$4.57 $4.57

$4.56 CA$6.45

0.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.44 CA$2.04

3.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.92 $3.92

$4.08 CA$5.76

-3.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.75 $4.75

$3.89 CA$5.50

22.11%

Potato (1kg)

$3.02 $3.02

$2.64 CA$3.73

14.39%

Onion (1kg)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.64 CA$3.73

18.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.50 CA$3.54

3.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.50 CA$2.12

64.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.76 $9.76

$14.05 CA$19.86

-30.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.01 $15.01

$15.70 CA$22.20

-4.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 $2.08

$2.44 CA$3.45

-14.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 $3.25

$3.09 CA$4.37

5.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 CA$3.99

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 CA$125

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.48 $1.48

$3.12 CA$4.41

-52.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.35 CA$1.91

-17.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.94 $13.94

$27.02 CA$38.20

-48.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.16 CA$1.64

-21.55%

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

$37.6K $37.6K

$27.9K CA$39.5K

34.86%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$20.3K CA$28.8K

27.15%

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

$210 $210

$161 CA$227

30.56%

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

$55.6 $55.6

$38.13 CA$53.9

45.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.5 $67.5

$50.0 CA$70.7

34.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.17 $20.17

$51.5 CA$72.8

-60.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 CA$25.64

Cinema Ticket

$14.74 $14.74

$13.82 CA$19.54

6.66%

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

$1,306 $1,306

$786 CA$1,111

66.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K $11.8K

$15.5K CA$21.8K

-23.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.04 $35.04

$58.3 CA$82.4

-39.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.79 $34.79

$39.27 CA$55.5

-11.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.6 $80.6

$89.8 CA$127

-10.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.4 $70.4

$110 CA$155

-35.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,154 $2,154

$1,229 CA$1,737

75.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,799 $1,799

$1,001 CA$1,415

79.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,323 $2,323

$1,921 CA$2,716

20.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 CA$2,292

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,740 $3,740

$3,549 CA$5,018

5.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,643 $3,643

$3,335 CA$4,715

9.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,469 $3,469

$3,165 CA$4,474

9.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

4.51

48.34%

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

Last update for Hilton Head Island, SC: 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

Hilton Head Island, SC

$1.8K 60.9%

Calgary

$1K 45% 44.3% $798

Groceries & Markets

Hilton Head Island, SC

$355 12%

Calgary

$385 17.3% 8.6% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hilton Head Island, SC

$333 11.3%

Calgary

$249 11.2% 25.2% $84

Eating Out

Hilton Head Island, SC

$310 10.5%

Calgary

$265 11.9% 14.6% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Hilton Head Island, SC

$99 3.4%

Calgary

$134 6% 34.6% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Hilton Head Island, SC

$50 1.7%

Calgary

$79 3.6% 59.4% $29

Getting Around

Hilton Head Island, SC

$7.1 * 0.2%

Calgary

$110 4.9% 1451% $103

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,154 in Hilton Head Island, SC and $1,229 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hilton Head Island, SC pays 10% 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: $59.0 in Hilton Head Island, SC vs $71.0 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $355 vs $385 per month, with Hilton Head Island, SC cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Hilton Head Island, SC

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

12:59 12:59 PM

10:59 10:59 AM

2 h behind Hilton Head Island, SC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

40,512

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Hilton Head Island, SC Calgary 3,430 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Hilton Head Island, SC
Calgary

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

Hilton Head Island, SC vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in eating out and utilities. The 33% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 10% higher in Hilton Head Island, SC, 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: $2,154 in Hilton Head Island, SC versus $1,229 in Calgary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,306 in Hilton Head Island, SC versus $786 in Calgary. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Calgary – a meal for two runs $71.0 versus $59.0 in Hilton Head Island, SC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,223 in Calgary versus $2,953 in Hilton Head Island, SC, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Hilton Head Island, SC. 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.

Safety-wise, Hilton Head Island, SC 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 33% less than in Hilton Head Island, SC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.