Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Knoxville, TN and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,232 a month against $2,566 in Knoxville, TN, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Knoxville, TN outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

124

Cost of Living Index in Knoxville, TN
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Knoxville, TN Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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Knoxville, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,566

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,232

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,566 in Knoxville, TN versus $2,232 in Calgary.

Knoxville, TN $2,566
Calgary $2,232

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,815 in Knoxville, TN versus $3,363 in Calgary.

Knoxville, TN $3,815
Calgary $3,363

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,064 in Knoxville, TN versus $4,493 in Calgary.

Knoxville, TN $5,064
Calgary $4,493

Living in Knoxville, TN is roughly 15% more expensive than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Knoxville, TN 92% above, Calgary 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.48 $17.48

$17.22 CA$24.54

1.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.4 $76.4

$71.2 CA$101

7.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.14 $10.14

$10.56 CA$15.06

-3.98%

Cappuccino

$5.35 $5.35

$3.77 CA$5.38

41.91%

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

$2.69 $2.69

$1.91 CA$2.73

40.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.84 CA$2.63

48.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.31 $6.31

$4.86 CA$6.93

29.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.65 $6.65

$5.55 CA$7.91

19.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.88 CA$2.68

-42.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.73 CA$3.89

27.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.76 $4.76

$5.34 CA$7.61

-10.86%

Eggs

$4.27 $4.27

$3.77 CA$5.37

13.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.93 $9.93

$11.29 CA$16.09

-12.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.34 $9.34

$11.46 CA$16.34

-18.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.20 $15.20

$18.26 CA$26.03

-16.76%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$4.64 CA$6.62

45.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.44 CA$2.05

3.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.72 $2.72

$4.22 CA$6.02

-35.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.47 $5.47

$3.86 CA$5.50

41.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.62 CA$3.74

-15.27%

Onion (1kg)

$4.14 $4.14

$2.66 CA$3.79

55.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 $2.33

$2.59 CA$3.69

-10.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.53 CA$2.19

43.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.84 $9.84

$14.26 CA$20.32

-31.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.74 $14.74

$15.27 CA$21.76

-3.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 $1.93

$2.41 CA$3.44

-19.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 $3.11

$3.09 CA$4.41

0.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 $1.01

$2.88 CA$4.11

-64.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.07 $30.07

$88.7 CA$126

-66.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.96 $4.96

$3.23 CA$4.61

53.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.38 CA$1.97

14.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.43 $30.43

$26.49 CA$37.75

14.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.18 CA$1.68

-20.34%

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

$37.7K $37.7K

$28.3K CA$40.3K

33.25%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$20.7K CA$29.5K

31.83%

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

$219 $219

$159 CA$227

37.35%

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

$73.9 $73.9

$37.61 CA$53.6

96.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.3 $53.3

$49.68 CA$70.8

7.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.46 $29.46

$53.3 CA$75.9

-44.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.85 $21.85

$18.31 CA$26.10

19.33%

Cinema Ticket

$15.40 $15.40

$14.08 CA$20.06

9.38%

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

$1,230 $1,230

$809 CA$1,154

52.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.0K $24.0K

$15.9K CA$22.6K

51.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.76 $49.76

$58.8 CA$83.8

-15.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.35 $45.35

$38.84 CA$55.4

16.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 $109

$91.4 CA$130

18.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$109 CA$155

11.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,767 $1,767

$1,237 CA$1,764

42.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,264 $1,264

$996 CA$1,420

26.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,902 $2,902

$1,908 CA$2,720

52.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,166 $2,166

$1,671 CA$2,382

29.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,689 $4,689

$3,530 CA$5,032

32.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,267 $2,267

$3,336 CA$4,755

-32.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,623 $3,623

$3,130 CA$4,461

15.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

4.51

47.23%

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

Last update for Knoxville, TN: October 5, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Knoxville, TN

$1.3K 49.7%

Calgary

$996 44.8% 21.2% $268

Groceries & Markets

Knoxville, TN

$381 15%

Calgary

$387 17.4% 1.7% $6.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Knoxville, TN

$346 13.6%

Calgary

$247 11.1% 28.7% $99

Eating Out

Knoxville, TN

$301 11.8%

Calgary

$265 11.9% 11.9% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Knoxville, TN

$147 5.8%

Calgary

$134 6% 8.5% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Knoxville, TN

$60 2.4%

Calgary

$81 3.7% 35.1% $21

Getting Around

Knoxville, TN

$47 1.8%

Calgary

$110 5% 135% $63

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,767 in Knoxville, TN and $1,237 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Knoxville, TN pays 16% 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: $76.0 in Knoxville, TN vs $71.0 in Calgary. Groceries flip the comparison at $381 vs $387, with Knoxville, TN cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Knoxville, TN

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

08:27 8:27 AM

06:27 6:27 AM

2 h behind Knoxville, TN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

190,740

1,267,344

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

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Knoxville, TN Calgary 2,920 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Knoxville, TN vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

Average pay runs 16% higher in Knoxville, TN, 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: $1,767 in Knoxville, TN versus $1,237 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 $76.0 in Knoxville, TN. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,566 per month in Knoxville, TN versus $2,232 in Calgary – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,232 in Calgary versus $2,566 in Knoxville, TN, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Knoxville, TN. 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 Knoxville, TN, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Calgary gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Knoxville, TN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.