Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lexington, KY and Calgary

For one person, living costs are similar in Lexington, KY and in Calgary: $2,173 and $2,232 a month, rent and utilities included.

Lexington, KY
🇺🇸 United States
$2,173
/mo nomad
Calgary
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,232
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,173 in Lexington, KY versus $2,232 in Calgary.

  • Lexington, KY $2,173
  • Calgary $2,232

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,265 in Lexington, KY versus $3,363 in Calgary.

  • Lexington, KY $3,265
  • Calgary $3,363

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,356 in Lexington, KY versus $4,493 in Calgary.

  • Lexington, KY $4,356
  • Calgary $4,493

Living in Lexington, KY costs roughly 3% less than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lexington, KY 62% above, Calgary 67% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lexington, KY
Calgary
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.14 $13.14
$17.22 CA$24.54
-23.69%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$57.5 $57.5
$71.2 CA$101
-19.27%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.14 $9.14
$10.56 CA$15.06
-13.45%
Cappuccino
$5.13 $5.13
$3.77 CA$5.38
36.07%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.53 $2.53
$1.91 CA$2.73
32.46%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.06 $2.06
$1.84 CA$2.63
11.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.99 $4.99
$4.86 CA$6.93
2.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.97 $5.97
$5.55 CA$7.91
7.57%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lexington, KY
Calgary
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.78 $0.78
$1.88 CA$2.68
-58.51%
White Bread (500g)
$2.88 $2.88
$2.73 CA$3.89
5.49%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.98 $3.98
$5.34 CA$7.61
-25.47%
Eggs
$3.68 $3.68
$3.77 CA$5.37
-2.39%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 $10.19
$11.29 CA$16.09
-9.74%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.17 $10.17
$11.46 CA$16.34
-11.26%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.52 $14.52
$18.26 CA$26.03
-20.48%
Apples (1kg)
$5.49 $5.49
$4.64 CA$6.62
18.32%
Banana (1kg)
$1.52 $1.52
$1.44 CA$2.05
5.56%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.49 $5.49
$4.22 CA$6.02
30.09%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.41 $4.41
$3.86 CA$5.50
14.25%
Potato (1kg)
$4.14 $4.14
$2.62 CA$3.74
58.02%
Onion (1kg)
$3.07 $3.07
$2.66 CA$3.79
15.41%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.08 $2.08
$2.59 CA$3.69
-19.69%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$3.18 $3.18
$1.53 CA$2.19
107.84%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.44 $8.44
$14.26 CA$20.32
-40.81%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.02 $13.02
$15.27 CA$21.76
-14.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.69 $2.69
$2.41 CA$3.44
11.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.31 $4.31
$3.09 CA$4.41
39.48%
🚌 Getting Around
Lexington, KY
Calgary
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.02 $1.02
$2.88 CA$4.11
-64.58%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.70 $29.70
$88.7 CA$126
-66.52%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.92 $4.92
$3.23 CA$4.61
52.32%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$1.38 CA$1.97
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$26.49 CA$37.75
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.00 $1.00
$1.18 CA$1.68
-15.25%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.0K $37.0K
$28.3K CA$40.3K
30.96%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.2K $25.2K
$20.7K CA$29.5K
21.81%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lexington, KY
Calgary
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$188 $188
$159 CA$227
18.14%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$106 $106
$37.61 CA$53.6
182.45%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$74.6 $74.6
$49.68 CA$70.8
50.06%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lexington, KY
Calgary
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.07 $39.07
$53.3 CA$75.9
-26.63%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$30.41 $30.41
$18.31 CA$26.10
66.08%
Cinema Ticket
$15.25 $15.25
$14.08 CA$20.06
8.31%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lexington, KY
Calgary
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,222 $2,222
$809 CA$1,154
174.56%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$24.9K $24.9K
$15.9K CA$22.6K
57.23%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lexington, KY
Calgary
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$51.3 $51.3
$58.8 CA$83.8
-12.76%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.32 $31.32
$38.84 CA$55.4
-19.36%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$117 $117
$91.4 CA$130
28.37%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$151 $151
$109 CA$155
38.80%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lexington, KY
Calgary
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,147 $1,147
$1,237 CA$1,764
-7.32%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$929 $929
$996 CA$1,420
-6.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,058 $2,058
$1,908 CA$2,720
7.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,589 $1,589
$1,671 CA$2,382
-4.93%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,118 $2,118
$3,530 CA$5,032
-40.02%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,077 $2,077
$3,336 CA$4,755
-37.74%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lexington, KY
Calgary
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,029 $4,029
$3,130 CA$4,461
28.72%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.82
4.51
51.22%

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

Last update for Lexington, KY: 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
Lexington, KY
$929
Calgary
$996 7.2% $67
Groceries & Markets
Lexington, KY
$386
Calgary
$387 0.3% $1.4
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lexington, KY
$369
Calgary
$247 33.2% $122
Eating Out
Lexington, KY
$249
Calgary
$265 6.4% $16
Clothing & Footwear
Lexington, KY
$158
Calgary
$134 15.2% $24
Sport & Entertainment
Lexington, KY
$70
Calgary
$81 17% $12
Getting Around
Lexington, KY
$39 *
Calgary
$110 185% $72

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 $1,147 in Lexington, KY and $1,237 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lexington, KY pays 29% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $57.0 in Lexington, KY vs $71.0 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $386 vs $387 per month, with Lexington, KY cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Lexington, KY
🇨🇦 Calgary
🕒 Local time
03:34 3:34 AM
01:34 1:34 AM
2 h behind Lexington, KY
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
322,570
1,267,344
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lexington, KY Calgary 2,720 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lexington, KY
  • 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
Lexington, KY vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Calgary cheaper than Lexington, KY?
Lexington, KY is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Lexington, KY or Calgary?
Average pay runs 29% higher in Lexington, KY, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Lexington, KY and Calgary?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,147 in Lexington, KY versus $1,237 in Calgary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Is eating out cheaper in Lexington, KY or in Calgary?
Dining out is cheaper in Lexington, KY – a meal for two runs $57.0 versus $71.0 in Calgary. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
What are total monthly expenses in Lexington, KY and in Calgary?
All in, you'll spend $2,173 per month in Lexington, KY versus $2,232 in Calgary – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Lexington, KY or in Calgary?
At $2,173 in Lexington, KY versus $2,232 in Calgary, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lexington, KY but tight or insufficient in Calgary. The gap between the two cities makes Lexington, KY the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Lexington, KY or in Calgary?
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.
Which city is safer, Lexington, KY or Calgary?
Safety-wise, Lexington, KY 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Lexington, KY gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Lexington, KY vs other spots: cost of living compared

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