Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between McLean, VA and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,232 a month against $3,046 in McLean, VA, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

145

Cost of Living Index in McLean, VA
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McLean, VA Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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McLean, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,046

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,232

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,046 in McLean, VA versus $2,232 in Calgary.

McLean, VA $3,046
Calgary $2,232

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,819 in McLean, VA versus $3,363 in Calgary.

McLean, VA $4,819
Calgary $3,363

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,593 in McLean, VA versus $4,493 in Calgary.

McLean, VA $6,593
Calgary $4,493

Living in McLean, VA is roughly 36% more expensive than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: McLean, VA 127% above, Calgary 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.20 $16.20

$17.22 CA$24.54

-5.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 $70.7

$71.2 CA$101

-0.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.51 $11.51

$10.56 CA$15.06

9.00%

Cappuccino

$5.35 $5.35

$3.77 CA$5.38

41.91%

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

$2.36 $2.36

$1.91 CA$2.73

23.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.84 CA$2.63

5.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.74 $8.74

$4.86 CA$6.93

79.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.07 $10.07

$5.55 CA$7.91

81.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.88 CA$2.68

-28.72%

White Bread (500g)

$4.15 $4.15

$2.73 CA$3.89

52.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$5.34 CA$7.61

-58.43%

Eggs

$4.70 $4.70

$3.77 CA$5.37

24.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.33 $17.33

$11.29 CA$16.09

53.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.91 $16.91

$11.46 CA$16.34

47.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.48 $18.48

$18.26 CA$26.03

1.20%

Apples (1kg)

$6.07 $6.07

$4.64 CA$6.62

30.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.44 CA$2.05

17.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.88 $4.88

$4.22 CA$6.02

15.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.86 CA$5.50

50.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.62 CA$3.74

10.31%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.66 CA$3.79

40.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.68 $2.68

$2.59 CA$3.69

3.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.53 CA$2.19

73.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$14.26 CA$20.32

-1.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.12 $16.12

$15.27 CA$21.76

5.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.30 $3.30

$2.41 CA$3.44

36.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 $5.81

$3.09 CA$4.41

88.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.56 $2.56

$2.88 CA$4.11

-11.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.7 CA$126

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.97 $3.97

$3.23 CA$4.61

22.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.38 CA$1.97

18.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.34 $25.34

$26.49 CA$37.75

-4.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.18 CA$1.68

-22.88%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$28.3K CA$40.3K

26.84%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

$20.7K CA$29.5K

29.55%

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

$213 $213

$159 CA$227

34.03%

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

$76.5 $76.5

$37.61 CA$53.6

103.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.3 $54.3

$49.68 CA$70.8

9.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.6 $89.6

$53.3 CA$75.9

68.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.31 CA$26.10

Cinema Ticket

$18.20 $18.20

$14.08 CA$20.06

29.26%

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

$1,932 $1,932

$809 CA$1,154

138.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.2K $42.2K

$15.9K CA$22.6K

166.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$58.8 CA$83.8

-10.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.98 $43.98

$38.84 CA$55.4

13.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.5 $69.5

$91.4 CA$130

-23.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.1 $66.1

$109 CA$155

-39.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,822 $2,822

$1,237 CA$1,764

128.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,601 $1,601

$996 CA$1,420

60.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,954 $3,954

$1,908 CA$2,720

107.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,436 $3,436

$1,671 CA$2,382

105.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,530 CA$5,032

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,336 CA$4,755

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,759 $5,759

$3,130 CA$4,461

83.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

4.51

47.01%

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

Last update for McLean, VA: October 4, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

McLean, VA

$1.6K 53.5%

Calgary

$996 44.8% 37.8% $605

Groceries & Markets

McLean, VA

$483 16.2%

Calgary

$387 17.4% 19.8% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

McLean, VA

$344 11.5%

Calgary

$247 11.1% 28.4% $98

Eating Out

McLean, VA

$309 10.4%

Calgary

$265 11.9% 14.3% $44

Sport & Entertainment

McLean, VA

$126 4.2%

Calgary

$81 3.7% 35.4% $45

Clothing & Footwear

McLean, VA

$104 3.5%

Calgary

$134 6% 28.4% $30

Getting Around

McLean, VA

$22 * 0.8%

Calgary

$110 5% 394% $88

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 $2,822 in McLean, VA and $1,237 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

McLean, VA pays 84% 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: $71.0 in McLean, VA vs $71.0 in Calgary. Groceries flip the comparison at $483 vs $387, with Calgary cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 McLean, VA

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

10:35 10:35 AM

08:35 8:35 AM

2 h behind McLean, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

48,115

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 11, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 11, 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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Between locations

McLean, VA Calgary 3,150 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

McLean, VA
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

McLean, VA vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 36% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 84% higher in McLean, VA, 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: $2,822 in McLean, VA versus $1,237 in Calgary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,932 in McLean, VA versus $809 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 $71.0 in McLean, VA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,232 in Calgary versus $3,046 in McLean, VA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in McLean, VA. 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 36% less than in McLean, VA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.