Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montclair, NJ and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,223 a month against $2,923 in Montclair, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

141

Cost of Living Index in Montclair, NJ
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Montclair, NJ Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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Montclair, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,923

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,923 in Montclair, NJ versus $2,223 in Calgary.

Montclair, NJ $2,923
Calgary $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,274 in Montclair, NJ versus $3,301 in Calgary.

Montclair, NJ $4,274
Calgary $3,301

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,626 in Montclair, NJ versus $4,379 in Calgary.

Montclair, NJ $5,626
Calgary $4,379

Living in Montclair, NJ is roughly 31% more expensive than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montclair, NJ 117% above, Calgary 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.91 $19.91

$17.22 CA$24.34

15.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.4 $79.4

$71.1 CA$100

11.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.18 $13.18

$10.53 CA$14.89

25.17%

Cappuccino

$6.44 $6.44

$3.66 CA$5.18

75.96%

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

$2.48 $2.48

$1.98 CA$2.80

25.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.94 CA$2.74

-23.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.66 $8.66

$4.95 CA$7.00

74.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 $6.91

$5.57 CA$7.87

24.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.88 CA$2.65

-32.45%

White Bread (500g)

$4.47 $4.47

$2.67 CA$3.78

67.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.09 $6.09

$5.32 CA$7.52

14.47%

Eggs

$6.14 $6.14

$3.79 CA$5.35

62.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.71 $13.71

$11.09 CA$15.68

23.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.37 $10.37

$11.36 CA$16.05

-8.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.41 $18.41

$18.40 CA$26.01

0.05%

Apples (1kg)

$5.87 $5.87

$4.56 CA$6.45

28.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.44 CA$2.04

45.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 $4.18

$4.08 CA$5.76

2.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$3.89 CA$5.50

40.10%

Potato (1kg)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.64 CA$3.73

17.05%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 $3.00

$2.64 CA$3.73

13.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.90 $2.90

$2.50 CA$3.54

16.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$1.50 CA$2.12

74.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.73 $17.73

$14.05 CA$19.86

26.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.84 $14.84

$15.70 CA$22.20

-5.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.44 CA$3.45

-27.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 $3.65

$3.09 CA$4.37

18.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 CA$3.99

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 CA$125

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.12 CA$4.41

-6.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.35 CA$1.91

56.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.91 $41.91

$27.02 CA$38.20

55.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.16 CA$1.64

-4.31%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$27.9K CA$39.5K

29.57%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$20.3K CA$28.8K

23.17%

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

$170 $170

$161 CA$227

5.57%

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

$51.7 $51.7

$38.13 CA$53.9

35.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.53 $49.53

$50.0 CA$70.7

-1.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.2 $79.2

$51.5 CA$72.8

53.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 CA$25.64

Cinema Ticket

$20.46 $20.46

$13.82 CA$19.54

48.05%

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

$2,014 $2,014

$786 CA$1,111

156.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K $15.9K

$15.5K CA$21.8K

3.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.1 $71.1

$58.3 CA$82.4

22.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.5 $51.5

$39.27 CA$55.5

31.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$89.8 CA$127

12.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$110 CA$155

9.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,227 $2,227

$1,229 CA$1,737

81.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,570 $1,570

$1,001 CA$1,415

56.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,763 $3,763

$1,921 CA$2,716

95.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,573 $2,573

$1,621 CA$2,292

58.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,549 CA$5,018

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,335 CA$4,715

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,165 CA$4,474

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

4.51

50.78%

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

Last update for Montclair, NJ: 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

Montclair, NJ

$1.6K 53.7%

Calgary

$1K 45% 36.2% $568

Groceries & Markets

Montclair, NJ

$444 15.2%

Calgary

$385 17.3% 13.3% $59

Eating Out

Montclair, NJ

$349 11.9%

Calgary

$265 11.9% 24.1% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montclair, NJ

$271 9.3%

Calgary

$249 11.2% 8.1% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Montclair, NJ

$155 5.3%

Calgary

$134 6% 13.8% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Montclair, NJ

$120 4.1%

Calgary

$79 3.6% 34.1% $41

Getting Around

Montclair, NJ

$13 * 0.5%

Calgary

$110 4.9% 714% $96

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 $2,227 in Montclair, NJ and $1,229 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $79.0 in Montclair, NJ vs $71.0 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $444 vs $385 per month, with Calgary cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Montclair, NJ

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

17:47 5:47 PM

15:47 3:47 PM

2 h behind Montclair, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,669

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 →

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Between locations

Montclair, NJ Calgary 3,240 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Montclair, NJ
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

Montclair, NJ vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 31% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $4,384 in Montclair, NJ and $3,335 in Calgary to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,227 in Montclair, NJ versus $1,229 in Calgary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,014 in Montclair, NJ 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 $79.0 in Montclair, NJ. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,223 in Calgary versus $2,923 in Montclair, NJ, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Montclair, NJ. 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, Montclair, NJ 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 31% less than in Montclair, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.