Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New Bedford, MA and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,255 a month against $2,753 in New Bedford, MA, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in New Bedford, MA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

New Bedford, MA
🇺🇸 United States
$2,753
/mo nomad
Calgary
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,255
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,753 in New Bedford, MA versus $2,255 in Calgary.

  • New Bedford, MA $2,753
  • Calgary $2,255

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,820 in New Bedford, MA versus $3,361 in Calgary.

  • New Bedford, MA $3,820
  • Calgary $3,361

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,887 in New Bedford, MA versus $4,468 in Calgary.

  • New Bedford, MA $4,887
  • Calgary $4,468

Living in New Bedford, MA is roughly 22% more expensive than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New Bedford, MA 103% above, Calgary 66% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
New Bedford, MA
Calgary
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.68 $19.68
$17.58 CA$24.85
11.95%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$59.1 $59.1
$69.1 CA$97.6
-14.37%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.95 $5.95
$10.59 CA$14.97
-43.81%
Cappuccino
$4.11 $4.11
$3.84 CA$5.42
7.03%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.31 $2.31
$1.93 CA$2.72
19.69%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.23 $1.23
$1.88 CA$2.66
-34.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.04 $6.04
$5.09 CA$7.20
18.66%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.08 $4.08
$5.64 CA$7.97
-27.66%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
New Bedford, MA
Calgary
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.01 $1.01
$2.00 CA$2.82
-49.50%
White Bread (500g)
$4.58 $4.58
$2.78 CA$3.93
64.75%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$16.26 $16.26
$5.59 CA$7.90
190.88%
Eggs
$6.42 $6.42
$3.70 CA$5.23
73.51%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.57 $10.57
$11.48 CA$16.23
-7.93%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.74 $10.74
$11.20 CA$15.84
-4.11%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.16 $19.16
$18.59 CA$26.28
3.07%
Apples (1kg)
$5.38 $5.38
$4.70 CA$6.64
14.47%
Banana (1kg)
$4.47 $4.47
$1.45 CA$2.05
208.28%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.38 $3.38
$4.34 CA$6.13
-22.12%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.01 $3.01
$3.79 CA$5.36
-20.58%
Potato (1kg)
$2.22 $2.22
$2.69 CA$3.81
-17.47%
Onion (1kg)
$2.41 $2.41
$2.75 CA$3.88
-12.36%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.75 $2.75
$2.56 CA$3.62
7.42%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.88 $2.88
$1.50 CA$2.12
92.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.07 $13.07
$14.39 CA$20.34
-9.17%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.85 $16.85
$15.81 CA$22.35
6.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.92 $1.92
$2.47 CA$3.49
-22.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 $2.84
$3.10 CA$4.39
-8.39%
🚌 Getting Around
New Bedford, MA
Calgary
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$2.81 CA$3.97
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$90.6 CA$128
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.12 $6.12
$3.28 CA$4.64
86.59%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.20 $2.20
$1.40 CA$1.97
57.14%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$26.49 CA$37.45
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.09 $1.09
$1.22 CA$1.72
-10.66%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.2K $28.2K
$28.4K CA$40.1K
-0.70%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.6K $26.6K
$20.8K CA$29.5K
27.59%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
New Bedford, MA
Calgary
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$181 $181
$165 CA$233
10.07%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$36.85 $36.85
$38.24 CA$54.1
-3.63%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$58.6 $58.6
$50.1 CA$70.9
16.92%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
New Bedford, MA
Calgary
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$28.95 $28.95
$53.8 CA$76.1
-46.19%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$18.04 CA$25.51
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.43 $12.43
$14.04 CA$19.84
-11.47%
🧸 Childcare & Education
New Bedford, MA
Calgary
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,133 $2,133
$797 CA$1,126
167.72%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$15.8K CA$22.3K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
New Bedford, MA
Calgary
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$38.67 $38.67
$59.1 CA$83.5
-34.54%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$16.01 $16.01
$40.20 CA$56.8
-60.17%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.5 $99.5
$90.8 CA$128
9.61%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
-
$109 CA$155
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
New Bedford, MA
Calgary
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,869 $1,869
$1,207 CA$1,707
54.80%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,581 $1,581
$1,011 CA$1,429
56.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,615 $2,615
$1,949 CA$2,756
34.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,341 $2,341
$1,677 CA$2,371
39.56%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$3,532 CA$4,993
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$3,392 CA$4,795
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
New Bedford, MA
Calgary
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,641 $4,641
$3,152 CA$4,456
47.24%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.42
4.51
20.18%

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

Last update for New Bedford, MA: October 20, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
New Bedford, MA
$1.6K
Calgary
$1K 36.1% $570
Groceries & Markets
New Bedford, MA
$478
Calgary
$392 18% $86
Eating Out
New Bedford, MA
$277
Calgary
$270 2.4% $6.6
Monthly Utilities & Internet
New Bedford, MA
$277
Calgary
$253 8.6% $24
Clothing & Footwear
New Bedford, MA
$69 *
Calgary
$135 94.3% $65
Sport & Entertainment
New Bedford, MA
$54
Calgary
$82 52.1% $28
Getting Around
New Bedford, MA
$17 *
Calgary
$112 555% $95

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 $1,869 in New Bedford, MA and $1,207 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New Bedford, MA pays 47% 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 New Bedford, MA vs $69.0 in Calgary. Groceries flip the comparison at $478 vs $392, with Calgary cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇺🇸 New Bedford, MA
🇨🇦 Calgary
🕒 Local time
08:24 8:24 AM
06:24 6:24 AM
2 h behind New Bedford, MA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
92,538
1,267,344
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • New Bedford, MA Calgary 3,420 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • New Bedford, MA
  • 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
New Bedford, MA vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Calgary cheaper than New Bedford, MA?
Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: New Bedford, MA or Calgary?
Average pay runs 47% higher in New Bedford, MA, 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 New Bedford, MA and Calgary?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,869 in New Bedford, MA versus $1,207 in Calgary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $2,133 in New Bedford, MA versus $797 in Calgary. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in New Bedford, MA or in Calgary?
Dining out is cheaper in Calgary – a meal for two runs $69.0 versus $59.0 in New Bedford, MA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in New Bedford, MA or in Calgary?
At $2,255 in Calgary versus $2,753 in New Bedford, MA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in New Bedford, MA. The gap between the two cities makes Calgary the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in New Bedford, MA 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 easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Calgary gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in New Bedford, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

New Bedford, MA vs other spots: cost of living compared

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