Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,232 a month against $5,142 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $34,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

245

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$5,142

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,232

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $5,142 in New York, NY versus $2,232 in Calgary.

New York, NY $5,142
Calgary $2,232

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,455 in New York, NY versus $3,363 in Calgary.

New York, NY $7,455
Calgary $3,363

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,767 in New York, NY versus $4,493 in Calgary.

New York, NY $9,767
Calgary $4,493

Living in New York, NY is roughly 130% more expensive than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 284% above, Calgary 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.46 $26.46

$17.22 CA$24.54

53.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 $119

$71.2 CA$101

66.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.43 $14.43

$10.56 CA$15.06

36.65%

Cappuccino

$6.55 $6.55

$3.77 CA$5.38

73.74%

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

$3.84 $3.84

$1.91 CA$2.73

101.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 $3.00

$1.84 CA$2.63

63.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.27 $8.27

$4.86 CA$6.93

70.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.05 $10.05

$5.55 CA$7.91

81.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.88 CA$2.68

-30.32%

White Bread (500g)

$4.90 $4.90

$2.73 CA$3.89

79.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.16 $7.16

$5.34 CA$7.61

34.08%

Eggs

$5.92 $5.92

$3.77 CA$5.37

57.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.06 $19.06

$11.29 CA$16.09

68.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.38 $17.38

$11.46 CA$16.34

51.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.94 $18.94

$18.26 CA$26.03

3.72%

Apples (1kg)

$6.96 $6.96

$4.64 CA$6.62

50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.44 CA$2.05

44.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.10 $6.10

$4.22 CA$6.02

44.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.95 $6.95

$3.86 CA$5.50

80.05%

Potato (1kg)

$3.98 $3.98

$2.62 CA$3.74

51.91%

Onion (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$2.66 CA$3.79

66.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.59 CA$3.69

8.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.53 CA$2.19

64.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.27 $19.27

$14.26 CA$20.32

35.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.67 $19.67

$15.27 CA$21.76

28.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.41 CA$3.44

27.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 $3.68

$3.09 CA$4.41

19.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

$2.88 CA$4.11

4.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 $140

$88.7 CA$126

57.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 $3.07

$3.23 CA$4.61

-4.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.38 CA$1.97

54.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.21 $41.21

$26.49 CA$37.75

55.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.18 CA$1.68

-5.93%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$28.3K CA$40.3K

23.77%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$20.7K CA$29.5K

22.53%

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

$217 $217

$159 CA$227

36.56%

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

$74.0 $74.0

$37.61 CA$53.6

96.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.5 $72.5

$49.68 CA$70.8

45.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$120 $120

$53.3 CA$75.9

126.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$66.9 $66.9

$18.31 CA$26.10

265.32%

Cinema Ticket

$22.32 $22.32

$14.08 CA$20.06

58.52%

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

$3,425 $3,425

$809 CA$1,154

323.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.2K $61.2K

$15.9K CA$22.6K

285.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.3 $76.3

$58.8 CA$83.8

29.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.5 $55.5

$38.84 CA$55.4

42.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 $119

$91.4 CA$130

30.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 $131

$109 CA$155

19.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,506 $4,506

$1,237 CA$1,764

264.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,155 $3,155

$996 CA$1,420

216.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$8,817 $8,817

$1,908 CA$2,720

362.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,532 $5,532

$1,671 CA$2,382

231.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.4K $19.4K

$3,530 CA$5,032

449.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,754 $6,754

$3,336 CA$4,755

102.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,290 $5,290

$3,130 CA$4,461

69.00%

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 New York, NY: October 3, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.2K 63.2%

Calgary

$996 44.8% 68.4% $2.2K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$546 11%

Calgary

$387 17.4% 29.1% $159

Eating Out

New York, NY

$422 8.5%

Calgary

$265 11.9% 37.2% $157

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.3%

Calgary

$247 11.1% 32.3% $117

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$172 3.4%

Calgary

$134 6% 21.9% $38

Getting Around

New York, NY

$165 3.3%

Calgary

$110 5% 33.2% $55

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$165 3.3%

Calgary

$81 3.7% 50.7% $84

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,506 in New York, NY and $1,237 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 69% 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: $119 in New York, NY vs $71.0 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $387 per month, with Calgary cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

10:15 10:15 AM

08:15 8:15 AM

2 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

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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New York, NY Calgary 3,250 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

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New York, NY
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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 York, NY vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 130% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 69% higher in New York, NY, 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: $4,506 in New York, NY 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 $119 in New York, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $5,142 per month in New York, NY versus $2,232 in Calgary – a 130% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,232 in Calgary versus $5,142 in New York, NY, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in New York, NY. 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 New York, NY, 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 130% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.