Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Portland, ME and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,255 a month against $3,240 in Portland, ME, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

157

Cost of Living Index in Portland, ME
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Portland, ME Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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Portland, ME

🇺🇸 United States

$3,240

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,255

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,240 in Portland, ME versus $2,255 in Calgary.

Portland, ME $3,240
Calgary $2,255

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,789 in Portland, ME versus $3,361 in Calgary.

Portland, ME $4,789
Calgary $3,361

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,339 in Portland, ME versus $4,468 in Calgary.

Portland, ME $6,339
Calgary $4,468

Living in Portland, ME is roughly 44% more expensive than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Portland, ME 139% above, Calgary 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.68 $24.68

$17.58 CA$24.85

40.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$69.1 CA$97.6

74.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.16 $12.16

$10.59 CA$14.97

14.83%

Cappuccino

$6.04 $6.04

$3.84 CA$5.42

57.29%

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

$3.18 $3.18

$1.93 CA$2.72

64.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.88 CA$2.66

30.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.79 $7.79

$5.09 CA$7.20

53.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.88 $7.88

$5.64 CA$7.97

39.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$2.00 CA$2.82

-47.00%

White Bread (500g)

$4.76 $4.76

$2.78 CA$3.93

71.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$8.38 $8.38

$5.59 CA$7.90

49.91%

Eggs

$4.02 $4.02

$3.70 CA$5.23

8.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.75 $18.75

$11.48 CA$16.23

63.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.10 $10.10

$11.20 CA$15.84

-9.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.07 $16.07

$18.59 CA$26.28

-13.56%

Apples (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$4.70 CA$6.64

2.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.45 CA$2.05

17.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.34 CA$6.13

39.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.94 $6.94

$3.79 CA$5.36

83.11%

Potato (1kg)

$6.43 $6.43

$2.69 CA$3.81

139.03%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 $3.76

$2.75 CA$3.88

36.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.56 CA$3.62

23.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.50 CA$2.12

65.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.42 $12.42

$14.39 CA$20.34

-13.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.91 $14.91

$15.81 CA$22.35

-5.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.47 CA$3.49

-21.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$3.10 CA$4.39

-18.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.81 CA$3.97

-30.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.5 $60.5

$90.6 CA$128

-33.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 $1.94

$3.28 CA$4.64

-40.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.40 CA$1.97

7.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.12 $11.12

$26.49 CA$37.45

-58.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.22 CA$1.72

-13.93%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$28.4K CA$40.1K

-3.77%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$20.8K CA$29.5K

27.54%

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

$227 $227

$165 CA$233

38.04%

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

$69.1 $69.1

$38.24 CA$54.1

80.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.8 $76.8

$50.1 CA$70.9

53.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.8 $65.8

$53.8 CA$76.1

22.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.03 $40.03

$18.04 CA$25.51

121.90%

Cinema Ticket

$14.27 $14.27

$14.04 CA$19.84

1.64%

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

$815 $815

$797 CA$1,126

2.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.9K $32.9K

$15.8K CA$22.3K

108.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.9 $52.9

$59.1 CA$83.5

-10.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$78.9 $78.9

$40.20 CA$56.8

96.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$90.8 CA$128

13.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 $134

$109 CA$155

22.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,210 $2,210

$1,207 CA$1,707

83.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,675 $1,675

$1,011 CA$1,429

65.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,348 $3,348

$1,949 CA$2,756

71.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,677 CA$2,371

60.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,171 $4,171

$3,532 CA$4,993

18.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,954 $3,954

$3,392 CA$4,795

16.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,584 $4,584

$3,152 CA$4,456

45.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

4.51

44.12%

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

Last update for Portland, ME: October 18, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Portland, ME

$1.7K 51.7%

Calgary

$1K 44.8% 39.6% $664

Groceries & Markets

Portland, ME

$470 14.5%

Calgary

$392 17.4% 16.6% $78

Eating Out

Portland, ME

$384 11.8%

Calgary

$270 12% 29.5% $113

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Portland, ME

$373 11.5%

Calgary

$253 11.2% 32.2% $120

Clothing & Footwear

Portland, ME

$166 5.1%

Calgary

$135 6% 18.8% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Portland, ME

$94 2.9%

Calgary

$82 3.6% 13.2% $12

Getting Around

Portland, ME

$78 2.4%

Calgary

$112 5% 44.1% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,210 in Portland, ME and $1,207 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Portland, ME pays 45% 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: $120 in Portland, ME vs $69.0 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $470 vs $392 per month, with Calgary cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Portland, ME

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

19:47 7:47 PM

17:47 5:47 PM

2 h behind Portland, ME

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

652,503

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 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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Portland, ME Calgary 3,350 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

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Portland, ME
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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

Portland, ME vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 44% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 45% higher in Portland, ME, 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: $2,210 in Portland, ME versus $1,207 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 $69.0 versus $120 in Portland, ME. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,240 per month in Portland, ME versus $2,255 in Calgary – a 44% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,255 in Calgary versus $3,240 in Portland, ME, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Portland, ME. 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 Portland, ME, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Portland, ME 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 44% less than in Portland, ME. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.