Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Raleigh, NC and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,232 a month against $2,666 in Raleigh, NC, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Raleigh, NC
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Raleigh, NC Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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Raleigh, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,666

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,232

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,666 in Raleigh, NC versus $2,232 in Calgary.

Raleigh, NC $2,666
Calgary $2,232

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,913 in Raleigh, NC versus $3,363 in Calgary.

Raleigh, NC $3,913
Calgary $3,363

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,159 in Raleigh, NC versus $4,493 in Calgary.

Raleigh, NC $5,159
Calgary $4,493

Living in Raleigh, NC is roughly 19% more expensive than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Raleigh, NC 99% above, Calgary 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.68 $23.68

$17.22 CA$24.54

37.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.9 $98.9

$71.2 CA$101

38.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.92 $10.92

$10.56 CA$15.06

3.41%

Cappuccino

$5.80 $5.80

$3.77 CA$5.38

53.85%

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

$2.88 $2.88

$1.91 CA$2.73

50.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.84 CA$2.63

20.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.09 $6.09

$4.86 CA$6.93

25.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 $7.10

$5.55 CA$7.91

27.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.88 CA$2.68

-51.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.85 $3.85

$2.73 CA$3.89

41.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.10 $3.10

$5.34 CA$7.61

-41.95%

Eggs

$4.70 $4.70

$3.77 CA$5.37

24.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.26 $15.26

$11.29 CA$16.09

35.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.82 $9.82

$11.46 CA$16.34

-14.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.08 $18.08

$18.26 CA$26.03

-0.99%

Apples (1kg)

$6.54 $6.54

$4.64 CA$6.62

40.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.44 CA$2.05

-13.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$4.22 CA$6.02

8.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.90 $5.90

$3.86 CA$5.50

52.85%

Potato (1kg)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.62 CA$3.74

14.89%

Onion (1kg)

$3.65 $3.65

$2.66 CA$3.79

37.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 $2.08

$2.59 CA$3.69

-19.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.53 CA$2.19

45.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.60 $9.60

$14.26 CA$20.32

-32.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.94 $14.94

$15.27 CA$21.76

-2.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.41 CA$3.44

-7.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.09 CA$4.41

-11.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.88 CA$4.11

-51.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.65 $40.65

$88.7 CA$126

-54.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 $2.99

$3.23 CA$4.61

-7.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.38 CA$1.97

40.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.35 $18.35

$26.49 CA$37.75

-30.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.18 CA$1.68

-17.80%

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

$36.3K $36.3K

$28.3K CA$40.3K

28.28%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$20.7K CA$29.5K

20.56%

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

$193 $193

$159 CA$227

21.08%

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

$57.0 $57.0

$37.61 CA$53.6

51.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.1 $67.1

$49.68 CA$70.8

34.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.25 $36.25

$53.3 CA$75.9

-31.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.10 $5.10

$18.31 CA$26.10

-72.15%

Cinema Ticket

$15.28 $15.28

$14.08 CA$20.06

8.52%

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

$1,463 $1,463

$809 CA$1,154

80.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.2K $24.2K

$15.9K CA$22.6K

52.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 $53.5

$58.8 CA$83.8

-8.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.9 $58.9

$38.84 CA$55.4

51.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.6 $92.6

$91.4 CA$130

1.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 $142

$109 CA$155

30.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,750 $1,750

$1,237 CA$1,764

41.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,298 $1,298

$996 CA$1,420

30.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,055 $3,055

$1,908 CA$2,720

60.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 $2,028

$1,671 CA$2,382

21.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,971 $3,971

$3,530 CA$5,032

12.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,149 $2,149

$3,336 CA$4,755

-35.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,299 $4,299

$3,130 CA$4,461

37.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.61

4.51

46.56%

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

Last update for Raleigh, NC: 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

Raleigh, NC

$1.3K 48.7%

Calgary

$996 44.8% 23.2% $302

Groceries & Markets

Raleigh, NC

$414 15.5%

Calgary

$387 17.4% 6.4% $27

Eating Out

Raleigh, NC

$357 13.4%

Calgary

$265 11.9% 25.7% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Raleigh, NC

$317 11.9%

Calgary

$247 11.1% 22.2% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Raleigh, NC

$156 5.9%

Calgary

$134 6% 14.1% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Raleigh, NC

$67 2.5%

Calgary

$81 3.7% 21.8% $15

Getting Around

Raleigh, NC

$59 2.2%

Calgary

$110 5% 87.5% $51

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,750 in Raleigh, NC and $1,237 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Raleigh, NC pays 37% 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: $99.0 in Raleigh, NC vs $71.0 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $414 vs $387 per month, with Calgary cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Raleigh, NC

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

03:15 3:15 AM

01:15 1:15 AM

2 h behind Raleigh, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

431,746

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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Raleigh, NC Calgary 3,280 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

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Raleigh, NC
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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

Raleigh, NC vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 37% higher in Raleigh, NC, 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: $1,750 in Raleigh, NC 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 $99.0 in Raleigh, NC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,666 per month in Raleigh, NC versus $2,232 in Calgary – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,232 in Calgary versus $2,666 in Raleigh, NC, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Raleigh, NC. 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 19% less than in Raleigh, NC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.