Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reston, VA and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,223 a month against $3,292 in Reston, VA, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

159

Cost of Living Index in Reston, VA
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Reston, VA Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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Reston, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,292

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,292 in Reston, VA versus $2,223 in Calgary.

Reston, VA $3,292
Calgary $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,194 in Reston, VA versus $3,301 in Calgary.

Reston, VA $5,194
Calgary $3,301

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,096 in Reston, VA versus $4,379 in Calgary.

Reston, VA $7,096
Calgary $4,379

Living in Reston, VA is roughly 48% more expensive than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Reston, VA 144% above, Calgary 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.47 $28.47

$17.22 CA$24.34

65.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 $119

$71.1 CA$100

67.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.86 $9.86

$10.53 CA$14.89

-6.36%

Cappuccino

$6.12 $6.12

$3.66 CA$5.18

67.21%

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

$2.96 $2.96

$1.98 CA$2.80

49.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 $2.61

$1.94 CA$2.74

34.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.03 $7.03

$4.95 CA$7.00

42.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.43 $7.43

$5.57 CA$7.87

33.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.88 CA$2.65

-28.72%

White Bread (500g)

$4.36 $4.36

$2.67 CA$3.78

63.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$5.32 CA$7.52

-14.66%

Eggs

$5.31 $5.31

$3.79 CA$5.35

40.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.89 $16.89

$11.09 CA$15.68

52.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.89 $16.89

$11.36 CA$16.05

48.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.06 $23.06

$18.40 CA$26.01

25.33%

Apples (1kg)

$6.87 $6.87

$4.56 CA$6.45

50.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.44 CA$2.04

18.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.09 $4.09

$4.08 CA$5.76

0.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.85 $5.85

$3.89 CA$5.50

50.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.64 CA$3.73

10.61%

Onion (1kg)

$3.71 $3.71

$2.64 CA$3.73

40.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.50 CA$3.54

19.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$1.50 CA$2.12

68.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.04 $14.04

$14.05 CA$19.86

-0.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.79 $17.79

$15.70 CA$22.20

13.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.44 CA$3.45

-27.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 $4.65

$3.09 CA$4.37

50.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.07 $4.07

$2.82 CA$3.99

44.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$129 $129

$88.6 CA$125

46.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.91 $3.91

$3.12 CA$4.41

25.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.35 CA$1.91

20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.89 $24.89

$27.02 CA$38.20

-7.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.16 CA$1.64

-13.79%

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

$30.2K $30.2K

$27.9K CA$39.5K

8.38%

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

$24.0K $24.0K

$20.3K CA$28.8K

17.82%

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

$215 $215

$161 CA$227

33.47%

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

$63.1 $63.1

$38.13 CA$53.9

65.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.3 $78.3

$50.0 CA$70.7

56.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$100 $100

$51.5 CA$72.8

94.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.79 $29.79

$18.14 CA$25.64

64.22%

Cinema Ticket

$16.04 $16.04

$13.82 CA$19.54

16.06%

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

$3,165 $3,165

$786 CA$1,111

302.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.8K $40.8K

$15.5K CA$21.8K

163.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.0 $76.0

$58.3 CA$82.4

30.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.32 $43.32

$39.27 CA$55.5

10.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$89.8 CA$127

15.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 $123

$110 CA$155

12.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,377 $2,377

$1,229 CA$1,737

93.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,584 $1,584

$1,001 CA$1,415

58.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,616 $3,616

$1,921 CA$2,716

88.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,125 $3,125

$1,621 CA$2,292

92.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,387 $6,387

$3,549 CA$5,018

79.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,379 $4,379

$3,335 CA$4,715

31.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,376 $6,376

$3,165 CA$4,474

101.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

4.51

47.01%

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

Last update for Reston, VA: October 12, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Reston, VA

$1.6K 48.1%

Calgary

$1K 45% 36.8% $583

Groceries & Markets

Reston, VA

$503 15.3%

Calgary

$385 17.3% 23.4% $118

Eating Out

Reston, VA

$403 12.2%

Calgary

$265 11.9% 34.3% $138

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Reston, VA

$356 10.8%

Calgary

$249 11.2% 30.1% $107

Getting Around

Reston, VA

$158 4.8%

Calgary

$110 4.9% 30.4% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Reston, VA

$156 4.7%

Calgary

$134 6% 14.2% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Reston, VA

$132 4%

Calgary

$79 3.6% 40.2% $53

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,377 in Reston, VA and $1,229 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Reston, VA pays 101% 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 Reston, VA vs $71.0 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $503 vs $385 per month, with Calgary cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Reston, VA

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

05:27 5:27 AM

03:27 3:27 AM

2 h behind Reston, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

58,404

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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Reston, VA Calgary 3,140 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

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Reston, VA
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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

Reston, VA vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 48% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 101% higher in Reston, VA, 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: $2,377 in Reston, VA versus $1,229 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 Reston, VA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,292 per month in Reston, VA versus $2,223 in Calgary – a 48% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,223 in Calgary versus $3,292 in Reston, VA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Reston, VA. 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 48% less than in Reston, VA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.