Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Scranton, PA and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Scranton, PA: $2,109 a month against $2,223 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. The total is higher in Calgary despite lower rent and utilities.

103

Cost of Living Index in Scranton, PA
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Scranton, PA Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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Scranton, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,109

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,109 in Scranton, PA versus $2,223 in Calgary.

Scranton, PA $2,109
Calgary $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,000 in Scranton, PA versus $3,301 in Calgary.

Scranton, PA $3,000
Calgary $3,301

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,891 in Scranton, PA versus $4,379 in Calgary.

Scranton, PA $3,891
Calgary $4,379

Living in Scranton, PA costs roughly 5% less than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Scranton, PA 56% above, Calgary 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.08 $12.08

$17.22 CA$24.34

-29.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.1 $77.1

$71.1 CA$100

8.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.96 $5.96

$10.53 CA$14.89

-43.40%

Cappuccino

$4.48 $4.48

$3.66 CA$5.18

22.40%

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

$1.53 $1.53

$1.98 CA$2.80

-22.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.94 CA$2.74

-48.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.93 $6.93

$4.95 CA$7.00

40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.66 $7.66

$5.57 CA$7.87

37.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.73 $0.73

$1.88 CA$2.65

-61.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.67 CA$3.78

-45.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$5.32 CA$7.52

-58.27%

Eggs

$3.34 $3.34

$3.79 CA$5.35

-11.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.12 $11.12

$11.09 CA$15.68

0.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.81 $8.81

$11.36 CA$16.05

-22.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.18 $11.18

$18.40 CA$26.01

-39.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$4.56 CA$6.45

-20.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.44 CA$2.04

-9.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.32 $3.32

$4.08 CA$5.76

-18.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.26 $4.26

$3.89 CA$5.50

9.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$2.64 CA$3.73

9.85%

Onion (1kg)

$3.32 $3.32

$2.64 CA$3.73

25.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.50 CA$3.54

-22.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.50 CA$2.12

-32.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.59 $6.59

$14.05 CA$19.86

-53.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.19 $12.19

$15.70 CA$22.20

-22.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.44 CA$3.45

24.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.79 $4.79

$3.09 CA$4.37

55.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.73 $1.73

$2.82 CA$3.99

-38.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.1 $61.1

$88.6 CA$125

-31.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 $3.16

$3.12 CA$4.41

1.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.35 CA$1.91

48.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$27.02 CA$38.20

-7.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.16 CA$1.64

-4.31%

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

$35.3K $35.3K

$27.9K CA$39.5K

26.64%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$20.3K CA$28.8K

26.29%

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

$232 $232

$161 CA$227

44.23%

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

$40.27 $40.27

$38.13 CA$53.9

5.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.27 $49.27

$50.0 CA$70.7

-1.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.52 $29.52

$51.5 CA$72.8

-42.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.03 $16.03

$18.14 CA$25.64

-11.63%

Cinema Ticket

$12.53 $12.53

$13.82 CA$19.54

-9.33%

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

$770 $770

$786 CA$1,111

-2.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K $17.6K

$15.5K CA$21.8K

14.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.23 $45.23

$58.3 CA$82.4

-22.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.25 $30.25

$39.27 CA$55.5

-22.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.9 $72.9

$89.8 CA$127

-18.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.9 $82.9

$110 CA$155

-24.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 $1,269

$1,229 CA$1,737

3.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,019 $1,019

$1,001 CA$1,415

1.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,554 $1,554

$1,921 CA$2,716

-19.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,481 $1,481

$1,621 CA$2,292

-8.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,594 $1,594

$3,549 CA$5,018

-55.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,538 $1,538

$3,335 CA$4,715

-53.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,361 $3,361

$3,165 CA$4,474

6.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

4.51

47.89%

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

Last update for Scranton, PA: October 10, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Scranton, PA

$1K 48.3%

Calgary

$1K 45% 1.8% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Scranton, PA

$321 15.2%

Calgary

$249 11.2% 22.5% $72

Groceries & Markets

Scranton, PA

$300 14.2%

Calgary

$385 17.3% 28.5% $85

Eating Out

Scranton, PA

$228 10.8%

Calgary

$265 11.9% 16% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Scranton, PA

$104 4.9%

Calgary

$134 6% 28.5% $30

Getting Around

Scranton, PA

$81 3.9%

Calgary

$110 4.9% 35.3% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Scranton, PA

$55 2.6%

Calgary

$79 3.6% 45% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,269 in Scranton, PA and $1,229 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Scranton, PA pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $77.0 in Scranton, PA vs $71.0 in Calgary. Groceries flip the comparison at $300 vs $385, with Scranton, PA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Scranton, PA

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

17:04 5:04 PM

15:04 3:04 PM

2 h behind Scranton, PA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

72,861

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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 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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Scranton, PA Calgary 3,100 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Scranton, PA vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Scranton, PA is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 6% higher in Scranton, PA, 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: $1,269 in Scranton, PA 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 Scranton, PA – a meal for two runs $77.0 versus $71.0 in Calgary. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,109 per month in Scranton, PA versus $2,223 in Calgary – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,109 in Scranton, PA versus $2,223 in Calgary, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Scranton, PA but tight or insufficient in Calgary. The gap between the two cities makes Scranton, PA 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 Scranton, PA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.