Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Silver Spring, MD and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,223 a month against $2,497 in Silver Spring, MD, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Silver Spring, MD
🇺🇸 United States
$2,497
/mo nomad
Calgary
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,223
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,497 in Silver Spring, MD versus $2,223 in Calgary.

  • Silver Spring, MD $2,497
  • Calgary $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,148 in Silver Spring, MD versus $3,301 in Calgary.

  • Silver Spring, MD $4,148
  • Calgary $3,301

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,799 in Silver Spring, MD versus $4,379 in Calgary.

  • Silver Spring, MD $5,799
  • Calgary $4,379

Living in Silver Spring, MD is roughly 12% more expensive than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Silver Spring, MD 85% above, Calgary 65% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Silver Spring, MD
Calgary
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.23 $13.23
$17.22 CA$24.34
-23.17%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$88.3 $88.3
$71.1 CA$100
24.24%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.42 $7.42
$10.53 CA$14.89
-29.53%
Cappuccino
$6.01 $6.01
$3.66 CA$5.18
64.21%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.81 $2.81
$1.98 CA$2.80
41.92%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.41 $2.41
$1.94 CA$2.74
24.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.97 $7.97
$4.95 CA$7.00
61.01%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.35 $8.35
$5.57 CA$7.87
49.91%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Silver Spring, MD
Calgary
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.20 $1.20
$1.88 CA$2.65
-36.17%
White Bread (500g)
$4.34 $4.34
$2.67 CA$3.78
62.55%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.23 $5.23
$5.32 CA$7.52
-1.69%
Eggs
$5.27 $5.27
$3.79 CA$5.35
39.05%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.80 $16.80
$11.09 CA$15.68
51.49%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$15.93 $15.93
$11.36 CA$16.05
40.23%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.77 $18.77
$18.40 CA$26.01
2.01%
Apples (1kg)
$4.92 $4.92
$4.56 CA$6.45
7.89%
Banana (1kg)
$1.70 $1.70
$1.44 CA$2.04
18.06%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.72 $4.72
$4.08 CA$5.76
15.69%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.29 $5.29
$3.89 CA$5.50
35.99%
Potato (1kg)
$2.99 $2.99
$2.64 CA$3.73
13.26%
Onion (1kg)
$2.03 $2.03
$2.64 CA$3.73
-23.11%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.08 $2.08
$2.50 CA$3.54
-16.80%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.67 $2.67
$1.50 CA$2.12
78.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.42 $10.42
$14.05 CA$19.86
-25.84%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.75 $14.75
$15.70 CA$22.20
-6.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.71 $1.71
$2.44 CA$3.45
-29.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.85 $2.85
$3.09 CA$4.37
-7.77%
🚌 Getting Around
Silver Spring, MD
Calgary
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.91 $4.91
$2.82 CA$3.99
74.11%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$179 $179
$88.6 CA$125
101.99%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.12 $4.12
$3.12 CA$4.41
32.05%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.26 $1.26
$1.35 CA$1.91
-6.67%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$24.58 $24.58
$27.02 CA$38.20
-9.03%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.99 $0.99
$1.16 CA$1.64
-14.66%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.2K $35.2K
$27.9K CA$39.5K
26.10%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.0K $25.0K
$20.3K CA$28.8K
22.70%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Silver Spring, MD
Calgary
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$149 $149
$161 CA$227
-7.54%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$48.37 $48.37
$38.13 CA$53.9
26.86%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$61.7 $61.7
$50.0 CA$70.7
23.34%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Silver Spring, MD
Calgary
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$33.56 $33.56
$51.5 CA$72.8
-34.82%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.86 $21.86
$18.14 CA$25.64
20.51%
Cinema Ticket
$16.37 $16.37
$13.82 CA$19.54
18.45%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Silver Spring, MD
Calgary
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,607 $1,607
$786 CA$1,111
104.34%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$36.0K $36.0K
$15.5K CA$21.8K
132.93%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Silver Spring, MD
Calgary
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$47.77 $47.77
$58.3 CA$82.4
-18.03%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.62 $35.62
$39.27 CA$55.5
-9.29%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$102 $102
$89.8 CA$127
13.98%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 $119
$110 CA$155
7.95%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Silver Spring, MD
Calgary
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,953 $1,953
$1,229 CA$1,737
58.93%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,087 $1,087
$1,001 CA$1,415
8.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,196 $4,196
$1,921 CA$2,716
118.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,555 $2,555
$1,621 CA$2,292
57.62%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,341 $5,341
$3,549 CA$5,018
50.48%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,222 $4,222
$3,335 CA$4,715
26.60%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Silver Spring, MD
Calgary
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,037 $5,037
$3,165 CA$4,474
59.15%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.72
4.51
49.00%

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

Last update for Silver Spring, MD: 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
Silver Spring, MD
$1.1K
Calgary
$1K 7.9% $86
Groceries & Markets
Silver Spring, MD
$461
Calgary
$385 16.4% $76
Eating Out
Silver Spring, MD
$278
Calgary
$265 4.6% $13
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Silver Spring, MD
$259
Calgary
$249 3.8% $9.8
Getting Around
Silver Spring, MD
$209
Calgary
$110 47.5% $99
Clothing & Footwear
Silver Spring, MD
$137
Calgary
$134 2.3% $3.2
Sport & Entertainment
Silver Spring, MD
$66
Calgary
$79 19.4% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,953 in Silver Spring, MD and $1,229 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Silver Spring, MD pays 59% 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: $88.0 in Silver Spring, MD vs $71.0 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $461 vs $385 per month, with Calgary cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Silver Spring, MD
🇨🇦 Calgary
🕒 Local time
14:52 2:52 PM
12:52 12:52 PM
2 h behind Silver Spring, MD
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
71,452
1,267,344
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Silver Spring, MD Calgary 3,160 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Silver Spring, MD
  • Calgary

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
Silver Spring, MD vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Calgary cheaper than Silver Spring, MD?
Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Silver Spring, MD or Calgary?
Average pay runs 59% higher in Silver Spring, MD, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Silver Spring, MD and Calgary?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,953 in Silver Spring, MD versus $1,229 in Calgary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Is eating out cheaper in Silver Spring, MD or in Calgary?
Dining out is cheaper in Calgary – a meal for two runs $71.0 versus $88.0 in Silver Spring, MD. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
What are total monthly expenses in Silver Spring, MD and in Calgary?
All in, you'll spend $2,497 per month in Silver Spring, MD versus $2,223 in Calgary – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Silver Spring, MD or in Calgary?
At $2,223 in Calgary versus $2,497 in Silver Spring, MD, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Silver Spring, MD. The gap between the two cities makes Calgary the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Silver Spring, MD or in Calgary?
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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Calgary gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Silver Spring, MD. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Silver Spring, MD vs other spots: cost of living compared

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