Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Somerset, NJ and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,223 a month against $3,865 in Somerset, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $19,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Somerset, NJ
🇺🇸 United States
$3,865
/mo nomad
Calgary
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,223
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,865 in Somerset, NJ versus $2,223 in Calgary.

  • Somerset, NJ $3,865
  • Calgary $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,297 in Somerset, NJ versus $3,301 in Calgary.

  • Somerset, NJ $4,297
  • Calgary $3,301

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,728 in Somerset, NJ versus $4,379 in Calgary.

  • Somerset, NJ $4,728
  • Calgary $4,379

Living in Somerset, NJ is roughly 74% more expensive than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Somerset, NJ 186% above, Calgary 65% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Somerset, NJ
Calgary
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.26 $18.26
$17.22 CA$24.34
6.04%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$39.28 $39.28
$71.1 CA$100
-44.71%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.16 $8.16
$10.53 CA$14.89
-22.51%
Cappuccino
$4.89 $4.89
$3.66 CA$5.18
33.61%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.96 $1.96
$1.98 CA$2.80
-1.01%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.47 $1.47
$1.94 CA$2.74
-24.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.84 $7.84
$4.95 CA$7.00
58.38%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.13 $7.13
$5.57 CA$7.87
28.01%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Somerset, NJ
Calgary
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.32 $1.32
$1.88 CA$2.65
-29.79%
White Bread (500g)
$4.38 $4.38
$2.67 CA$3.78
64.04%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$6.12 $6.12
$5.32 CA$7.52
15.04%
Eggs
$2.02 $2.02
$3.79 CA$5.35
-46.70%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.28 $13.28
$11.09 CA$15.68
19.75%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.19 $10.19
$11.36 CA$16.05
-10.30%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.45 $19.45
$18.40 CA$26.01
5.71%
Apples (1kg)
$6.07 $6.07
$4.56 CA$6.45
33.11%
Banana (1kg)
$3.49 $3.49
$1.44 CA$2.04
142.36%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.32 $4.32
$4.08 CA$5.76
5.88%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.43 $5.43
$3.89 CA$5.50
39.59%
Potato (1kg)
$3.04 $3.04
$2.64 CA$3.73
15.15%
Onion (1kg)
$3.04 $3.04
$2.64 CA$3.73
15.15%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.43 $2.43
$2.50 CA$3.54
-2.80%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.97 $2.97
$1.50 CA$2.12
98.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$17.39 $17.39
$14.05 CA$19.86
23.77%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.25 $15.25
$15.70 CA$22.20
-2.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78 $1.78
$2.44 CA$3.45
-27.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.52 $3.52
$3.09 CA$4.37
13.92%
🚌 Getting Around
Somerset, NJ
Calgary
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.95 $1.95
$2.82 CA$3.99
-30.85%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$88.6 CA$125
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.94 $2.94
$3.12 CA$4.41
-5.77%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.23 $2.23
$1.35 CA$1.91
65.19%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$41.34 $41.34
$27.02 CA$38.20
53.00%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.10 $1.10
$1.16 CA$1.64
-5.17%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.0K $36.0K
$27.9K CA$39.5K
28.94%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.3K $25.3K
$20.3K CA$28.8K
24.26%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Somerset, NJ
Calgary
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$173 $173
$161 CA$227
7.66%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$50.0 $50.0
$38.13 CA$53.9
31.13%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$49.14 $49.14
$50.0 CA$70.7
-1.80%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Somerset, NJ
Calgary
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.91 $40.91
$51.5 CA$72.8
-20.55%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$18.14 CA$25.64
-
Cinema Ticket
$20.32 $20.32
$13.82 CA$19.54
47.03%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Somerset, NJ
Calgary
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,016 $2,016
$786 CA$1,111
156.47%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.3K $16.3K
$15.5K CA$21.8K
5.43%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Somerset, NJ
Calgary
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$50.2 $50.2
$58.3 CA$82.4
-13.85%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.93 $40.93
$39.27 CA$55.5
4.23%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$85.3 $85.3
$89.8 CA$127
-5.01%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$104 $104
$110 CA$155
-5.47%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Somerset, NJ
Calgary
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,599 $1,599
$1,229 CA$1,737
30.14%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,626 $2,626
$1,001 CA$1,415
162.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,527 $2,527
$1,921 CA$2,716
31.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,114 $2,114
$1,621 CA$2,292
30.38%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,767 $2,767
$3,549 CA$5,018
-22.05%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,399 $2,399
$3,335 CA$4,715
-28.08%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Somerset, NJ
Calgary
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$3,165 CA$4,474
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.8
4.51
50.78%

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

Last update for Somerset, NJ: October 11, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Somerset, NJ
$2.6K
Calgary
$1K 61.9% $1.6K
Groceries & Markets
Somerset, NJ
$441
Calgary
$385 12.7% $56
Eating Out
Somerset, NJ
$296
Calgary
$265 10.6% $32
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Somerset, NJ
$272
Calgary
$249 8.6% $23
Clothing & Footwear
Somerset, NJ
$126
Calgary
$134 6% $7.6
Sport & Entertainment
Somerset, NJ
$82
Calgary
$79 3% $2.4
Getting Around
Somerset, NJ
$22 *
Calgary
$110 402% $88

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,599 in Somerset, NJ and $1,229 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $39.00 in Somerset, NJ vs $71.0 in Calgary. Groceries flip the comparison at $441 vs $385, with Calgary cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Somerset, NJ
🇨🇦 Calgary
🕒 Local time
11:13 11:13 AM
09:13 9:13 AM
2 h behind Somerset, NJ
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
11,924
1,267,344
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Somerset, NJ Calgary 3,240 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Somerset, NJ
  • 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
Somerset, NJ vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Calgary cheaper than Somerset, NJ?
Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 74% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $5,798 in Somerset, NJ and $3,335 in Calgary to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Somerset, NJ and Calgary?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,599 in Somerset, NJ versus $1,229 in Calgary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $2,016 in Somerset, NJ versus $786 in Calgary. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Somerset, NJ or in Calgary?
Dining out is cheaper in Calgary – a meal for two runs $71.0 versus $39.00 in Somerset, NJ. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Somerset, NJ or in Calgary?
At $2,223 in Calgary versus $3,865 in Somerset, NJ, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Somerset, NJ. The gap between the two cities makes Calgary the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Somerset, NJ 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 safer, Somerset, NJ or Calgary?
Safety-wise, Somerset, NJ 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Calgary gentler on the wallet – expenses run 74% less than in Somerset, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Somerset, NJ vs other spots: cost of living compared

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