Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Somerville, MA and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,223 a month against $4,288 in Somerville, MA, rent and utilities included – about $24,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

210

Cost of Living Index in Somerville, MA
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Somerville, MA Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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Somerville, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,288

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,288 in Somerville, MA versus $2,223 in Calgary.

Somerville, MA $4,288
Calgary $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,211 in Somerville, MA versus $3,301 in Calgary.

Somerville, MA $6,211
Calgary $3,301

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,134 in Somerville, MA versus $4,379 in Calgary.

Somerville, MA $8,134
Calgary $4,379

Living in Somerville, MA is roughly 93% more expensive than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Somerville, MA 218% above, Calgary 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.95 $24.95

$17.22 CA$24.34

44.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.3 $95.3

$71.1 CA$100

34.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.25 $13.25

$10.53 CA$14.89

25.83%

Cappuccino

$5.44 $5.44

$3.66 CA$5.18

48.63%

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

$2.91 $2.91

$1.98 CA$2.80

46.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.94 CA$2.74

16.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.12 $8.12

$4.95 CA$7.00

64.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.09 $9.09

$5.57 CA$7.87

63.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.88 CA$2.65

-42.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.90 $3.90

$2.67 CA$3.78

46.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.31 $5.31

$5.32 CA$7.52

-0.19%

Eggs

$4.92 $4.92

$3.79 CA$5.35

29.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.91 $15.91

$11.09 CA$15.68

43.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.04 $14.04

$11.36 CA$16.05

23.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.85 $17.85

$18.40 CA$26.01

-2.99%

Apples (1kg)

$6.66 $6.66

$4.56 CA$6.45

46.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.44 CA$2.04

44.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.53 $5.53

$4.08 CA$5.76

35.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.49 $6.49

$3.89 CA$5.50

66.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.64 CA$3.73

-16.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.64 CA$3.73

-18.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.99 $2.99

$2.50 CA$3.54

19.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.50 CA$2.12

98.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.39 $13.39

$14.05 CA$19.86

-4.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.79 $15.79

$15.70 CA$22.20

0.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

$2.44 CA$3.45

-14.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 $4.11

$3.09 CA$4.37

33.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.82 CA$3.99

-20.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.8 $88.8

$88.6 CA$125

0.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.62 $2.62

$3.12 CA$4.41

-16.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.35 CA$1.91

31.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.09 $28.09

$27.02 CA$38.20

3.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.16 CA$1.64

-6.90%

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

$36.9K $36.9K

$27.9K CA$39.5K

32.25%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$20.3K CA$28.8K

27.37%

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

$246 $246

$161 CA$227

52.99%

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

$75.9 $75.9

$38.13 CA$53.9

99.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.5 $74.5

$50.0 CA$70.7

48.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$103 $103

$51.5 CA$72.8

100.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 CA$25.64

Cinema Ticket

$15.65 $15.65

$13.82 CA$19.54

13.24%

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

$1,848 $1,848

$786 CA$1,111

135.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$15.5K CA$21.8K

97.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.48 $48.48

$58.3 CA$82.4

-16.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.45 $38.45

$39.27 CA$55.5

-2.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$89.8 CA$127

12.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 $158

$110 CA$155

43.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 $2,965

$1,229 CA$1,737

141.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,637 $2,637

$1,001 CA$1,415

163.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,530 $4,530

$1,921 CA$2,716

135.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,491 $4,491

$1,621 CA$2,292

177.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,454 $7,454

$3,549 CA$5,018

110.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,679 $5,679

$3,335 CA$4,715

70.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,408 $5,408

$3,165 CA$4,474

70.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

4.51

47.23%

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

Last update for Somerville, MA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Somerville, MA

$2.6K 61.5%

Calgary

$1K 45% 62% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Somerville, MA

$472 11%

Calgary

$385 17.3% 18.3% $86

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Somerville, MA

$396 9.2%

Calgary

$249 11.2% 37.2% $147

Eating Out

Somerville, MA

$384 9%

Calgary

$265 11.9% 31% $119

Clothing & Footwear

Somerville, MA

$155 3.6%

Calgary

$134 6% 14% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Somerville, MA

$135 3.1%

Calgary

$79 3.6% 41.3% $56

Getting Around

Somerville, MA

$109 2.6%

Calgary

$110 4.9% 0.5% $0.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,965 in Somerville, MA and $1,229 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Somerville, MA pays 71% 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: $95.0 in Somerville, MA vs $71.0 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $472 vs $385 per month, with Calgary cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Somerville, MA

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

14:29 2:29 PM

12:29 12:29 PM

2 h behind Somerville, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

75,754

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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Somerville, MA Calgary 3,360 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Somerville, MA
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

Somerville, MA vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 93% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 71% higher in Somerville, MA, 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: $2,965 in Somerville, MA 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 $95.0 in Somerville, MA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $4,288 per month in Somerville, MA versus $2,223 in Calgary – a 93% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,223 in Calgary versus $4,288 in Somerville, MA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Somerville, MA. The gap between the two cities makes Calgary the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Calgary is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Somerville, MA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Somerville, MA 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.

Expats usually find Calgary gentler on the wallet – expenses run 93% less than in Somerville, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.