Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between South Portland, ME and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,232 a month against $2,994 in South Portland, ME, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in South Portland, ME
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South Portland, ME Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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South Portland, ME

🇺🇸 United States

$2,994

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,232

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,994 in South Portland, ME versus $2,232 in Calgary.

South Portland, ME $2,994
Calgary $2,232

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,563 in South Portland, ME versus $3,363 in Calgary.

South Portland, ME $4,563
Calgary $3,363

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,131 in South Portland, ME versus $4,493 in Calgary.

South Portland, ME $6,131
Calgary $4,493

Living in South Portland, ME is roughly 34% more expensive than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: South Portland, ME 123% above, Calgary 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.56 $24.56

$17.22 CA$24.55

42.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$71.2 CA$102

68.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.81 $14.81

$10.56 CA$15.06

40.25%

Cappuccino

$5.13 $5.13

$3.77 CA$5.38

36.07%

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

$3.03 $3.03

$1.91 CA$2.73

58.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 $2.37

$1.84 CA$2.63

28.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.84 $7.84

$4.86 CA$6.94

61.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.06 $8.06

$5.55 CA$7.91

45.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.88 CA$2.68

-45.21%

White Bread (500g)

$4.56 $4.56

$2.73 CA$3.89

67.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.23 $7.23

$5.34 CA$7.62

35.39%

Eggs

$3.93 $3.93

$3.77 CA$5.37

4.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.46 $15.46

$11.29 CA$16.10

36.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.02 $10.02

$11.46 CA$16.34

-12.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.91 $15.91

$18.26 CA$26.04

-12.87%

Apples (1kg)

$5.06 $5.06

$4.64 CA$6.62

9.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.44 CA$2.05

18.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$4.22 CA$6.02

29.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.38 $7.38

$3.86 CA$5.50

91.19%

Potato (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$2.62 CA$3.74

70.23%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.66 CA$3.79

40.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.02 $3.02

$2.59 CA$3.69

16.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$1.53 CA$2.19

64.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.11 $11.11

$14.26 CA$20.33

-22.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.80 $14.80

$15.27 CA$21.77

-3.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$2.41 CA$3.44

-22.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 $2.59

$3.09 CA$4.41

-16.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.88 CA$4.11

-28.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.7 CA$126

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 $2.05

$3.23 CA$4.61

-36.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.38 CA$1.97

14.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.11 $11.11

$26.49 CA$37.77

-58.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.18 CA$1.68

-7.63%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$28.3K CA$40.3K

27.55%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$20.7K CA$29.6K

21.15%

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

$239 $239

$159 CA$227

49.81%

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

$69.9 $69.9

$37.61 CA$53.6

85.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.1 $78.1

$49.68 CA$70.8

57.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 $61.0

$53.3 CA$75.9

14.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.63 $29.63

$18.31 CA$26.11

61.82%

Cinema Ticket

$15.21 $15.21

$14.08 CA$20.07

8.03%

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

$402 $402

$809 CA$1,154

-50.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K $15.2K

$15.9K CA$22.6K

-3.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 $52.3

$58.8 CA$83.8

-10.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.3 $52.3

$38.84 CA$55.4

34.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$91.4 CA$130

12.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$109 CA$155

23.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,933 $1,933

$1,237 CA$1,764

56.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,521 $1,521

$996 CA$1,420

52.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,149 $3,149

$1,908 CA$2,721

65.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,643 $2,643

$1,671 CA$2,383

58.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,801 $2,801

$3,530 CA$5,034

-20.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,405 $2,405

$3,336 CA$4,757

-27.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,254 $4,254

$3,130 CA$4,463

35.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.65

4.51

47.45%

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

Last update for South Portland, ME: October 3, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

South Portland, ME

$1.5K 50.7%

Calgary

$996 44.8% 34.5% $525

Groceries & Markets

South Portland, ME

$446 14.9%

Calgary

$387 17.4% 13.3% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

South Portland, ME

$387 12.9%

Calgary

$247 11.1% 36.2% $140

Eating Out

South Portland, ME

$379 12.7%

Calgary

$265 11.9% 30.1% $114

Clothing & Footwear

South Portland, ME

$154 5.1%

Calgary

$134 6% 12.9% $20

Sport & Entertainment

South Portland, ME

$91 3.1%

Calgary

$81 3.7% 10.9% $10

Getting Around

South Portland, ME

$18 * 0.6%

Calgary

$110 5% 506% $92

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 $1,933 in South Portland, ME and $1,237 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

South Portland, ME pays 36% 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: $120 in South Portland, ME vs $71.0 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $446 vs $387 per month, with Calgary cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 South Portland, ME

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

03:55 3:55 AM

01:55 1:55 AM

2 h behind South Portland, ME

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,498

1,267,344

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 CAD = 0.701 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 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 12, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.701 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

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South Portland, ME Calgary 3,350 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

South Portland, ME
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

South Portland, ME vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 34% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 36% higher in South Portland, ME, 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: $1,933 in South Portland, ME versus $1,237 in Calgary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $402 in South Portland, ME versus $809 in Calgary. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Calgary – a meal for two runs $71.0 versus $120 in South Portland, ME. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,232 in Calgary versus $2,994 in South Portland, ME, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in South Portland, ME. 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.

Safety-wise, South Portland, ME 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 34% less than in South Portland, ME. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.