Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Springfield, VA and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,232 a month against $2,899 in Springfield, VA, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

141

Cost of Living Index in Springfield, VA
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Springfield, VA Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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Springfield, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,899

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,232

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,899 in Springfield, VA versus $2,232 in Calgary.

Springfield, VA $2,899
Calgary $2,232

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,562 in Springfield, VA versus $3,363 in Calgary.

Springfield, VA $4,562
Calgary $3,363

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,226 in Springfield, VA versus $4,493 in Calgary.

Springfield, VA $6,226
Calgary $4,493

Living in Springfield, VA is roughly 30% more expensive than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Springfield, VA 116% above, Calgary 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.06 $18.06

$17.22 CA$24.55

4.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.6 $97.6

$71.2 CA$102

37.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 $10.56

$10.56 CA$15.06

Cappuccino

$5.25 $5.25

$3.77 CA$5.38

39.26%

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

$3.14 $3.14

$1.91 CA$2.73

64.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 $2.61

$1.84 CA$2.63

41.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.07 $7.07

$4.86 CA$6.94

45.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.98 $7.98

$5.55 CA$7.91

43.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.88 CA$2.68

-41.49%

White Bread (500g)

$4.01 $4.01

$2.73 CA$3.89

46.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.13 $4.13

$5.34 CA$7.62

-22.66%

Eggs

$4.97 $4.97

$3.77 CA$5.37

31.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 $12.94

$11.29 CA$16.10

14.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.07 $13.07

$11.46 CA$16.34

14.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.79 $18.79

$18.26 CA$26.04

2.90%

Apples (1kg)

$5.94 $5.94

$4.64 CA$6.62

28.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.44 CA$2.05

10.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.15 $5.15

$4.22 CA$6.02

22.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 $4.82

$3.86 CA$5.50

24.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.84 $2.84

$2.62 CA$3.74

8.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$2.66 CA$3.79

7.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 $2.49

$2.59 CA$3.69

-3.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.53 CA$2.19

52.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.69 $13.69

$14.26 CA$20.33

-4.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.33 $15.33

$15.27 CA$21.77

0.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 $2.64

$2.41 CA$3.44

9.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 $3.86

$3.09 CA$4.41

24.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 CA$4.11

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.7 CA$126

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.78 $1.78

$3.23 CA$4.61

-44.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.38 CA$1.97

-2.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.27 $24.27

$26.49 CA$37.77

-8.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.18 CA$1.68

-5.93%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$28.3K CA$40.3K

26.47%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$20.7K CA$29.6K

24.58%

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

$212 $212

$159 CA$227

33.03%

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

$74.4 $74.4

$37.61 CA$53.6

97.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.0 $78.0

$49.68 CA$70.8

56.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.65 $17.65

$53.3 CA$75.9

-66.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.31 CA$26.11

Cinema Ticket

$15.14 $15.14

$14.08 CA$20.07

7.53%

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

$1,947 $1,947

$809 CA$1,154

140.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.6K $35.6K

$15.9K CA$22.6K

124.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 $54.7

$58.8 CA$83.8

-6.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.58 $43.58

$38.84 CA$55.4

12.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.9 $92.9

$91.4 CA$130

1.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 $112

$109 CA$155

3.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,554 $1,554

$1,237 CA$1,764

25.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,597 $1,597

$996 CA$1,420

60.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,819 $2,819

$1,908 CA$2,721

47.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,376 $3,376

$1,671 CA$2,383

102.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,530 CA$5,034

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,336 CA$4,757

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,039 $7,039

$3,130 CA$4,463

124.88%

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 Springfield, VA: October 4, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Springfield, VA

$1.6K 55%

Calgary

$996 44.8% 37.6% $601

Groceries & Markets

Springfield, VA

$436 15%

Calgary

$387 17.4% 11.1% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Springfield, VA

$364 12.6%

Calgary

$247 11.1% 32.3% $118

Eating Out

Springfield, VA

$314 10.8%

Calgary

$265 11.9% 15.4% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Springfield, VA

$137 4.7%

Calgary

$134 6% 1.8% $2.4

Sport & Entertainment

Springfield, VA

$48 1.7%

Calgary

$81 3.7% 69.8% $33

Getting Around

Springfield, VA

$8.5 * 0.3%

Calgary

$110 5% 1203% $102

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 $1,554 in Springfield, VA and $1,237 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Springfield, VA pays 125% 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: $98.0 in Springfield, VA vs $71.0 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $436 vs $387 per month, with Calgary cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Springfield, VA

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

04:35 4:35 AM

02:35 2:35 AM

2 h behind Springfield, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

116,482

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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Springfield, VA Calgary 3,160 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Springfield, VA
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

Springfield, VA vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 125% higher in Springfield, VA, 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: $1,554 in Springfield, VA versus $1,237 in Calgary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,947 in Springfield, VA 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 $98.0 in Springfield, VA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,232 in Calgary versus $2,899 in Springfield, VA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Springfield, VA. 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.

Expats usually find Calgary gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Springfield, VA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.