Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Stafford, VA and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,232 a month against $2,584 in Stafford, VA, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Stafford, VA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

124

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

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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Stafford, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,584

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,232

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,584 in Stafford, VA versus $2,232 in Calgary.

Stafford, VA $2,584
Calgary $2,232

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,005 in Stafford, VA versus $3,363 in Calgary.

Stafford, VA $4,005
Calgary $3,363

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,426 in Stafford, VA versus $4,493 in Calgary.

Stafford, VA $5,426
Calgary $4,493

Living in Stafford, VA is roughly 16% more expensive than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stafford, VA 93% above, Calgary 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.20 $16.20

$17.22 CA$24.55

-5.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 $108

$71.2 CA$102

51.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.04 $12.04

$10.56 CA$15.06

14.02%

Cappuccino

$5.34 $5.34

$3.77 CA$5.38

41.64%

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

$3.13 $3.13

$1.91 CA$2.73

63.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.84 CA$2.63

45.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.85 $6.85

$4.86 CA$6.94

40.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.96 $9.96

$5.55 CA$7.91

79.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.88 CA$2.68

-31.91%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.73 CA$3.89

12.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.04 $7.04

$5.34 CA$7.62

31.84%

Eggs

$4.87 $4.87

$3.77 CA$5.37

29.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.23 $17.23

$11.29 CA$16.10

52.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.87 $10.87

$11.46 CA$16.34

-5.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.66 $18.66

$18.26 CA$26.04

2.19%

Apples (1kg)

$6.87 $6.87

$4.64 CA$6.62

48.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 $2.37

$1.44 CA$2.05

64.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 $4.89

$4.22 CA$6.02

15.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.77 $5.77

$3.86 CA$5.50

49.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 $2.77

$2.62 CA$3.74

5.73%

Onion (1kg)

$3.77 $3.77

$2.66 CA$3.79

41.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.59 CA$3.69

0.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.53 CA$2.19

81.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.19 $14.19

$14.26 CA$20.33

-0.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.14 $16.14

$15.27 CA$21.77

5.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.41 CA$3.44

38.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.65 $5.65

$3.09 CA$4.41

82.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 CA$4.11

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.7 CA$126

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.11 $4.11

$3.23 CA$4.61

27.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.38 CA$1.97

14.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.44 $25.44

$26.49 CA$37.77

-3.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.18 CA$1.68

-11.86%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$28.3K CA$40.3K

29.92%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$20.7K CA$29.6K

28.30%

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

$135 $135

$159 CA$227

-15.47%

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

$81.6 $81.6

$37.61 CA$53.6

116.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.5 $77.5

$49.68 CA$70.8

55.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 CA$75.9

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.31 CA$26.11

Cinema Ticket

$18.09 $18.09

$14.08 CA$20.07

28.48%

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

$3,193 $3,193

$809 CA$1,154

294.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$41.0K $41.0K

$15.9K CA$22.6K

158.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 $70.8

$58.8 CA$83.8

20.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.44 $44.44

$38.84 CA$55.4

14.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 $106

$91.4 CA$130

15.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 $123

$109 CA$155

12.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,764 $1,764

$1,237 CA$1,764

42.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,307 $1,307

$996 CA$1,420

31.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,607 $2,607

$1,908 CA$2,721

36.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,374 $2,374

$1,671 CA$2,383

42.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,530 CA$5,034

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,195 $3,195

$3,336 CA$4,757

-4.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,357 $7,357

$3,130 CA$4,463

135.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

33.04%

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

Last update for Stafford, 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

Stafford, VA

$1.3K 50.7%

Calgary

$996 44.8% 23.8% $311

Groceries & Markets

Stafford, VA

$470 18.2%

Calgary

$387 17.4% 17.6% $83

Eating Out

Stafford, VA

$307 11.9%

Calgary

$265 11.9% 13.7% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Stafford, VA

$294 11.4%

Calgary

$247 11.1% 16% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Stafford, VA

$155 6%

Calgary

$134 6% 13.3% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Stafford, VA

$36 * 1.4%

Calgary

$81 3.7% 125% $45

Getting Around

Stafford, VA

$12 * 0.5%

Calgary

$110 5% 820% $98

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 $1,764 in Stafford, VA and $1,237 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stafford, VA pays 135% 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: $108 in Stafford, VA vs $71.0 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $470 vs $387 per month, with Calgary cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Stafford, VA

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

04:47 4:47 AM

02:47 2:47 AM

2 h behind Stafford, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

17,693

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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Between locations

Stafford, VA Calgary 3,170 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Stafford, 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

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

Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 135% higher in Stafford, 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: $1,764 in Stafford, VA versus $1,237 in Calgary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,193 in Stafford, 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 $108 in Stafford, VA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,232 in Calgary versus $2,584 in Stafford, VA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Stafford, 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 16% less than in Stafford, VA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.