Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between State College, PA and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,232 a month against $2,409 in State College, PA, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in State College, PA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

118

Cost of Living Index in State College, PA
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State College, PA Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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State College, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,409

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,232

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,409 in State College, PA versus $2,232 in Calgary.

State College, PA $2,409
Calgary $2,232

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,588 in State College, PA versus $3,363 in Calgary.

State College, PA $3,588
Calgary $3,363

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,767 in State College, PA versus $4,493 in Calgary.

State College, PA $4,767
Calgary $4,493

Living in State College, PA is roughly 8% more expensive than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: State College, PA 80% above, Calgary 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.86 $14.86

$17.22 CA$24.54

-13.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.6 $65.6

$71.2 CA$101

-7.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.54 $9.54

$10.56 CA$15.06

-9.66%

Cappuccino

$3.45 $3.45

$3.77 CA$5.38

-8.49%

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

$2.43 $2.43

$1.91 CA$2.73

27.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.84 CA$2.63

-4.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.78 $6.78

$4.86 CA$6.93

39.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.59 $7.59

$5.55 CA$7.91

36.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.88 CA$2.68

-40.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.73 CA$3.89

11.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$5.34 CA$7.61

-62.17%

Eggs

$3.98 $3.98

$3.77 CA$5.37

5.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.32 $9.32

$11.29 CA$16.09

-17.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 $9.25

$11.46 CA$16.34

-19.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.03 $18.03

$18.26 CA$26.03

-1.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 $3.60

$4.64 CA$6.62

-22.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.44 CA$2.05

-7.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.56 $4.56

$4.22 CA$6.02

8.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.07 $4.07

$3.86 CA$5.50

5.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 $1.74

$2.62 CA$3.74

-33.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.66 CA$3.79

-7.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.59 CA$3.69

-13.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.53 CA$2.19

-1.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.62 $11.62

$14.26 CA$20.32

-18.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.47 $14.47

$15.27 CA$21.76

-5.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.41 CA$3.44

-26.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 $3.57

$3.09 CA$4.41

15.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.88 CA$4.11

-22.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.5 $84.5

$88.7 CA$126

-4.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.04 $5.04

$3.23 CA$4.61

56.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.38 CA$1.97

-22.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.90 $22.90

$26.49 CA$37.75

-13.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.18 CA$1.68

-5.08%

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

$35.3K $35.3K

$28.3K CA$40.3K

25.02%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$20.7K CA$29.5K

23.54%

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

$157 $157

$159 CA$227

-1.13%

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

$40.96 $40.96

$37.61 CA$53.6

8.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 $58.9

$49.68 CA$70.8

18.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.20 $25.20

$53.3 CA$75.9

-52.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.31 CA$26.10

Cinema Ticket

$16.41 $16.41

$14.08 CA$20.06

16.55%

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

$1,029 $1,029

$809 CA$1,154

27.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.6K $27.6K

$15.9K CA$22.6K

74.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.72 $46.72

$58.8 CA$83.8

-20.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.65 $40.65

$38.84 CA$55.4

4.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.5 $79.5

$91.4 CA$130

-13.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 $129

$109 CA$155

18.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,710 $1,710

$1,237 CA$1,764

38.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,267 $1,267

$996 CA$1,420

27.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,788 $2,788

$1,908 CA$2,720

46.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 $2,155

$1,671 CA$2,382

28.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,616 $2,616

$3,530 CA$5,032

-25.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,405 $2,405

$3,336 CA$4,755

-27.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,385 $4,385

$3,130 CA$4,461

40.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

4.51

43.24%

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

Last update for State College, PA: 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

State College, PA

$1.3K 52.5%

Calgary

$996 44.8% 21.4% $271

Groceries & Markets

State College, PA

$341 14.1%

Calgary

$387 17.4% 13.7% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

State College, PA

$257 10.7%

Calgary

$247 11.1% 4.2% $11

Eating Out

State College, PA

$255 10.6%

Calgary

$265 11.9% 4.1% $10

Clothing & Footwear

State College, PA

$133 5.5%

Calgary

$134 6% 0.7% $0.9

Getting Around

State College, PA

$104 4.3%

Calgary

$110 5% 6.3% $6.6

Sport & Entertainment

State College, PA

$58 2.4%

Calgary

$81 3.7% 40.3% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,710 in State College, PA and $1,237 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

State College, PA pays 40% 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: $66.0 in State College, PA vs $71.0 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $341 vs $387 per month, with State College, PA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 State College, PA

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

21:23 9:23 PM

19:23 7:23 PM

2 h behind State College, PA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

40,501

1,267,344

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 CAD = 0.702 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

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State College, PA Calgary 2,990 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

State College, PA
Calgary

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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

State College, PA vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in utilities. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 40% higher in State College, PA, 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: $1,710 in State College, PA versus $1,237 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 $66.0 in State College, PA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,409 per month in State College, PA versus $2,232 in Calgary – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,232 in Calgary versus $2,409 in State College, PA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in State College, PA. 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, State College, PA 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 8% less than in State College, PA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.