Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Summit, NJ and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,232 a month against $3,842 in Summit, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $19,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Summit, NJ
🇺🇸 United States
$3,842
/mo nomad
Calgary
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,232
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,842 in Summit, NJ versus $2,232 in Calgary.

  • Summit, NJ $3,842
  • Calgary $2,232

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,955 in Summit, NJ versus $3,363 in Calgary.

  • Summit, NJ $5,955
  • Calgary $3,363

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,069 in Summit, NJ versus $4,493 in Calgary.

  • Summit, NJ $8,069
  • Calgary $4,493

Living in Summit, NJ is roughly 72% more expensive than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Summit, NJ 187% above, Calgary 67% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Summit, NJ
Calgary
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$24.62 $24.62
$17.22 CA$24.55
42.97%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$100 $100
$71.2 CA$102
41.07%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.09 $11.09
$10.56 CA$15.06
5.02%
Cappuccino
$5.41 $5.41
$3.77 CA$5.38
43.50%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.24 $2.24
$1.91 CA$2.73
17.28%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.47 $1.47
$1.84 CA$2.63
-20.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.07 $8.07
$4.86 CA$6.94
66.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.83 $7.83
$5.55 CA$7.91
41.08%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Summit, NJ
Calgary
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.27 $1.27
$1.88 CA$2.68
-32.45%
White Bread (500g)
$4.27 $4.27
$2.73 CA$3.89
56.41%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$6.08 $6.08
$5.34 CA$7.62
13.86%
Eggs
$5.90 $5.90
$3.77 CA$5.37
56.50%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.92 $13.92
$11.29 CA$16.10
23.29%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.46 $10.46
$11.46 CA$16.34
-8.73%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.59 $17.59
$18.26 CA$26.04
-3.67%
Apples (1kg)
$6.11 $6.11
$4.64 CA$6.62
31.68%
Banana (1kg)
$1.71 $1.71
$1.44 CA$2.05
18.75%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.16 $4.16
$4.22 CA$6.02
-1.42%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.21 $5.21
$3.86 CA$5.50
34.97%
Potato (1kg)
$3.08 $3.08
$2.62 CA$3.74
17.56%
Onion (1kg)
$3.66 $3.66
$2.66 CA$3.79
37.59%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.07 $3.07
$2.59 CA$3.69
18.53%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.92 $2.92
$1.53 CA$2.19
90.85%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.28 $11.28
$14.26 CA$20.33
-20.90%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.83 $19.83
$15.27 CA$21.77
29.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78 $1.78
$2.41 CA$3.44
-26.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.30 $5.30
$3.09 CA$4.41
71.52%
🚌 Getting Around
Summit, NJ
Calgary
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$2.88 CA$4.11
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$88.7 CA$126
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.03 $3.03
$3.23 CA$4.61
-6.19%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.09 $2.09
$1.38 CA$1.97
51.45%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$24.22 $24.22
$26.49 CA$37.77
-8.57%
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)
$35.2K $35.2K
$28.3K CA$40.3K
24.35%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.2K $25.2K
$20.7K CA$29.6K
21.43%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Summit, NJ
Calgary
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$213 $213
$159 CA$227
34.04%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$61.2 $61.2
$37.61 CA$53.6
62.67%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$50.7 $50.7
$49.68 CA$70.8
2.13%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Summit, NJ
Calgary
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$80.2 $80.2
$53.3 CA$75.9
50.65%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$18.31 CA$26.11
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.75 $14.75
$14.08 CA$20.07
4.76%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Summit, NJ
Calgary
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,015 $2,015
$809 CA$1,154
148.97%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.2K $16.2K
$15.9K CA$22.6K
2.40%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Summit, NJ
Calgary
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$41.66 $41.66
$58.8 CA$83.8
-29.11%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.6 $57.6
$38.84 CA$55.4
48.35%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.8 $74.8
$91.4 CA$130
-18.23%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 $119
$109 CA$155
9.11%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Summit, NJ
Calgary
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,697 $2,697
$1,237 CA$1,764
117.97%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,457 $2,457
$996 CA$1,420
146.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,556 $5,556
$1,908 CA$2,721
191.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$5,055 $5,055
$1,671 CA$2,383
202.55%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$3,530 CA$5,034
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$3,336 CA$4,757
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Summit, NJ
Calgary
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$3,130 CA$4,463
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.75
4.51
49.67%

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

Last update for Summit, NJ: October 5, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Summit, NJ
$2.5K
Calgary
$996 59.5% $1.5K
Groceries & Markets
Summit, NJ
$457
Calgary
$387 15.2% $69
Eating Out
Summit, NJ
$366
Calgary
$265 27.6% $101
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Summit, NJ
$325
Calgary
$247 24.2% $79
Clothing & Footwear
Summit, NJ
$132
Calgary
$134 1.7% $2.3
Sport & Entertainment
Summit, NJ
$110
Calgary
$81 25.8% $28
Getting Around
Summit, NJ
$13 *
Calgary
$110 718% $97

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 $2,697 in Summit, NJ and $1,237 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $100 in Summit, NJ vs $71.0 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $457 vs $387 per month, with Calgary cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Summit, NJ
🇨🇦 Calgary
🕒 Local time
05:43 5:43 AM
03:43 3:43 AM
2 h behind Summit, NJ
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
11,161
1,267,344
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Summit, NJ Calgary 3,230 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Summit, NJ
  • 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
Summit, NJ vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Calgary cheaper than Summit, NJ?
Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 72% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $5,762 in Summit, NJ and $3,349 in Calgary to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Summit, NJ and Calgary?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,697 in Summit, NJ versus $1,237 in Calgary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $2,015 in Summit, NJ versus $809 in Calgary. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Summit, NJ or in Calgary?
Dining out is cheaper in Calgary – a meal for two runs $71.0 versus $100 in Summit, NJ. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Summit, NJ or in Calgary?
At $2,232 in Calgary versus $3,842 in Summit, NJ, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Summit, NJ. The gap between the two cities makes Calgary the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Summit, NJ or in Calgary?
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.
Which city is safer, Summit, NJ or Calgary?
Safety-wise, Summit, NJ 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Calgary gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in Summit, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Summit, NJ vs other spots: cost of living compared

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