Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tena and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Tena: $891 a month against $2,297 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $16,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Tena, Ecuador
Calgary, Canada
Tena
🇪🇨 Ecuador
$891
/mo nomad
Calgary
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,297
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $891 in Tena versus $2,297 in Calgary.

  • Tena $891
  • Calgary $2,297

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,475 in Tena versus $3,378 in Calgary.

  • Tena $1,475
  • Calgary $3,378

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,060 in Tena versus $4,459 in Calgary.

  • Tena $2,060
  • Calgary $4,459

Living in Tena costs roughly 61% less than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tena is 34% below, Calgary is 70% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tena
Calgary
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.63 $5.63
$17.94 CA$25.05
-68.62%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.8 $54.8
$68.9 CA$96.1
-20.46%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.58 $7.58
$10.94 CA$15.27
-30.71%
Cappuccino
$3.34 $3.34
$3.70 CA$5.17
-9.73%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.43 $1.43
$2.07 CA$2.89
-30.92%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.05 $1.05
$2.04 CA$2.85
-48.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.43 $3.43
$5.74 CA$8.02
-40.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.12 $6.12
$5.70 CA$7.96
7.37%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tena
Calgary
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.14 $1.14
$1.98 CA$2.76
-42.42%
White Bread (500g)
$1.60 $1.60
$2.65 CA$3.70
-39.62%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 $1.51
$5.84 CA$8.15
-74.14%
Eggs
$2.08 $2.08
$3.81 CA$5.33
-45.41%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.51 $6.51
$10.81 CA$15.08
-39.78%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.42 $5.42
$11.02 CA$15.38
-50.82%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.67 $7.67
$17.87 CA$24.95
-57.08%
Apples (1kg)
$2.33 $2.33
$4.88 CA$6.81
-52.25%
Banana (1kg)
$1.22 $1.22
$1.45 CA$2.03
-15.86%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.27 $1.27
$4.15 CA$5.80
-69.40%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.13 $1.13
$3.99 CA$5.57
-71.68%
Potato (1kg)
$1.19 $1.19
$2.93 CA$4.09
-59.39%
Onion (1kg)
$1.08 $1.08
$3.02 CA$4.22
-64.24%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.87 $0.87
$2.67 CA$3.72
-67.42%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.00 $1.00
$1.57 CA$2.19
-36.31%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.93 $5.93
$14.11 CA$19.69
-57.97%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.27 $8.27
$15.45 CA$21.57
-46.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 $1.58
$2.50 CA$3.50
-36.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.10 $3.10
$3.18 CA$4.44
-2.52%
🚌 Getting Around
Tena
Calgary
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.33 $0.33
$2.85 CA$3.97
-88.42%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$90.2 CA$126
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.53 $1.53
$3.16 CA$4.41
-51.58%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.75 $0.75
$1.41 CA$1.96
-46.81%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.91 $9.91
$27.46 CA$38.33
-63.91%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.86 $0.86
$1.18 CA$1.65
-27.12%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.4K $23.4K
$27.9K CA$38.9K
-16.06%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.1K $30.1K
$21.1K CA$29.4K
42.94%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tena
Calgary
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$28.50 $28.50
$182 CA$254
-84.32%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.84 $17.84
$36.01 CA$50.3
-50.46%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.34 $28.34
$48.80 CA$68.1
-41.93%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tena
Calgary
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$29.89 $29.89
$48.78 CA$68.1
-38.72%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.69 $16.69
$18.15 CA$25.34
-8.04%
Cinema Ticket
$6.50 $6.50
$14.52 CA$20.26
-55.23%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tena
Calgary
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$729 $729
$542 CA$756
34.51%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,064 $9,064
$21.2K CA$29.5K
-57.18%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tena
Calgary
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$71.3 $71.3
$59.1 CA$82.5
20.65%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$50.4 $50.4
$42.34 CA$59.1
19.04%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$116 $116
$94.2 CA$131
22.93%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$109 $109
$109 CA$152
0.54%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tena
Calgary
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$422 $422
$1,214 CA$1,694
-65.21%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$270 $270
$1,036 CA$1,447
-73.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$802 $802
$2,045 CA$2,855
-60.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$507 $507
$1,655 CA$2,310
-69.38%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$3,653 CA$5,099
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$3,183 CA$4,443
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tena
Calgary
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$3,219 CA$4,493
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.12
4.43
128.44%

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

Last update for Tena: November 3, 2026

Last update for Calgary: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Tena
$270
Calgary
$1K 283% $766
Groceries & Markets
Tena
$193
Calgary
$390 102% $197
Clothing & Footwear
Tena
$156
Calgary
$137 12.2% $19
Eating Out
Tena
$147
Calgary
$277 88.5% $130
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tena
$75
Calgary
$267 257% $192
Sport & Entertainment
Tena
$43
Calgary
$78 81.4% $35
Getting Around
Tena
$6.6 *
Calgary
$112 1586% $105

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 $422 in Tena and $1,214 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $55 in Tena vs $69 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $390 per month, with Tena cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇨 Tena
🇨🇦 Calgary
🕒 Local time
18:47 6:47 PM
17:47 5:47 PM
1 h behind Tena
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
16,669
1,267,344
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.638 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Tena Calgary 6,720 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Tena
  • 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
Tena vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tena cheaper than Calgary?
Tena is about 61% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $1,336 in Tena and $3,445 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 Tena and Calgary?
Rent for a central apartment: $422 in Tena versus $1,214 in Calgary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $729 in Tena versus $542 in Calgary. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Tena or in Calgary?
Dining out is cheaper in Tena – a meal for two runs $55 versus $69 in Calgary. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Tena or in Calgary?
At $891 in Tena versus $2,297 in Calgary, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tena but tight or insufficient in Calgary. The gap between the two cities makes Tena the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Tena 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.

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