Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tortola and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,232 a month against $2,412 in Tortola, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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Tortola

🇻🇬 British Virgin Islands

$2,412

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,232

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,412 in Tortola versus $2,232 in Calgary.

Tortola $2,412
Calgary $2,232

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,179 in Tortola versus $3,363 in Calgary.

Tortola $4,179
Calgary $3,363

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,947 in Tortola versus $4,493 in Calgary.

Tortola $5,947
Calgary $4,493

Living in Tortola is roughly 8% more expensive than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.16 $21.16

$17.22 CA$24.54

22.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.9 $82.9

$71.2 CA$101

16.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.94 $14.94

$10.56 CA$15.06

41.48%

Cappuccino

$7.95 $7.95

$3.77 CA$5.38

110.88%

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

$1.88 $1.88

$1.91 CA$2.73

-1.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.84 CA$2.63

-26.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.94 $3.94

$4.86 CA$6.93

-18.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.91 $4.91

$5.55 CA$7.91

-11.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.94 $2.94

$1.88 CA$2.68

56.38%

White Bread (500g)

$4.53 $4.53

$2.73 CA$3.89

65.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.65 $6.65

$5.34 CA$7.61

24.53%

Eggs

$7.40 $7.40

$3.77 CA$5.37

96.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$11.29 CA$16.09

15.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.24 $13.24

$11.46 CA$16.34

15.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 $19.93

$18.26 CA$26.03

9.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 $2.01

$4.64 CA$6.62

-56.68%

Banana (1kg)

$3.95 $3.95

$1.44 CA$2.05

174.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 $2.05

$4.22 CA$6.02

-51.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.55 $7.55

$3.86 CA$5.50

95.60%

Potato (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$2.62 CA$3.74

131.30%

Onion (1kg)

$5.05 $5.05

$2.66 CA$3.79

89.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$12.04 $12.04

$2.59 CA$3.69

364.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 CA$2.19

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 $4.95

$14.26 CA$20.32

-65.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.98 $10.98

$15.27 CA$21.76

-28.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$2.41 CA$3.44

66.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.41

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 CA$4.11

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.7 CA$126

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.61

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 CA$1.97

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.49 CA$37.75

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 CA$1.68

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

$28.3K CA$40.3K

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

$20.7K CA$29.5K

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

$102 $102

$159 CA$227

-36.21%

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

$98.9 $98.9

$37.61 CA$53.6

163.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$100.0 $100.0

$49.68 CA$70.8

101.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 CA$75.9

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.31 CA$26.10

Cinema Ticket

$19.76 $19.76

$14.08 CA$20.06

40.34%

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

$809 CA$1,154

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K CA$22.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 CA$83.8

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.84 CA$55.4

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.4 CA$130

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$155

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,403 $1,403

$1,237 CA$1,764

13.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 $1,271

$996 CA$1,420

27.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,355 $3,355

$1,908 CA$2,720

75.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,053 $3,053

$1,671 CA$2,382

82.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,530 CA$5,032

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.9K $10.9K

$3,336 CA$4,755

227.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,614 $1,614

$3,130 CA$4,461

-48.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

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

Last update for Tortola: October 6, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tortola

–

Calgary

$996 44.8%

Groceries & Markets

Tortola

–

Calgary

$387 17.4%

Eating Out

Tortola

–

Calgary

$265 11.9%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tortola

–

Calgary

$247 11.1%

Clothing & Footwear

Tortola

–

Calgary

$134 6%

Getting Around

Tortola

–

Calgary

$110 5%

Sport & Entertainment

Tortola

–

Calgary

$81 3.7%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,403 in Tortola and $1,237 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays 94% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $83.0 in Tortola vs $71.0 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $494 vs $387 per month, with Calgary cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇬 Tortola

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

06:10 6:10 AM

04:10 4:10 AM

2 h behind Tortola

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,449

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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Tortola Calgary 5,630 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Tortola
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

Tortola vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

On paper, salaries run 94% lower in Calgary. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,403 in Tortola versus $1,237 in Calgary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Tortola. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Calgary – a meal for two runs $71.0 versus $83.0 in Tortola. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,232 in Calgary versus $2,412 in Tortola, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Tortola. 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, Tortola 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 Tortola. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.