Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Union, SC and Calgary

For one person, living costs are similar in Union, SC and in Calgary: $2,296 and $2,255 a month, rent and utilities included.

113

Cost of Living Index in Union, SC
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Union, SC Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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Union, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,296

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,255

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Union, SC versus $2,255 in Calgary.

Union, SC $2,296
Calgary $2,255

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,597 in Union, SC versus $3,361 in Calgary.

Union, SC $3,597
Calgary $3,361

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,897 in Union, SC versus $4,468 in Calgary.

Union, SC $4,897
Calgary $4,468

Living in Union, SC is roughly 2% more expensive than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Union, SC 69% above, Calgary 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.15 $9.15

$17.58 CA$24.85

-47.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.0 $99.0

$69.1 CA$97.6

43.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.51 $8.51

$10.59 CA$14.97

-19.64%

Cappuccino

$5.98 $5.98

$3.84 CA$5.42

55.73%

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

$2.33 $2.33

$1.93 CA$2.72

20.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.88 CA$2.66

3.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.80 $2.80

$5.09 CA$7.20

-44.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 $3.42

$5.64 CA$7.97

-39.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$2.00 CA$2.82

-46.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.78 CA$3.93

17.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 $2.45

$5.59 CA$7.90

-56.17%

Eggs

$3.30 $3.30

$3.70 CA$5.23

-10.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.96 $8.96

$11.48 CA$16.23

-21.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.31 $13.31

$11.20 CA$15.84

18.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.71 $14.71

$18.59 CA$26.28

-20.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$4.70 CA$6.64

-40.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.45 CA$2.05

-9.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 $3.24

$4.34 CA$6.13

-25.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$3.79 CA$5.36

17.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.37 $2.37

$2.69 CA$3.81

-11.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 $2.12

$2.75 CA$3.88

-22.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.56 CA$3.62

-31.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.50 CA$2.12

-14.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.35 $8.35

$14.39 CA$20.34

-41.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.75 $8.75

$15.81 CA$22.35

-44.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$2.47 CA$3.49

-27.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.16 $5.16

$3.10 CA$4.39

66.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.09 $2.09

$2.81 CA$3.97

-25.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.6 CA$128

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.62 $4.62

$3.28 CA$4.64

40.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.02 $3.02

$1.40 CA$1.97

115.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.96 $34.96

$26.49 CA$37.45

31.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.22 CA$1.72

-25.41%

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

$28.0K $28.0K

$28.4K CA$40.1K

-1.42%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$20.8K CA$29.5K

21.16%

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

$177 $177

$165 CA$233

7.54%

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

$64.9 $64.9

$38.24 CA$54.1

69.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.72 $45.72

$50.1 CA$70.9

-8.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.73 $41.73

$53.8 CA$76.1

-22.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.04 CA$25.51

Cinema Ticket

$13.17 $13.17

$14.04 CA$19.84

-6.20%

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

$2,585 $2,585

$797 CA$1,126

224.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.0K $23.0K

$15.8K CA$22.3K

45.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.21 $47.21

$59.1 CA$83.5

-20.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.96 $20.96

$40.20 CA$56.8

-47.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.6 $85.6

$90.8 CA$128

-5.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.0 $99.0

$109 CA$155

-9.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 $1,390

$1,207 CA$1,707

15.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,259 $1,259

$1,011 CA$1,429

24.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,203 $2,203

$1,949 CA$2,756

13.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,419 $2,419

$1,677 CA$2,371

44.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,700 $2,700

$3,532 CA$4,993

-23.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,125 $2,125

$3,392 CA$4,795

-37.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,496 $2,496

$3,152 CA$4,456

-20.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

-11.31%

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

Last update for Union, SC: October 18, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Union, SC

$1.3K 54.8%

Calgary

$1K 44.8% 19.7% $248

Groceries & Markets

Union, SC

$332 14.4%

Calgary

$392 17.4% 18.1% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Union, SC

$288 12.5%

Calgary

$253 11.2% 12% $35

Eating Out

Union, SC

$208 9.1%

Calgary

$270 12% 29.8% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Union, SC

$114 5%

Calgary

$135 6% 18.5% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Union, SC

$68 3%

Calgary

$82 3.6% 20.3% $14

Getting Around

Union, SC

$28 * 1.2%

Calgary

$112 5% 299% $84

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 $1,390 in Union, SC and $1,207 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays 26% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $99.0 in Union, SC vs $69.0 in Calgary. Groceries flip the comparison at $332 vs $392, with Union, SC cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Union, SC

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

06:54 6:54 AM

04:54 4:54 AM

2 h behind Union, SC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

1,267,344

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Union, SC Calgary 3,170 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Union, SC
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

Union, SC vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in utilities. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 26% 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: $1,390 in Union, SC versus $1,207 in Calgary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,585 in Union, SC versus $797 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 $69.0 versus $99.0 in Union, SC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,255 in Calgary versus $2,296 in Union, SC, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Union, SC. 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 2% less than in Union, SC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.