Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Virginia Beach, VA and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,232 a month against $2,790 in Virginia Beach, VA, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

135

Cost of Living Index in Virginia Beach, VA
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Virginia Beach, VA Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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Virginia Beach, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,790

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,232

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,790 in Virginia Beach, VA versus $2,232 in Calgary.

Virginia Beach, VA $2,790
Calgary $2,232

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,973 in Virginia Beach, VA versus $3,363 in Calgary.

Virginia Beach, VA $3,973
Calgary $3,363

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,156 in Virginia Beach, VA versus $4,493 in Calgary.

Virginia Beach, VA $5,156
Calgary $4,493

Living in Virginia Beach, VA is roughly 25% more expensive than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Virginia Beach, VA 108% above, Calgary 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.76 $17.76

$17.22 CA$24.55

3.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.6 $89.6

$71.2 CA$102

25.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.14 $12.14

$10.56 CA$15.06

14.96%

Cappuccino

$5.75 $5.75

$3.77 CA$5.38

52.52%

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

$2.78 $2.78

$1.91 CA$2.73

45.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.84 CA$2.63

14.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.11 $6.11

$4.86 CA$6.94

25.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.21 $7.21

$5.55 CA$7.91

29.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.88 CA$2.68

-45.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.73 CA$3.89

13.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.44 $5.44

$5.34 CA$7.62

1.87%

Eggs

$4.66 $4.66

$3.77 CA$5.37

23.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.14 $10.14

$11.29 CA$16.10

-10.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 $9.65

$11.46 CA$16.34

-15.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.11 $18.11

$18.26 CA$26.04

-0.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 $2.59

$4.64 CA$6.62

-44.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.44 CA$2.05

8.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.22 CA$6.02

22.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.65 $5.65

$3.86 CA$5.50

46.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 $2.34

$2.62 CA$3.74

-10.69%

Onion (1kg)

$4.62 $4.62

$2.66 CA$3.79

73.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.85 $1.85

$2.59 CA$3.69

-28.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.53 CA$2.19

45.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.02 $9.02

$14.26 CA$20.33

-36.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.02 $12.02

$15.27 CA$21.77

-21.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 $1.82

$2.41 CA$3.44

-24.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$3.09 CA$4.41

-31.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.88 CA$4.11

-28.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.0 $69.0

$88.7 CA$126

-22.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.70 $4.70

$3.23 CA$4.61

45.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.38 CA$1.97

-6.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.10 $20.10

$26.49 CA$37.77

-24.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.18 CA$1.68

-11.86%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$28.3K CA$40.3K

26.92%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$20.7K CA$29.6K

22.74%

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

$205 $205

$159 CA$227

28.94%

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

$59.1 $59.1

$37.61 CA$53.6

57.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.6 $66.6

$49.68 CA$70.8

34.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.34 $44.34

$53.3 CA$75.9

-16.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.48 $34.48

$18.31 CA$26.11

88.31%

Cinema Ticket

$11.89 $11.89

$14.08 CA$20.07

-15.55%

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

$1,586 $1,586

$809 CA$1,154

95.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K $16.3K

$15.9K CA$22.6K

2.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.2 $60.2

$58.8 CA$83.8

2.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.89 $47.89

$38.84 CA$55.4

23.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 $116

$91.4 CA$130

26.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 $111

$109 CA$155

1.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,823 $1,823

$1,237 CA$1,764

47.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,425 $1,425

$996 CA$1,420

43.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,785 $2,785

$1,908 CA$2,721

45.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,150 $2,150

$1,671 CA$2,383

28.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,287 $2,287

$3,530 CA$5,034

-35.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,308 $2,308

$3,336 CA$4,757

-30.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,203 $4,203

$3,130 CA$4,463

34.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

4.51

45.68%

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

Last update for Virginia Beach, VA: 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

Virginia Beach, VA

$1.4K 51.8%

Calgary

$996 44.8% 30.1% $429

Groceries & Markets

Virginia Beach, VA

$374 13.6%

Calgary

$387 17.4% 3.6% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Virginia Beach, VA

$331 12%

Calgary

$247 11.1% 25.5% $85

Eating Out

Virginia Beach, VA

$312 11.4%

Calgary

$265 11.9% 15% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Virginia Beach, VA

$151 5.5%

Calgary

$134 6% 11% $17

Getting Around

Virginia Beach, VA

$88 3.2%

Calgary

$110 5% 24.9% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Virginia Beach, VA

$68 2.5%

Calgary

$81 3.7% 19.5% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,823 in Virginia Beach, VA and $1,237 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Virginia Beach, VA pays 34% 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: $90.0 in Virginia Beach, VA vs $71.0 in Calgary. Groceries flip the comparison at $374 vs $387, with Virginia Beach, VA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Virginia Beach, VA

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

12:28 12:28 PM

10:28 10:28 AM

2 h behind Virginia Beach, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

459,470

1,267,344

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 CAD = 0.701 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 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).

CAD to USD in detail →

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Virginia Beach, VA Calgary 3,380 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Virginia Beach, VA vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and utilities. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 34% higher in Virginia Beach, VA, 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: $1,823 in Virginia Beach, VA 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 $90.0 in Virginia Beach, VA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,790 per month in Virginia Beach, VA versus $2,232 in Calgary – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,232 in Calgary versus $2,790 in Virginia Beach, VA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Virginia Beach, VA. 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 25% less than in Virginia Beach, VA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.