Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Washington, DC and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,232 a month against $3,964 in Washington, DC, rent and utilities included – about $20,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

193

Cost of Living Index in Washington, DC
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Washington, DC Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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Washington, DC

🇺🇸 United States

$3,964

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,232

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,964 in Washington, DC versus $2,232 in Calgary.

Washington, DC $3,964
Calgary $2,232

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,201 in Washington, DC versus $3,363 in Calgary.

Washington, DC $6,201
Calgary $3,363

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,438 in Washington, DC versus $4,493 in Calgary.

Washington, DC $8,438
Calgary $4,493

Living in Washington, DC is roughly 78% more expensive than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Washington, DC 196% above, Calgary 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.63 $27.63

$17.22 CA$24.49

60.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$109 $109

$71.2 CA$101

53.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.82 $11.82

$10.56 CA$15.02

11.93%

Cappuccino

$6.13 $6.13

$3.77 CA$5.37

62.60%

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

$3.09 $3.09

$1.91 CA$2.72

61.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.84 CA$2.62

40.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.17 $9.17

$4.86 CA$6.92

88.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.13 $10.13

$5.55 CA$7.90

82.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.88 CA$2.67

-31.38%

White Bread (500g)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.73 CA$3.88

54.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.93 $6.93

$5.34 CA$7.60

29.78%

Eggs

$5.50 $5.50

$3.77 CA$5.36

45.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.97 $16.97

$11.29 CA$16.06

50.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.11 $17.11

$11.46 CA$16.30

49.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.45 $18.45

$18.26 CA$25.97

1.04%

Apples (1kg)

$6.94 $6.94

$4.64 CA$6.60

49.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 $2.30

$1.44 CA$2.04

59.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.06 $5.06

$4.22 CA$6.01

19.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$3.86 CA$5.49

50.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 $2.77

$2.62 CA$3.73

5.73%

Onion (1kg)

$3.71 $3.71

$2.66 CA$3.78

39.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.59 CA$3.68

0.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.53 CA$2.18

81.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.06 $14.06

$14.26 CA$20.28

-1.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.05 $16.05

$15.27 CA$21.71

5.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 $3.32

$2.41 CA$3.43

37.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.79 $5.79

$3.09 CA$4.40

87.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.32 $3.32

$2.88 CA$4.10

15.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$118 $118

$88.7 CA$126

33.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.06 $4.06

$3.23 CA$4.60

25.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.38 CA$1.97

16.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.36 $25.36

$26.49 CA$37.67

-4.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.18 CA$1.67

-4.24%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$28.3K CA$40.2K

30.10%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$20.7K CA$29.5K

29.09%

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

$214 $214

$159 CA$227

34.41%

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

$79.7 $79.7

$37.61 CA$53.5

111.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.3 $76.3

$49.68 CA$70.7

53.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$114 $114

$53.3 CA$75.7

114.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$73.7 $73.7

$18.31 CA$26.04

302.73%

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 $17.83

$14.08 CA$20.02

26.63%

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

$3,172 $3,172

$809 CA$1,151

291.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$41.0K $41.0K

$15.9K CA$22.5K

158.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.6 $72.6

$58.8 CA$83.6

23.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.57 $43.57

$38.84 CA$55.2

12.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$91.4 CA$130

13.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 $124

$109 CA$155

13.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,726 $2,726

$1,237 CA$1,760

120.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,198 $2,198

$996 CA$1,417

120.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,311 $5,311

$1,908 CA$2,714

178.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,433 $4,433

$1,671 CA$2,377

165.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,345 $8,345

$3,530 CA$5,022

136.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,593 $3,593

$3,336 CA$4,745

7.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,312 $6,312

$3,130 CA$4,452

101.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

4.51

47.01%

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

Last update for Washington, DC: October 3, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Washington, DC

$2.2K 55.7%

Calgary

$996 44.8% 54.7% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Washington, DC

$514 13%

Calgary

$387 17.4% 24.7% $127

Eating Out

Washington, DC

$419 10.6%

Calgary

$265 11.9% 36.7% $154

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Washington, DC

$370 9.4%

Calgary

$247 11.1% 33.4% $123

Clothing & Footwear

Washington, DC

$155 3.9%

Calgary

$134 6% 13.2% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Washington, DC

$150 3.8%

Calgary

$81 3.7% 45.8% $69

Getting Around

Washington, DC

$143 3.6%

Calgary

$110 5% 23% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,726 in Washington, DC and $1,237 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Washington, DC pays 102% 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: $109 in Washington, DC vs $71.0 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $514 vs $387 per month, with Calgary cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Washington, DC

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

03:09 3:09 AM

01:09 1:09 AM

2 h behind Washington, DC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

672,228 Capital

1,267,344

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.627 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 = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

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Washington, DC Calgary 3,170 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

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Washington, DC
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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

Washington, DC vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 78% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 102% higher in Washington, DC, 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: $2,726 in Washington, DC 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 $109 in Washington, DC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,964 per month in Washington, DC versus $2,232 in Calgary – a 78% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,232 in Calgary versus $3,964 in Washington, DC, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Washington, DC. The gap between the two cities makes Calgary the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Calgary is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Washington, DC, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Calgary gentler on the wallet – expenses run 78% less than in Washington, DC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.