Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between West Lafayette, IN and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,232 a month against $2,355 in West Lafayette, IN, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in West Lafayette, IN outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

115

Cost of Living Index in West Lafayette, IN
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West Lafayette, IN Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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West Lafayette, IN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,355

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,232

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,355 in West Lafayette, IN versus $2,232 in Calgary.

West Lafayette, IN $2,355
Calgary $2,232

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,398 in West Lafayette, IN versus $3,363 in Calgary.

West Lafayette, IN $3,398
Calgary $3,363

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,442 in West Lafayette, IN versus $4,493 in Calgary.

West Lafayette, IN $4,442
Calgary $4,493

Living in West Lafayette, IN is roughly 5% more expensive than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: West Lafayette, IN 76% above, Calgary 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.05 $12.05

$17.22 CA$24.55

-30.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.2 $65.2

$71.2 CA$102

-8.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.61 $6.61

$10.56 CA$15.06

-37.41%

Cappuccino

$4.56 $4.56

$3.77 CA$5.38

20.95%

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

$1.85 $1.85

$1.91 CA$2.73

-3.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.84 CA$2.63

-15.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.27 $5.27

$4.86 CA$6.94

8.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 $3.53

$5.55 CA$7.91

-36.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.63 $0.63

$1.88 CA$2.68

-66.49%

White Bread (500g)

$3.30 $3.30

$2.73 CA$3.89

20.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$5.34 CA$7.62

-63.86%

Eggs

$3.77 $3.77

$3.77 CA$5.37

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.69 $21.69

$11.29 CA$16.10

92.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.83 $5.83

$11.46 CA$16.34

-49.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.50 $27.50

$18.26 CA$26.04

50.60%

Apples (1kg)

$4.47 $4.47

$4.64 CA$6.62

-3.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.44 CA$2.05

-11.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$4.22 CA$6.02

-22.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$3.86 CA$5.50

27.46%

Potato (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.62 CA$3.74

24.05%

Onion (1kg)

$3.24 $3.24

$2.66 CA$3.79

21.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.59 CA$3.69

-23.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$1.53 CA$2.19

50.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.06 $12.06

$14.26 CA$20.33

-15.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.09 $11.09

$15.27 CA$21.77

-27.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.41 CA$3.44

-26.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.09 CA$4.41

66.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 $0.98

$2.88 CA$4.11

-65.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.45 $28.45

$88.7 CA$126

-67.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.60 $5.60

$3.23 CA$4.61

73.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.38 CA$1.97

-30.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.84 $17.84

$26.49 CA$37.77

-32.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.18 CA$1.68

-22.03%

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

$36.6K $36.6K

$28.3K CA$40.3K

29.38%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$20.7K CA$29.6K

30.26%

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

$164 $164

$159 CA$227

2.74%

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

$53.1 $53.1

$37.61 CA$53.6

41.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.6 $64.6

$49.68 CA$70.8

30.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.75 $29.75

$53.3 CA$75.9

-44.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.40 $12.40

$18.31 CA$26.11

-32.28%

Cinema Ticket

$13.70 $13.70

$14.08 CA$20.07

-2.70%

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

$998 $998

$809 CA$1,154

23.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K CA$22.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.7 $74.7

$58.8 CA$83.8

27.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.64 $42.64

$38.84 CA$55.4

9.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.6 $66.6

$91.4 CA$130

-27.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.8 $89.8

$109 CA$155

-17.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,377 $1,377

$1,237 CA$1,764

11.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 $1,266

$996 CA$1,420

27.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,354 $2,354

$1,908 CA$2,721

23.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,937 $1,937

$1,671 CA$2,383

15.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,746 $1,746

$3,530 CA$5,034

-50.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,806 $1,806

$3,336 CA$4,757

-45.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,733 $8,733

$3,130 CA$4,463

179.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.49

4.51

43.90%

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

Last update for West Lafayette, IN: October 5, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

West Lafayette, IN

$1.3K 53%

Calgary

$996 44.8% 21.3% $270

Groceries & Markets

West Lafayette, IN

$400 16.7%

Calgary

$387 17.4% 3.1% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

West Lafayette, IN

$281 11.8%

Calgary

$247 11.1% 12.4% $35

Eating Out

West Lafayette, IN

$218 9.1%

Calgary

$265 11.9% 21.6% $47

Clothing & Footwear

West Lafayette, IN

$123 5.2%

Calgary

$134 6% 8.9% $11

Sport & Entertainment

West Lafayette, IN

$57 2.4%

Calgary

$81 3.7% 42.5% $24

Getting Around

West Lafayette, IN

$43 1.8%

Calgary

$110 5% 158% $68

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,377 in West Lafayette, IN and $1,237 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

West Lafayette, IN pays 179% 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: $65.0 in West Lafayette, IN vs $71.0 in Calgary. Groceries flip the comparison at $400 vs $387, with Calgary cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 West Lafayette, IN

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

15:11 3:11 PM

13:11 1:11 PM

2 h behind West Lafayette, IN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

28,997

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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West Lafayette, IN Calgary 2,400 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

West Lafayette, IN
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

West Lafayette, IN vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in groceries and utilities. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 179% higher in West Lafayette, IN, 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: $1,377 in West Lafayette, IN 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 $65.0 in West Lafayette, IN. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,355 per month in West Lafayette, IN versus $2,232 in Calgary – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,232 in Calgary versus $2,355 in West Lafayette, IN, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in West Lafayette, IN. 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, West Lafayette, IN 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 5% less than in West Lafayette, IN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.