Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wilmington, DE and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,255 a month against $2,849 in Wilmington, DE, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Wilmington, DE outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Wilmington, DE
🇺🇸 United States
$2,849
/mo nomad
Calgary
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,255
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,849 in Wilmington, DE versus $2,255 in Calgary.

  • Wilmington, DE $2,849
  • Calgary $2,255

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,941 in Wilmington, DE versus $3,361 in Calgary.

  • Wilmington, DE $3,941
  • Calgary $3,361

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,033 in Wilmington, DE versus $4,468 in Calgary.

  • Wilmington, DE $5,033
  • Calgary $4,468

Living in Wilmington, DE is roughly 26% more expensive than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Wilmington, DE 110% above, Calgary 66% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Wilmington, DE
Calgary
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.78 $19.78
$17.58 CA$24.85
12.51%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$74.8 $74.8
$69.1 CA$97.6
8.25%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.08 $10.08
$10.59 CA$14.97
-4.82%
Cappuccino
$4.68 $4.68
$3.84 CA$5.42
21.87%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.27 $2.27
$1.93 CA$2.72
17.62%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.35 $1.35
$1.88 CA$2.66
-28.19%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.94 $3.94
$5.09 CA$7.20
-22.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.88 $5.88
$5.64 CA$7.97
4.26%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Wilmington, DE
Calgary
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 $1.16
$2.00 CA$2.82
-42.00%
White Bread (500g)
$2.95 $2.95
$2.78 CA$3.93
6.12%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.66 $2.66
$5.59 CA$7.90
-52.42%
Eggs
$2.98 $2.98
$3.70 CA$5.23
-19.46%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.37 $9.37
$11.48 CA$16.23
-18.38%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.37 $8.37
$11.20 CA$15.84
-25.27%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.93 $14.93
$18.59 CA$26.28
-19.69%
Apples (1kg)
$4.65 $4.65
$4.70 CA$6.64
-1.06%
Banana (1kg)
$1.27 $1.27
$1.45 CA$2.05
-12.41%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.43 $4.43
$4.34 CA$6.13
2.07%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.98 $3.98
$3.79 CA$5.36
5.01%
Potato (1kg)
$2.53 $2.53
$2.69 CA$3.81
-5.95%
Onion (1kg)
$2.55 $2.55
$2.75 CA$3.88
-7.27%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.14 $2.14
$2.56 CA$3.62
-16.41%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.03 $1.03
$1.50 CA$2.12
-31.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.17 $10.17
$14.39 CA$20.34
-29.33%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.75 $12.75
$15.81 CA$22.35
-19.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.45 $2.45
$2.47 CA$3.49
-0.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.73 $3.73
$3.10 CA$4.39
20.32%
🚌 Getting Around
Wilmington, DE
Calgary
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.61 $1.61
$2.81 CA$3.97
-42.70%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$58.8 $58.8
$90.6 CA$128
-35.06%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.94 $4.94
$3.28 CA$4.64
50.61%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.12 $1.12
$1.40 CA$1.97
-20.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$23.11 $23.11
$26.49 CA$37.45
-12.76%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.03 $1.03
$1.22 CA$1.72
-15.57%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K $26.8K
$28.4K CA$40.1K
-5.53%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.2K $26.2K
$20.8K CA$29.5K
25.65%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Wilmington, DE
Calgary
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$270 $270
$165 CA$233
63.89%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$49.59 $49.59
$38.24 CA$54.1
29.68%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$60.5 $60.5
$50.1 CA$70.9
20.63%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Wilmington, DE
Calgary
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$33.09 $33.09
$53.8 CA$76.1
-38.49%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.26 $15.26
$18.04 CA$25.51
-15.41%
Cinema Ticket
$12.07 $12.07
$14.04 CA$19.84
-14.03%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Wilmington, DE
Calgary
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,595 $1,595
$797 CA$1,126
100.24%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$27.3K $27.3K
$15.8K CA$22.3K
72.65%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Wilmington, DE
Calgary
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$37.36 $37.36
$59.1 CA$83.5
-36.75%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.68 $46.68
$40.20 CA$56.8
16.12%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$82.5 $82.5
$90.8 CA$128
-9.14%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$91.8 $91.8
$109 CA$155
-16.09%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Wilmington, DE
Calgary
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,875 $1,875
$1,207 CA$1,707
55.29%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,603 $1,603
$1,011 CA$1,429
58.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,940 $2,940
$1,949 CA$2,756
50.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,344 $2,344
$1,677 CA$2,371
39.72%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,592 $2,592
$3,532 CA$4,993
-26.61%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,329 $2,329
$3,392 CA$4,795
-31.32%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Wilmington, DE
Calgary
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,947 $3,947
$3,152 CA$4,456
25.23%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.3
4.51
39.69%

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

Last update for Wilmington, DE: October 17, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Wilmington, DE
$1.6K
Calgary
$1K 36.9% $592
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Wilmington, DE
$380
Calgary
$253 33.4% $127
Groceries & Markets
Wilmington, DE
$326
Calgary
$392 20.2% $66
Eating Out
Wilmington, DE
$291
Calgary
$270 7% $20
Clothing & Footwear
Wilmington, DE
$116
Calgary
$135 15.9% $19
Getting Around
Wilmington, DE
$76
Calgary
$112 47.9% $36
Sport & Entertainment
Wilmington, DE
$57
Calgary
$82 43.1% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,875 in Wilmington, DE and $1,207 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wilmington, DE pays 25% 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: $75.0 in Wilmington, DE vs $69.0 in Calgary. Groceries flip the comparison at $326 vs $392, with Wilmington, DE cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Wilmington, DE
🇨🇦 Calgary
🕒 Local time
23:36 11:36 PM
21:36 9:36 PM
2 h behind Wilmington, DE
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
72,826
1,267,344
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Wilmington, DE Calgary 3,210 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Wilmington, DE
  • 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
Wilmington, DE vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Calgary cheaper than Wilmington, DE?
Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in eating out and utilities. The 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Wilmington, DE or Calgary?
Average pay runs 25% higher in Wilmington, DE, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Wilmington, DE and Calgary?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,875 in Wilmington, DE versus $1,207 in Calgary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Is eating out cheaper in Wilmington, DE or in Calgary?
Dining out is cheaper in Calgary – a meal for two runs $69.0 versus $75.0 in Wilmington, DE. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
What are total monthly expenses in Wilmington, DE and in Calgary?
All in, you'll spend $2,849 per month in Wilmington, DE versus $2,255 in Calgary – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Wilmington, DE or in Calgary?
At $2,255 in Calgary versus $2,849 in Wilmington, DE, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Wilmington, DE. The gap between the two cities makes Calgary the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Wilmington, DE or Calgary more family-friendly?
For families, Calgary is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Wilmington, DE, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Calgary gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Wilmington, DE. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Wilmington, DE vs other spots: cost of living compared

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