Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wilmington, NC and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,232 a month against $2,773 in Wilmington, NC, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

135

Cost of Living Index in Wilmington, NC
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Wilmington, NC Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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Wilmington, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,773

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,232

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,773 in Wilmington, NC versus $2,232 in Calgary.

Wilmington, NC $2,773
Calgary $2,232

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,103 in Wilmington, NC versus $3,363 in Calgary.

Wilmington, NC $4,103
Calgary $3,363

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,433 in Wilmington, NC versus $4,493 in Calgary.

Wilmington, NC $5,433
Calgary $4,493

Living in Wilmington, NC is roughly 24% more expensive than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Wilmington, NC 107% above, Calgary 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.12 $15.12

$17.22 CA$24.54

-12.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.9 $78.9

$71.2 CA$101

10.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.20 $11.20

$10.56 CA$15.06

6.06%

Cappuccino

$5.57 $5.57

$3.77 CA$5.38

47.75%

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

$2.60 $2.60

$1.91 CA$2.73

36.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.84 CA$2.63

34.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.87 $4.87

$4.86 CA$6.93

0.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.03 $7.03

$5.55 CA$7.91

26.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.88 CA$2.68

-47.87%

White Bread (500g)

$4.03 $4.03

$2.73 CA$3.89

47.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.02 $6.02

$5.34 CA$7.61

12.73%

Eggs

$5.11 $5.11

$3.77 CA$5.37

35.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.52 $11.52

$11.29 CA$16.09

2.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.78 $14.78

$11.46 CA$16.34

28.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.91 $24.91

$18.26 CA$26.03

36.42%

Apples (1kg)

$6.55 $6.55

$4.64 CA$6.62

41.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.44 CA$2.05

24.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.95 $6.95

$4.22 CA$6.02

64.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.15 $6.15

$3.86 CA$5.50

59.33%

Potato (1kg)

$4.08 $4.08

$2.62 CA$3.74

55.73%

Onion (1kg)

$6.09 $6.09

$2.66 CA$3.79

128.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.31 $2.31

$2.59 CA$3.69

-10.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.53 CA$2.19

105.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.07 $8.07

$14.26 CA$20.32

-43.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.60 $14.60

$15.27 CA$21.76

-4.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.41 CA$3.44

-15.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 $5.94

$3.09 CA$4.41

92.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.56 $2.56

$2.88 CA$4.11

-11.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.4 $80.4

$88.7 CA$126

-9.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.04 $7.04

$3.23 CA$4.61

117.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.38 CA$1.97

31.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.49 CA$37.75

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.18 CA$1.68

-15.25%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$28.3K CA$40.3K

27.80%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$20.7K CA$29.5K

23.04%

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

$283 $283

$159 CA$227

77.73%

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

$56.3 $56.3

$37.61 CA$53.6

49.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.6 $74.6

$49.68 CA$70.8

50.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 $68.3

$53.3 CA$75.9

28.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.89 $3.89

$18.31 CA$26.10

-78.75%

Cinema Ticket

$14.79 $14.79

$14.08 CA$20.06

5.04%

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

$1,295 $1,295

$809 CA$1,154

59.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K CA$22.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.8 $69.8

$58.8 CA$83.8

18.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.04 $42.04

$38.84 CA$55.4

8.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$91.4 CA$130

10.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.0 $71.0

$109 CA$155

-34.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,553 $1,553

$1,237 CA$1,764

25.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 $1,255

$996 CA$1,420

26.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,303 $2,303

$1,908 CA$2,720

20.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,056 $2,056

$1,671 CA$2,382

23.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,811 $2,811

$3,530 CA$5,032

-20.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,688 $2,688

$3,336 CA$4,755

-19.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,942 $3,942

$3,130 CA$4,461

25.95%

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 Wilmington, NC: October 4, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Wilmington, NC

$1.3K 45.1%

Calgary

$996 44.8% 20.6% $259

Groceries & Markets

Wilmington, NC

$503 18.1%

Calgary

$387 17.4% 22.9% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wilmington, NC

$414 14.9%

Calgary

$247 11.1% 40.4% $167

Eating Out

Wilmington, NC

$280 10.1%

Calgary

$265 11.9% 5.4% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Wilmington, NC

$128 4.6%

Calgary

$134 6% 4.9% $6.3

Getting Around

Wilmington, NC

$107 3.8%

Calgary

$110 5% 3.3% $3.5

Sport & Entertainment

Wilmington, NC

$98 3.5%

Calgary

$81 3.7% 16.8% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,553 in Wilmington, NC and $1,237 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wilmington, NC pays 26% 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: $79.0 in Wilmington, NC vs $71.0 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $503 vs $387 per month, with Calgary cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Wilmington, NC

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

04:29 4:29 AM

02:29 2:29 AM

2 h behind Wilmington, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

72,826

1,267,344

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 CAD = 0.702 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

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Wilmington, NC Calgary 3,440 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

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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, NC vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 24% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 26% higher in Wilmington, NC, 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: $1,553 in Wilmington, NC 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 $79.0 in Wilmington, NC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,773 per month in Wilmington, NC versus $2,232 in Calgary – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,232 in Calgary versus $2,773 in Wilmington, NC, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Wilmington, NC. 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 24% less than in Wilmington, NC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.