Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Winston-Salem, NC and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,223 a month against $2,384 in Winston-Salem, NC, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. The total is higher in Winston-Salem, NC despite lower rent and utilities.

116

Cost of Living Index in Winston-Salem, NC
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Winston-Salem, NC Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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Winston-Salem, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,384

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,384 in Winston-Salem, NC versus $2,223 in Calgary.

Winston-Salem, NC $2,384
Calgary $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,790 in Winston-Salem, NC versus $3,301 in Calgary.

Winston-Salem, NC $3,790
Calgary $3,301

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,195 in Winston-Salem, NC versus $4,379 in Calgary.

Winston-Salem, NC $5,195
Calgary $4,379

Living in Winston-Salem, NC is roughly 7% more expensive than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Winston-Salem, NC 77% above, Calgary 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.56 $22.56

$17.22 CA$24.34

31.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.2 $79.2

$71.1 CA$100

11.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.10 $10.10

$10.53 CA$14.89

-4.08%

Cappuccino

$5.41 $5.41

$3.66 CA$5.18

47.81%

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

$2.94 $2.94

$1.98 CA$2.80

48.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.94 CA$2.74

5.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.04 $5.04

$4.95 CA$7.00

1.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 $6.13

$5.57 CA$7.87

10.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.88 CA$2.65

-23.40%

White Bread (500g)

$4.76 $4.76

$2.67 CA$3.78

78.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$9.57 $9.57

$5.32 CA$7.52

79.89%

Eggs

$5.31 $5.31

$3.79 CA$5.35

40.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.18 $18.18

$11.09 CA$15.68

63.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.89 $13.89

$11.36 CA$16.05

22.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.80 $26.80

$18.40 CA$26.01

45.65%

Apples (1kg)

$7.82 $7.82

$4.56 CA$6.45

71.49%

Banana (1kg)

$3.03 $3.03

$1.44 CA$2.04

110.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.75 $6.75

$4.08 CA$5.76

65.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.46 $7.46

$3.89 CA$5.50

91.77%

Potato (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$2.64 CA$3.73

85.98%

Onion (1kg)

$6.22 $6.22

$2.64 CA$3.73

135.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.50 CA$3.54

10.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.41 $3.41

$1.50 CA$2.12

127.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.76 $7.76

$14.05 CA$19.86

-44.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.25 $15.25

$15.70 CA$22.20

-2.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 $1.60

$2.44 CA$3.45

-34.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 $4.36

$3.09 CA$4.37

41.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.82 CA$3.99

-27.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.85 $29.85

$88.6 CA$125

-66.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.95 $6.95

$3.12 CA$4.41

122.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.35 CA$1.91

72.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.74 $14.74

$27.02 CA$38.20

-45.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.16 CA$1.64

-18.97%

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

$35.2K $35.2K

$27.9K CA$39.5K

25.97%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$20.3K CA$28.8K

28.28%

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

$174 $174

$161 CA$227

7.96%

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

$51.1 $51.1

$38.13 CA$53.9

34.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.4 $63.4

$50.0 CA$70.7

26.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.72 $48.72

$51.5 CA$72.8

-5.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.71 $15.71

$18.14 CA$25.64

-13.40%

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 $11.95

$13.82 CA$19.54

-13.53%

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

$1,301 $1,301

$786 CA$1,111

65.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K $10.2K

$15.5K CA$21.8K

-34.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.65 $39.65

$58.3 CA$82.4

-31.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 $31.82

$39.27 CA$55.5

-18.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.3 $85.3

$89.8 CA$127

-4.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.0 $94.0

$110 CA$155

-14.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,448 $1,448

$1,229 CA$1,737

17.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$947 $947

$1,001 CA$1,415

-5.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,639 $2,639

$1,921 CA$2,716

37.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,917 $1,917

$1,621 CA$2,292

18.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,350 $6,350

$3,549 CA$5,018

78.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,229 $3,229

$3,335 CA$4,715

-3.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,555 $3,555

$3,165 CA$4,474

12.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.68

4.51

48.12%

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

Last update for Winston-Salem, NC: October 13, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Winston-Salem, NC

$947 39.7%

Calgary

$1K 45% 5.7% $54

Groceries & Markets

Winston-Salem, NC

$574 24.1%

Calgary

$385 17.3% 32.9% $189

Eating Out

Winston-Salem, NC

$333 14%

Calgary

$265 11.9% 20.5% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Winston-Salem, NC

$288 12.1%

Calgary

$249 11.2% 13.6% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Winston-Salem, NC

$113 4.7%

Calgary

$134 6% 18.5% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Winston-Salem, NC

$73 3.1%

Calgary

$79 3.6% 9% $6.5

Getting Around

Winston-Salem, NC

$57 2.4%

Calgary

$110 4.9% 93.7% $53

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,448 in Winston-Salem, NC and $1,229 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Winston-Salem, NC pays 12% 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 Winston-Salem, NC vs $71.0 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $574 vs $385 per month, with Calgary cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Winston-Salem, NC

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

07:20 7:20 AM

05:20 5:20 AM

2 h behind Winston-Salem, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

241,218

1,267,344

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

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Winston-Salem, NC Calgary 3,160 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Winston-Salem, NC
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

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

Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 12% higher in Winston-Salem, 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: $1,448 in Winston-Salem, NC versus $1,229 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 Winston-Salem, NC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,384 per month in Winston-Salem, NC versus $2,223 in Calgary – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,223 in Calgary versus $2,384 in Winston-Salem, NC, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Winston-Salem, 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 7% less than in Winston-Salem, NC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.