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Calgary vs Houston cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐จ๐ฆ Calgary
๐บ๐ธ Houston
At a glance
- Where Houston is clearly cheaper: Transit (57%โ), Local meal (24%โ)
- Where Calgary is clearly cheaper: Entry ticket (23%โ), Convenience store (18%โ), Tuk-tuk / moto taxi (18%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Calgary is easier to travel (1.4 vs 1.6). Biggest gap: getting around โ Calgary 2 vs Houston 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Calgary | Houston | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | C$ 25$18.4 | $ 14$14 | Houston โ24% |
| Street food1 item | C$ 12$8.82 | $ 9$9 | similar |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | C$ 55$40.4 | $ 36$36 | Houston โ11% |
| Coffeeone cup | C$ 6$4.41 | $ 5.2$5.2 | Calgary โ15% |
| Beerone bottle | C$ 9$6.62 | $ 6.2$6.2 | Houston โ6% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | C$ 15$11 | $ 13$13 | Calgary โ15% |
| Bottled water | C$ 2.5$1.84 | $ 2$2 | Calgary โ8% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | C$ 3$2.21 | $ 2.7$2.7 | Calgary โ18% |
| Taxi5 km in town | C$ 17$12.5 | $ 11$11 | Houston โ12% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | C$ 10$7.35 | $ 9$9 | Calgary โ18% |
| Transitone ride | C$ 4$2.94 | $ 1.25$1.25 | Houston โ57% |
| Scooter rentalper day | C$ 40$29.4 | $ 35$35 | Calgary โ16% |
| Hotel night3-star | C$ 180$132 | $ 150$150 | Calgary โ12% |
| Studio rent (month) | C$ 1,600$1,176 | $ 1,200$1,200 | similar |
| Laundry | C$ 5.1$3.75 | $ 3.3$3.3 | Houston โ12% |
| SIM card1 week data | C$ 35$25.7 | $ 22$22 | Houston โ15% |
| Haircutcut | C$ 33$24.3 | $ 25$25 | similar |
| Massage1 hour | C$ 100$73.5 | $ 80$80 | Calgary โ8% |
| Half-day tourper person | C$ 100$73.5 | $ 70$70 | similar |
| Entry ticketTourist town | C$ 25$18.4 | $ 24$24 | Calgary โ23% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Calgary or Houston?
Calgary and Houston cost about the same. Daily budget $274 vs $272; a month $4,857 vs $4,578.
Which is easier to travel, Calgary or Houston?
Calgary is easier: Calgary 1.4/5 vs Houston 1.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Calgary and Houston?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Calgary is about $4,857 and Houston about $4,578 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.