Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Airdrie and Edmonton

For one person, living is cheaper in Edmonton: $2,170 a month against $2,524 in Airdrie, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Airdrie
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,524
/mo nomad
Edmonton
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,170
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Airdrie and in Edmonton

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Airdrie and in Edmonton actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,524 per month in Airdrie vs $2,170 in Edmonton, rent included.

  • Airdrie $2,524
  • Edmonton $2,170

A couple spends around $3,650 per month in Airdrie vs $3,160 in Edmonton, rent included.

  • Airdrie $3,650
  • Edmonton $3,160

A family of three spends $4,775 per month in Airdrie vs $4,150 in Edmonton, rent included.

  • Airdrie $4,775
  • Edmonton $4,150

Airdrie costs about 16% more than Edmonton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Airdrie and Edmonton sit above the global median – Airdrie by 87%, Edmonton by 61%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Airdrie
Edmonton
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.58 CA$27.68
$19.45 CA$27.49
0.67%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$75.0 CA$106
$74.3 CA$105
0.97%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.59 CA$14.97
$9.51 CA$13.45
11.36%
Cappuccino
$3.76 CA$5.31
$3.96 CA$5.60
-5.05%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.23 CA$3.16
$2.30 CA$3.25
-3.04%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.03 CA$2.87
$1.92 CA$2.71
5.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.63 CA$7.96
$5.52 CA$7.81
1.99%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.18 CA$8.74
$6.24 CA$8.82
-0.96%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Airdrie
Edmonton
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.88 CA$2.66
$1.53 CA$2.17
22.88%
White Bread (500g)
$2.72 CA$3.85
$2.11 CA$2.98
28.91%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.44 CA$4.87
$2.90 CA$4.10
18.62%
Eggs
$3.72 CA$5.26
$3.53 CA$4.99
5.38%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.13 CA$15.74
$10.95 CA$15.48
1.64%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.15 CA$15.77
$11.39 CA$16.11
-2.11%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.49 CA$26.14
$18.22 CA$25.76
1.48%
Apples (1kg)
$4.68 CA$6.62
$4.16 CA$5.88
12.50%
Banana (1kg)
$1.33 CA$1.88
$1.38 CA$1.95
-3.62%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.30 CA$6.08
$4.31 CA$6.09
-0.23%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.89 CA$5.50
$3.98 CA$5.62
-2.26%
Potato (1kg)
$2.68 CA$3.79
$2.10 CA$2.97
27.62%
Onion (1kg)
$2.74 CA$3.87
$1.83 CA$2.59
49.73%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.50 CA$3.54
$2.33 CA$3.30
7.30%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.83 CA$2.59
$1.77 CA$2.51
3.39%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.19 CA$20.05
$13.56 CA$19.17
4.65%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.12 CA$15.73
$11.40 CA$16.12
-2.46%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.43 CA$4.85
$3.46 CA$4.88
-0.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.12 CA$4.41
$2.83 CA$4.00
10.25%
🚌 Getting Around
Airdrie
Edmonton
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.16 CA$3.05
$2.61 CA$3.68
-17.24%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$173 CA$244
$70.0 CA$99.0
146.47%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.24 CA$4.58
$2.81 CA$3.98
15.30%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.31 CA$1.85
$1.34 CA$1.89
-2.24%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$20.91 CA$29.56
$21.32 CA$30.14
-1.92%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.16 CA$1.63
$1.12 CA$1.58
3.57%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.3K CA$38.6K
$27.4K CA$38.7K
-0.31%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.2K CA$27.1K
$19.2K CA$27.2K
-0.17%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Airdrie
Edmonton
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$216 CA$305
$230 CA$325
-6.06%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$42.79 CA$60.5
$42.84 CA$60.6
-0.12%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$54.6 CA$77.1
$52.8 CA$74.6
3.43%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Airdrie
Edmonton
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$83.6 CA$118
$44.96 CA$63.6
85.90%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$35.63 CA$50.4
$18.06 CA$25.53
97.29%
Cinema Ticket
$13.79 CA$19.49
$12.84 CA$18.16
7.40%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Airdrie
Edmonton
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$744 CA$1,051
$766 CA$1,083
-2.90%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,529 CA$13.5K
$9,441 CA$13.3K
0.94%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Airdrie
Edmonton
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.04 CA$60.9
$44.07 CA$62.3
-2.34%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.23 CA$59.7
$45.73 CA$64.7
-7.65%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.4 CA$119
$84.1 CA$119
0.37%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 CA$155
$95.9 CA$136
14.47%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Airdrie
Edmonton
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,278 CA$1,807
$1,086 CA$1,535
17.71%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,113 CA$1,574
$915 CA$1,293
21.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,719 CA$2,431
$1,704 CA$2,409
0.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,660 CA$2,347
$1,386 CA$1,960
19.73%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,071 CA$8,582
$2,206 CA$3,119
175.14%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,996 CA$8,477
$1,983 CA$2,804
202.32%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Airdrie
Edmonton
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,892 CA$4,088
$3,595 CA$5,083
-19.56%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.32
4.32
-

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

Last update for Airdrie: October 10, 2026

Last update for Edmonton: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Airdrie
$1.1K
Edmonton
$915 17.8% $198
Groceries & Markets
Airdrie
$379
Edmonton
$359 5.1% $19
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Airdrie
$313
Edmonton
$326 3.9% $12
Eating Out
Airdrie
$291
Edmonton
$289 0.8% $2.4
Getting Around
Airdrie
$191
Edmonton
$90 52.9% $101
Clothing & Footwear
Airdrie
$126
Edmonton
$121 3.5% $4.3
Sport & Entertainment
Airdrie
$111
Edmonton
$71 36.4% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,278 in Airdrie versus $1,086 in Edmonton. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 24% higher in Edmonton, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Airdrie versus $74.0 in Edmonton. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $379 vs $359 – making Edmonton the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Airdrie
🇨🇦 Edmonton
🕒 Local time
10:45 10:45 AM
10:45 10:45 AM
Same time as Airdrie
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
54,891
1,010,899
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 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
  • Airdrie Edmonton 250 km
From you
  • Airdrie
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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
Airdrie vs Edmonton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Airdrie and in Edmonton compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,524 in Airdrie, $2,170 in Edmonton – roughly 16% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.
What salary covers living expenses in Airdrie compared to Edmonton?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,786 per month in Airdrie and $3,255 in Edmonton. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Airdrie and Edmonton?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Edmonton, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Airdrie or Edmonton?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,524 in Airdrie and $2,170 in Edmonton. That's a gap of about 16%.
How do commuting costs compare in Airdrie and in Edmonton?
Public transport costs about 146% less in Edmonton. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Edmonton, where all-in costs run around $2,170, than in Airdrie at $2,524. In Edmonton it covers expenses comfortably, while in Airdrie it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Airdrie or Edmonton?
Families tend to lean toward Edmonton – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How do I decide between Airdrie and Edmonton?
If budget matters most, go with Edmonton. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Airdrie makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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