Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alliston and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Alliston: $2,109 a month against $2,255 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. The total is higher in Calgary despite lower rent and utilities.

Alliston
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,109
/mo nomad
Calgary
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,255
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,109 per month in Alliston vs $2,255 in Calgary, rent included.

  • Alliston $2,109
  • Calgary $2,255

A couple spends around $3,308 per month in Alliston vs $3,361 in Calgary, rent included.

  • Alliston $3,308
  • Calgary $3,361

A family of three spends $4,507 per month in Alliston vs $4,468 in Calgary, rent included.

  • Alliston $4,507
  • Calgary $4,468

Alliston is about 6% cheaper than Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Alliston and Calgary sit above the global median – Alliston by 56%, Calgary by 66%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Alliston
Calgary
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.62 CA$24.91
$17.58 CA$24.85
0.23%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$78.0 CA$110
$69.1 CA$97.6
12.95%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.64 CA$15.04
$10.59 CA$14.97
0.47%
Cappuccino
$1.43 CA$2.02
$3.84 CA$5.42
-62.76%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.10 CA$2.97
$1.93 CA$2.72
8.81%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.67 CA$2.35
$1.88 CA$2.66
-11.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.46 CA$9.13
$5.09 CA$7.20
26.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.81 CA$9.63
$5.64 CA$7.97
20.74%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Alliston
Calgary
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.53 CA$3.58
$2.00 CA$2.82
26.50%
White Bread (500g)
$2.62 CA$3.70
$2.78 CA$3.93
-5.76%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.16 CA$3.05
$5.59 CA$7.90
-61.36%
Eggs
$3.04 CA$4.29
$3.70 CA$5.23
-17.84%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.32 CA$13.18
$11.48 CA$16.23
-18.82%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.30 CA$15.98
$11.20 CA$15.84
0.89%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.07 CA$9.99
$18.59 CA$26.28
-61.97%
Apples (1kg)
$3.59 CA$5.08
$4.70 CA$6.64
-23.62%
Banana (1kg)
$1.16 CA$1.64
$1.45 CA$2.05
-20.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.44 CA$4.86
$4.34 CA$6.13
-20.74%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.88 CA$5.49
$3.79 CA$5.36
2.37%
Potato (1kg)
$1.83 CA$2.58
$2.69 CA$3.81
-31.97%
Onion (1kg)
$1.61 CA$2.27
$2.75 CA$3.88
-41.45%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.28 CA$3.22
$2.56 CA$3.62
-10.94%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.71 CA$1.00
$1.50 CA$2.12
-52.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.89 CA$19.64
$14.39 CA$20.34
-3.47%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.96 CA$9.83
$15.81 CA$22.35
-55.98%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.19 CA$3.09
$2.47 CA$3.49
-11.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.43 CA$3.44
$3.10 CA$4.39
-21.61%
🚌 Getting Around
Alliston
Calgary
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.25 CA$3.18
$2.81 CA$3.97
-19.93%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$61.5 CA$86.9
$90.6 CA$128
-32.13%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.94 CA$4.15
$3.28 CA$4.64
-10.37%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.22 CA$1.72
$1.40 CA$1.97
-12.86%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$21.57 CA$30.50
$26.49 CA$37.45
-18.57%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.96 CA$1.36
$1.22 CA$1.72
-21.31%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.7K CA$39.2K
$28.4K CA$40.1K
-2.32%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.9K CA$28.2K
$20.8K CA$29.5K
-4.39%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Alliston
Calgary
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$120 CA$170
$165 CA$233
-26.98%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.09 CA$39.71
$38.24 CA$54.1
-26.54%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$48.40 CA$68.4
$50.1 CA$70.9
-3.45%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Alliston
Calgary
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$25.52 CA$36.07
$53.8 CA$76.1
-52.57%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.69 CA$25.00
$18.04 CA$25.51
-1.94%
Cinema Ticket
$11.24 CA$15.89
$14.04 CA$19.84
-19.94%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Alliston
Calgary
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$811 CA$1,146
$797 CA$1,126
1.79%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.6K CA$33.3K
$15.8K CA$22.3K
49.19%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Alliston
Calgary
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$50.9 CA$71.9
$59.1 CA$83.5
-13.88%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.78 CA$56.2
$40.20 CA$56.8
-1.04%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.1 CA$140
$90.8 CA$128
9.21%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 CA$172
$109 CA$155
11.39%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Alliston
Calgary
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,234 CA$1,744
$1,207 CA$1,707
2.19%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,101 CA$1,557
$1,011 CA$1,429
8.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,934 CA$2,734
$1,949 CA$2,756
-0.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,122 CA$2,999
$1,677 CA$2,371
26.48%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,176 CA$5,904
$3,532 CA$4,993
18.23%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,581 CA$5,063
$3,392 CA$4,795
5.58%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Alliston
Calgary
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,837 CA$2,597
$3,152 CA$4,456
-41.71%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.47
4.51
-0.89%

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

Last update for Alliston: October 18, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Alliston
$1.1K
Calgary
$1K 8.2% $90
Groceries & Markets
Alliston
$292
Calgary
$392 34.1% $100
Eating Out
Alliston
$251
Calgary
$270 7.8% $19
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Alliston
$197
Calgary
$253 28.6% $56
Clothing & Footwear
Alliston
$140
Calgary
$135 3.9% $5.5
Getting Around
Alliston
$80
Calgary
$112 41% $33
Sport & Entertainment
Alliston
$48
Calgary
$82 70.6% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,234 in Alliston versus $1,207 in Calgary. 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 72% higher in Calgary, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78.0 in Alliston versus $69.0 in Calgary. Groceries tell a different story – $292 in Alliston vs $392 in Calgary – so Alliston wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Alliston
🇨🇦 Calgary
🕒 Local time
08:36 8:36 AM
06:36 6:36 AM
2 h behind Alliston
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,267,344
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 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
  • Alliston Calgary 2,650 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Alliston
  • 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
Alliston vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Calgary cheaper than Alliston?
Yes – Calgary is pricier by about 7%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,163 per month in Alliston and $3,382 in Calgary. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Alliston, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do food prices compare in Alliston and in Calgary?
Groceries cost about 34% more in Calgary, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is eating out cheaper in Alliston or in Calgary?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $78.0 in Alliston and $69.0 in Calgary. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Alliston or in Calgary?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Alliston, where all-in costs run around $2,109, than in Calgary at $2,255. In Alliston it covers expenses comfortably, while in Calgary it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Alliston or Calgary more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Alliston – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Alliston. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Calgary makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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