Cost of Living Comparison Between Arviat and Calgary Cost of Living Comparison Between Arviat and Calgary

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,332 in Arviat versus $2,433 in Calgary.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,375 in Arviat versus $3,642 in Calgary.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,417 in Arviat versus $4,850 in Calgary.

Living in Arviat costs roughly 4% less than in Calgary, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Arviat 73% above, Calgary 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.68 CA$22.85

$18.20 CA$24.93

-8.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.9 CA$95.8

$70.0 CA$95.9

-0.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.01 CA$15.08

$11.01 CA$15.09

Cappuccino

$3.70 CA$5.07

$3.73 CA$5.11

-0.80%

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

$2.05 CA$2.80

$1.98 CA$2.71

3.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 CA$2.25

$1.65 CA$2.26

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.57 CA$7.63

$5.27 CA$7.22

5.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.04 CA$8.27

$6.65 CA$9.11

-9.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 CA$3.00

$2.15 CA$2.94

1.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 CA$3.67

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.51 CA$4.81

$3.40 CA$4.66

3.24%

Eggs

$3.45 CA$4.72

$3.28 CA$4.49

5.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.13 CA$15.25

$14.65 CA$20.07

-24.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.63 CA$15.94

$12.61 CA$17.28

-7.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.96 CA$20.49

$16.13 CA$22.10

-7.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 CA$5.45

$4.46 CA$6.11

-10.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 CA$1.88

$1.34 CA$1.84

2.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.78 CA$5.17

$3.73 CA$5.11

1.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.87 CA$5.30

$4.29 CA$5.88

-9.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 CA$3.27

$2.67 CA$3.65

-10.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 CA$3.39

$2.61 CA$3.57

-5.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.54 CA$3.48

$2.74 CA$3.76

-7.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 CA$2.35

$1.90 CA$2.60

-9.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.74 CA$18.83

$14.98 CA$20.52

-8.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.78 CA$17.50

$14.30 CA$19.59

-10.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.86

$2.90 CA$3.97

-2.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 CA$4.17

$3.97 CA$5.44

-23.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 CA$3.27

$2.68 CA$3.67

-11.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.3 CA$86.7

$87.9 CA$120

-28.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 CA$4.40

$3.57 CA$4.88

-10.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 CA$1.97

$1.34 CA$1.84

7.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.22 CA$35.92

$29.30 CA$40.15

-10.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 CA$1.54

$1.13 CA$1.55

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

$25.5K CA$34.9K

$25.1K CA$34.4K

1.41%

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

$20.3K CA$27.8K

$22.2K CA$30.4K

-8.60%

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

$144 CA$197

$218 CA$299

-34.17%

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

$43.06 CA$59.0

$41.44 CA$56.8

3.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.5 CA$84.3

$58.2 CA$79.7

5.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.26 CA$57.9

$53.7 CA$73.6

-21.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$52.4 CA$71.8

Cinema Ticket

$11.29 CA$15.46

$12.66 CA$17.34

-10.82%

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

$732 CA$1,002

$885 CA$1,212

-17.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K CA$16.0K

$16.1K CA$22.0K

-27.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 CA$73.7

$58.1 CA$79.6

-7.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.12 CA$53.6

$48.22 CA$66.1

-18.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.2 CA$117

$88.4 CA$121

-3.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$149

$106 CA$146

2.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,313 CA$1,799

$1,396 CA$1,913

-5.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,178 CA$1,614

$1,186 CA$1,625

-0.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,043 CA$2,799

$2,293 CA$3,142

-10.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,835 CA$2,515

$1,859 CA$2,547

-1.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,104 CA$5,623

$3,779 CA$5,178

8.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,730 CA$5,110

$3,509 CA$4,808

6.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,117 CA$4,271

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

5.71

13.13%

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

Last update for Arviat: April 12, 2026

Last update for Calgary: April 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,313 in Arviat and $1,396 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $70 in Arviat vs $70 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $364 vs $395 per month, with Arviat cheaper across the board.

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

Arviat vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arviat and Calgary differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($2,332 vs $2,433 including rent). Arviat is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,499 in Arviat and $3,650 in Calgary to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,313 in Arviat versus $1,396 in Calgary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $732 in Arviat versus $885 in Calgary. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Calgary. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,332 in Arviat versus $2,433 in Calgary, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Arviat but tight or insufficient in Calgary. The gap between the two cities makes Arviat 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 Arviat gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.