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: $2,337 in Arviat versus $2,353 in Calgary.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,337 in Arviat versus $3,488 in Calgary.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,337 in Arviat versus $4,622 in Calgary.

Living in Arviat costs roughly 1% less than in Calgary, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Arviat 70% above, Calgary 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.78 CA$24.60

$17.94 CA$24.82

-0.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.4 CA$91.9

$70.5 CA$97.6

-5.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.56 CA$16.00

$10.69 CA$14.79

8.14%

Cappuccino

$3.65 CA$5.06

$3.79 CA$5.24

-3.69%

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

$2.09 CA$2.89

$2.00 CA$2.77

4.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 CA$2.25

$1.98 CA$2.73

-18.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.40 CA$7.47

$5.19 CA$7.18

4.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 CA$7.88

$5.86 CA$8.11

-2.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 CA$2.80

$1.95 CA$2.70

3.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 CA$3.61

$2.82 CA$3.91

-7.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.29 CA$4.55

$5.61 CA$7.77

-41.35%

Eggs

$3.44 CA$4.76

$3.75 CA$5.19

-8.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.40 CA$14.40

$11.50 CA$15.91

-9.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.36 CA$15.72

$11.46 CA$15.86

-0.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.61 CA$20.22

$18.95 CA$26.23

-22.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.90 CA$5.40

$4.83 CA$6.69

-19.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 CA$1.80

$1.37 CA$1.89

-5.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 CA$5.79

$4.25 CA$5.88

-1.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.85 CA$5.33

$4.15 CA$5.74

-7.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.40 CA$3.32

$2.70 CA$3.74

-11.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 CA$3.35

$2.83 CA$3.91

-14.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.72 CA$3.76

$2.64 CA$3.65

3.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.14

$1.51 CA$2.09

1.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.61 CA$20.21

$14.60 CA$20.21

0.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.15 CA$18.19

$15.76 CA$21.80

-16.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 CA$3.48

$2.60 CA$3.59

-3.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 CA$4.83

$3.08 CA$4.26

13.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.63 CA$3.64

$2.93 CA$4.05

-10.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.9 CA$87.1

$89.3 CA$124

-29.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 CA$4.14

$3.32 CA$4.59

-9.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 CA$1.81

$1.43 CA$1.98

-8.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.54 CA$33.96

$27.71 CA$38.34

-11.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 CA$1.74

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

$29.7K CA$41.1K

$28.9K CA$40.0K

2.73%

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

$21.0K CA$29.0K

$21.3K CA$29.5K

-1.82%

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

$157 CA$217

$183 CA$253

-14.27%

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

$39.45 CA$54.6

$38.31 CA$53.0

2.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.3 CA$82.0

$51.7 CA$71.5

14.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.17 CA$63.9

$54.9 CA$75.9

-15.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.60 CA$24.35

$18.66 CA$25.82

-5.68%

Cinema Ticket

$11.77 CA$16.29

$14.26 CA$19.73

-17.46%

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

$783 CA$1,083

$828 CA$1,146

-5.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K CA$20.2K

$15.9K CA$22.0K

-8.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.6 CA$78.3

$59.6 CA$82.4

-4.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.61 CA$56.2

$39.47 CA$54.6

2.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.4 CA$107

$94.3 CA$131

-17.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 CA$143

$113 CA$156

-8.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,101 CA$1,523

$1,265 CA$1,750

-12.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 CA$1,706

$1,051 CA$1,454

17.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 CA$2,403

$1,934 CA$2,676

-10.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 CA$2,663

$1,700 CA$2,352

13.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,725 CA$6,538

$3,680 CA$5,092

28.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,800 CA$5,258

$3,333 CA$4,613

14.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,276 CA$4,533

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.68

4.4

6.36%

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

Last update for Arviat: August 31, 2026

Last update for Calgary: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,101 in Arviat and $1,265 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $66.0 in Arviat vs $71.0 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $356 vs $397 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 1% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $2,353 including rent). Arviat is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,506 in Arviat and $3,530 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: $1,101 in Arviat versus $1,265 in Calgary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $783 in Arviat versus $828 in Calgary. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Calgary. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,337 in Arviat versus $2,353 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 1% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.