Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brandon, MB and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Brandon, MB: $1,622 a month against $2,303 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Brandon, MB
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Brandon, MB Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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Brandon, MB

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,622

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,303

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,622 per month in Brandon, MB vs $2,303 in Calgary, rent included.

Brandon, MB $1,622
Calgary $2,303

A couple spends around $2,588 per month in Brandon, MB vs $3,366 in Calgary, rent included.

Brandon, MB $2,588
Calgary $3,366

A family of three spends $3,555 per month in Brandon, MB vs $4,428 in Calgary, rent included.

Brandon, MB $3,555
Calgary $4,428

Brandon, MB is about 30% cheaper than Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Brandon, MB and Calgary sit above the global median – Brandon, MB by 19%, Calgary by 69%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.30 CA$20.01

$17.55 CA$24.55

-18.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.9 CA$90.8

$70.4 CA$98.5

-7.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.61 CA$14.84

$10.69 CA$14.95

-0.75%

Cappuccino

$3.15 CA$4.40

$3.89 CA$5.44

-19.02%

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

$1.81 CA$2.53

$2.04 CA$2.85

-11.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 CA$2.31

$1.88 CA$2.63

-12.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.20 CA$5.87

$4.90 CA$6.85

-14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.33 CA$7.46

$5.78 CA$8.09

-7.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 CA$2.04

$1.96 CA$2.75

-25.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 CA$2.77

$2.74 CA$3.83

-27.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.20 CA$4.48

$5.46 CA$7.64

-41.39%

Eggs

$3.05 CA$4.27

$3.69 CA$5.16

-17.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.60 CA$13.42

$11.24 CA$15.73

-14.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.64 CA$14.89

$11.54 CA$16.14

-7.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.28 CA$22.77

$18.38 CA$25.70

-11.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 CA$4.59

$4.90 CA$6.86

-33.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 CA$1.89

$1.42 CA$1.99

-4.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.44 CA$4.82

$4.21 CA$5.89

-18.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.50

$4.02 CA$5.63

-20.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.28 CA$3.19

$2.69 CA$3.77

-15.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.63 CA$3.68

$2.66 CA$3.72

-1.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 CA$3.46

$2.61 CA$3.66

-4.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 CA$1.80

$1.60 CA$2.23

-20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.17 CA$21.22

$14.00 CA$19.58

8.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.22 CA$17.09

$15.40 CA$21.54

-20.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 CA$3.35

$2.50 CA$3.49

-4.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 CA$3.07

$3.09 CA$4.32

-28.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.33 CA$1.86

$2.93 CA$4.10

-54.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.8 CA$96.2

$89.3 CA$125

-22.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 CA$3.99

$3.27 CA$4.57

-12.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 CA$1.86

$1.35 CA$1.89

-1.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.08 CA$33.68

$27.39 CA$38.31

-12.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 CA$1.45

$1.17 CA$1.64

-11.11%

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

$26.8K CA$37.4K

$27.9K CA$39.1K

-4.23%

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

$20.6K CA$28.9K

$21.0K CA$29.4K

-1.85%

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

$163 CA$228

$167 CA$233

-2.32%

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

$34.19 CA$47.82

$38.27 CA$53.5

-10.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.55 CA$67.9

$50.9 CA$71.2

-4.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.73 CA$59.8

$51.0 CA$71.3

-16.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.36 CA$22.88

$18.17 CA$25.42

-9.96%

Cinema Ticket

$10.61 CA$14.84

$14.44 CA$20.20

-26.52%

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

$1,009 CA$1,411

$545 CA$763

84.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.4K CA$25.8K

$16.2K CA$22.7K

13.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.86 CA$61.3

$58.9 CA$82.4

-25.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.65 CA$59.7

$39.75 CA$55.6

7.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.8 CA$97.6

$93.4 CA$131

-25.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 CA$120

$110 CA$154

-22.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$798 CA$1,116

$1,254 CA$1,754

-36.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 CA$794

$1,056 CA$1,478

-46.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,387 CA$1,940

$2,022 CA$2,828

-31.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,191 CA$1,666

$1,629 CA$2,278

-26.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,308 CA$3,229

$3,600 CA$5,036

-35.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,300 CA$3,217

$3,243 CA$4,535

-29.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,504 CA$3,502

$3,115 CA$4,357

-19.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.45

4.51

-1.33%

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

Last update for Brandon, MB: October 25, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Brandon, MB

$568 35%

Calgary

$1.1K 45.9% 86.1% $489

Groceries & Markets

Brandon, MB

$323 19.9%

Calgary

$393 17.1% 21.6% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brandon, MB

$246 15.1%

Calgary

$256 11.1% 4.2% $10

Eating Out

Brandon, MB

$230 14.2%

Calgary

$271 11.8% 18% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Brandon, MB

$109 6.7%

Calgary

$136 5.9% 24.8% $27

Getting Around

Brandon, MB

$84 5.2%

Calgary

$111 4.8% 32.8% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Brandon, MB

$64 3.9%

Calgary

$80 3.5% 24.8% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $798 in Brandon, MB versus $1,254 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 24% 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 $65 in Brandon, MB versus $70 in Calgary. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $323 vs $393 – making Brandon, MB the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Brandon, MB

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

21:56 9:56 PM

20:56 8:56 PM

1 h behind Brandon, MB

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

46,061

1,267,344

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.642 EUR

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.642 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Brandon, MB Calgary 1,010 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Brandon, MB
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

Brandon, MB vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Calgary is pricier by about 42%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,433 per month in Brandon, MB and $3,454 in Calgary. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Brandon, MB, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $798 there versus $1,254 in Calgary.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Calgary, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65 in Brandon, MB and $70 in Calgary. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Brandon, MB. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Calgary makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.