Cost of Living Comparison Between Burnaby and Calgary Cost of Living Comparison Between Burnaby and Calgary

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,776 in Burnaby versus $2,523 in Calgary.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,068 in Burnaby versus $3,652 in Calgary.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,359 in Burnaby versus $4,780 in Calgary.

Living in Burnaby is roughly 10% more expensive than Calgary, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Burnaby 107% above, Calgary 88% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.75 CA$20.49

$18.59 CA$25.83

-20.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.9 CA$103

$70.0 CA$97.3

5.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.95 CA$12.43

$10.96 CA$15.22

-18.34%

Cappuccino

$4.19 CA$5.82

$3.73 CA$5.19

12.33%

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

$1.81 CA$2.52

$1.99 CA$2.76

-9.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 CA$1.85

$1.72 CA$2.39

-22.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 CA$8.21

$5.01 CA$6.97

17.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 CA$7.73

$6.50 CA$9.04

-14.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.55 CA$3.55

$2.22 CA$3.09

14.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 CA$3.85

$2.67 CA$3.71

3.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.48 CA$6.23

$3.26 CA$4.53

37.42%

Eggs

$3.13 CA$4.34

$3.35 CA$4.66

-6.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 CA$17.13

$14.50 CA$20.14

-14.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.98 CA$16.65

$12.95 CA$17.99

-7.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.64 CA$30.06

$16.15 CA$22.44

33.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 CA$4.64

$4.32 CA$6.00

-22.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 CA$1.78

$1.35 CA$1.88

-5.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 CA$4.17

$3.83 CA$5.32

-21.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 CA$5.33

$4.18 CA$5.81

-8.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 CA$4.02

$2.65 CA$3.68

9.06%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 CA$4.17

$2.74 CA$3.81

9.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 CA$3.32

$2.76 CA$3.84

-13.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 CA$2.63

$1.95 CA$2.71

-3.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.84 CA$20.61

$14.98 CA$20.81

-0.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.26 CA$18.42

$14.67 CA$20.38

-9.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 CA$3.35

$2.84 CA$3.95

-15.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 CA$3.51

$4.02 CA$5.58

-37.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 CA$3.17

$2.80 CA$3.89

-18.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.2 CA$107

$86.2 CA$120

-10.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 CA$3.89

$3.60 CA$5.00

-22.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 CA$1.97

$1.32 CA$1.83

7.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.32 CA$35.18

$29.01 CA$40.31

-12.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 CA$1.82

$1.12 CA$1.56

16.96%

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

$25.3K CA$35.2K

$24.9K CA$34.5K

1.95%

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

$20.4K CA$28.4K

$22.0K CA$30.5K

-7.04%

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

$136 CA$188

$217 CA$302

-37.58%

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

$42.55 CA$59.1

$41.55 CA$57.7

2.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.6 CA$77.2

$58.1 CA$80.7

-4.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.32 CA$43.52

$54.7 CA$76.0

-42.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.61 CA$7.80

$52.8 CA$73.4

-89.38%

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 CA$22.63

$12.77 CA$17.74

27.56%

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

$547 CA$760

$874 CA$1,214

-37.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,127 CA$11.3K

$15.9K CA$22.1K

-49.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 CA$76.0

$58.8 CA$81.7

-7.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.6 CA$74.5

$46.47 CA$64.6

15.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 CA$130

$87.2 CA$121

7.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.4 CA$134

$109 CA$151

-11.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,909 CA$2,653

$1,414 CA$1,964

35.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,658 CA$2,304

$1,172 CA$1,629

41.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,989 CA$5,543

$2,319 CA$3,222

72.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,650 CA$3,682

$1,886 CA$2,621

40.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,878 CA$9,556

$3,892 CA$5,407

76.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,525 CA$7,676

$3,503 CA$4,867

57.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,275 CA$4,551

$3,149 CA$4,375

4.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.54

5.71

14.54%

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

Last update for Burnaby: May 31, 2026

Last update for Calgary: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,909 in Burnaby and $1,414 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burnaby pays 4% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $74.0 in Burnaby vs $70.0 in Calgary. Groceries flip the comparison at $392 vs $397, with Burnaby cheaper for home cooking.

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

Burnaby vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Burnaby and Calgary differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($2,776 vs $2,523 including rent). Calgary is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Burnaby pays 4% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,909 in Burnaby versus $1,414 in Calgary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $547 in Burnaby versus $874 in Calgary. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Burnaby pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Calgary is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Calgary gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Burnaby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.