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: $2,777 in Burnaby versus $2,462 in Calgary.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,049 in Burnaby versus $3,628 in Calgary.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,321 in Burnaby versus $4,795 in Calgary.

Living in Burnaby is roughly 13% more expensive than in Calgary, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Burnaby 108% above, Calgary 84% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.84 CA$20.88

$18.33 CA$25.79

-19.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.8 CA$105

$69.9 CA$98.3

7.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.25 CA$13.02

$10.95 CA$15.41

-15.53%

Cappuccino

$4.24 CA$5.97

$3.74 CA$5.26

13.37%

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

$1.80 CA$2.53

$2.04 CA$2.87

-11.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 CA$1.89

$1.67 CA$2.35

-19.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.95 CA$8.37

$5.20 CA$7.32

14.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.67 CA$7.98

$6.71 CA$9.45

-15.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.50 CA$3.52

$2.25 CA$3.16

11.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 CA$3.87

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.66 CA$6.55

$3.23 CA$4.54

44.27%

Eggs

$3.27 CA$4.60

$3.45 CA$4.85

-5.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.46 CA$17.54

$14.40 CA$20.26

-13.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.71 CA$16.47

$12.89 CA$18.13

-9.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.40 CA$30.12

$15.86 CA$22.32

34.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 CA$4.72

$4.30 CA$6.05

-21.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 CA$1.88

$1.34 CA$1.89

-0.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.03 CA$4.27

$3.85 CA$5.42

-21.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.85 CA$5.42

$4.25 CA$5.99

-9.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.91 CA$4.10

$2.55 CA$3.58

14.12%

Onion (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.32

$2.62 CA$3.69

17.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CA$3.48

$2.80 CA$3.94

-11.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 CA$2.68

$1.95 CA$2.74

-2.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.81 CA$20.84

$14.97 CA$21.06

-1.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.95 CA$18.22

$13.90 CA$19.57

-6.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 CA$3.50

$2.92 CA$4.11

-14.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 CA$3.58

$3.91 CA$5.50

-34.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 CA$3.19

$2.74 CA$3.85

-17.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.6 CA$109

$87.8 CA$124

-11.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 CA$3.85

$3.60 CA$5.06

-24.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 CA$1.90

$1.30 CA$1.83

3.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.16 CA$36.82

$28.70 CA$40.39

-8.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 CA$1.93

$1.12 CA$1.57

22.32%

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

$25.4K CA$35.7K

$25.5K CA$35.8K

-0.47%

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

$20.1K CA$28.3K

$21.7K CA$30.6K

-7.36%

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

$136 CA$192

$213 CA$300

-36.05%

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

$41.79 CA$58.8

$40.96 CA$57.6

2.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.8 CA$77.1

$57.9 CA$81.5

-5.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.21 CA$43.91

$54.2 CA$76.2

-42.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.36 CA$7.54

$53.8 CA$75.6

-90.03%

Cinema Ticket

$16.13 CA$22.70

$12.63 CA$17.77

27.71%

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

$534 CA$752

$874 CA$1,230

-38.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,169 CA$11.5K

$15.9K CA$22.3K

-48.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 CA$77.1

$58.6 CA$82.5

-6.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.8 CA$75.7

$47.01 CA$66.2

14.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 CA$133

$85.1 CA$120

10.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.6 CA$133

$108 CA$151

-12.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,884 CA$2,651

$1,380 CA$1,942

36.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,650 CA$2,321

$1,159 CA$1,631

42.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,117 CA$5,793

$2,324 CA$3,270

77.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,678 CA$3,768

$1,905 CA$2,680

40.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,680 CA$9,400

$3,786 CA$5,327

76.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,538 CA$7,792

$3,511 CA$4,940

57.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,116 CA$4,385

$2,940 CA$4,136

6.01%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Calgary: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,884 in Burnaby and $1,380 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burnaby pays 6% 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: $75.0 in Burnaby vs $70.0 in Calgary. Groceries flip the comparison at $392 vs $396, 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 13% in total monthly costs ($2,777 vs $2,462 including rent). Calgary is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 6% higher in Burnaby, 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: $1,884 in Burnaby versus $1,380 in Calgary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $534 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.

At $2,462 in Calgary versus $2,777 in Burnaby, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Burnaby. The gap between the two cities makes Calgary 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 Calgary gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Burnaby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.