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: $2,869 in Burnaby versus $2,344 in Calgary.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,015 in Burnaby versus $3,499 in Calgary.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,160 in Burnaby versus $4,655 in Calgary.

Living in Burnaby is roughly 22% more expensive than in Calgary, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Burnaby 108% above, Calgary 70% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.82 CA$30.27

$18.45 CA$25.59

18.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.5 CA$121

$71.5 CA$99.2

22.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.54 CA$13.24

$10.68 CA$14.81

-10.67%

Cappuccino

$4.81 CA$6.67

$3.93 CA$5.46

22.39%

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

$2.35 CA$3.27

$2.02 CA$2.80

16.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 CA$2.50

$1.97 CA$2.73

-8.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.19 CA$9.98

$4.92 CA$6.82

46.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.10 CA$8.46

$5.90 CA$8.19

3.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.40 CA$3.33

$2.03 CA$2.82

18.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.92 CA$4.05

$2.86 CA$3.97

2.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.60 CA$4.99

$5.72 CA$7.93

-37.06%

Eggs

$3.30 CA$4.58

$3.81 CA$5.29

-13.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.34 CA$19.89

$11.56 CA$16.04

24.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.01 CA$19.43

$11.95 CA$16.57

17.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.31 CA$35.10

$18.97 CA$26.30

33.42%

Apples (1kg)

$4.56 CA$6.33

$4.91 CA$6.82

-7.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 CA$1.81

$1.42 CA$1.97

-8.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.65 CA$6.45

$4.36 CA$6.04

6.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 CA$6.36

$4.03 CA$5.59

13.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 CA$4.02

$2.72 CA$3.77

6.62%

Onion (1kg)

$3.60 CA$4.99

$2.88 CA$3.99

25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.83 CA$3.93

$2.57 CA$3.57

10.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 CA$3.01

$1.49 CA$2.07

45.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.60 CA$20.25

$14.71 CA$20.41

-0.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 CA$19.11

$15.57 CA$21.60

-11.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 CA$2.91

$2.52 CA$3.50

-16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 CA$3.30

$3.27 CA$4.53

-27.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 CA$3.42

$2.94 CA$4.07

-16.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.9 CA$112

$89.8 CA$125

-9.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 CA$4.13

$3.30 CA$4.58

-9.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 CA$2.04

$1.37 CA$1.90

7.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.88 CA$37.28

$27.07 CA$37.54

-0.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 CA$1.84

$1.22 CA$1.69

9.02%

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

$28.3K CA$39.2K

$28.6K CA$39.6K

-1.11%

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

$19.7K CA$27.3K

$20.9K CA$29.0K

-5.72%

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

$125 CA$173

$182 CA$253

-31.68%

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

$44.12 CA$61.2

$39.50 CA$54.8

11.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.1 CA$75.0

$51.4 CA$71.3

5.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.15 CA$43.20

$54.8 CA$76.0

-43.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.89 CA$15.11

$18.79 CA$26.07

-42.04%

Cinema Ticket

$14.55 CA$20.18

$14.52 CA$20.14

0.21%

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

$667 CA$925

$819 CA$1,136

-18.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K CA$22.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 CA$73.9

$61.8 CA$85.8

-13.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.5 CA$72.8

$40.15 CA$55.7

30.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 CA$146

$94.3 CA$131

11.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.1 CA$111

$114 CA$158

-29.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,690 CA$2,344

$1,256 CA$1,741

34.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,550 CA$2,149

$1,089 CA$1,510

42.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,476 CA$3,434

$1,994 CA$2,766

24.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,189 CA$3,036

$1,706 CA$2,367

28.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,866 CA$9,523

$3,627 CA$5,031

89.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,585 CA$7,746

$3,403 CA$4,719

64.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,162 CA$4,386

$3,246 CA$4,502

-2.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.76

4.48

6.25%

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

Last update for Burnaby: September 7, 2026

Last update for Calgary: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,690 in Burnaby and $1,256 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $88.0 in Burnaby vs $71.0 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $438 vs $401 per month, with Calgary 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

Burnaby vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Burnaby and Calgary differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($2,869 vs $2,344 including rent). Calgary is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 3% lower in Calgary. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,690 in Burnaby versus $1,256 in Calgary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $667 in Burnaby versus $819 in Calgary. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Burnaby. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,344 in Calgary versus $2,869 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 22% less than in Burnaby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.