Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Airdrie

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,297 a month against $2,579 in Airdrie, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Airdrie
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Airdrie Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,297

/mo nomad

Airdrie

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,579

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Airdrie

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Calgary and in Airdrie actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,297 per month in Calgary vs $2,579 in Airdrie, rent included.

Calgary $2,297
Airdrie $2,579

A couple spends around $3,378 per month in Calgary vs $3,704 in Airdrie, rent included.

Calgary $3,378
Airdrie $3,704

A family of three spends $4,459 per month in Calgary vs $4,829 in Airdrie, rent included.

Calgary $4,459
Airdrie $4,829

Calgary is about 11% cheaper than Airdrie, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Calgary and Airdrie sit above the global median – Calgary by 70%, Airdrie by 91%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.94 CA$25.35

$18.37 CA$25.96

-2.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.9 CA$97.3

$78.4 CA$111

-12.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.94 CA$15.45

$10.65 CA$15.05

2.72%

Cappuccino

$3.70 CA$5.23

$3.92 CA$5.53

-5.61%

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

$2.07 CA$2.93

$2.31 CA$3.26

-10.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 CA$2.89

$2.03 CA$2.87

0.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 CA$8.12

$5.87 CA$8.29

-2.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 CA$8.05

$6.23 CA$8.80

-8.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.98 CA$2.79

$1.98 CA$2.80

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 CA$3.74

$2.65 CA$3.75

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.84 CA$8.25

$3.64 CA$5.15

60.44%

Eggs

$3.81 CA$5.39

$3.71 CA$5.24

2.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.81 CA$15.27

$10.98 CA$15.51

-1.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.02 CA$15.57

$11.27 CA$15.92

-2.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.87 CA$25.25

$19.11 CA$26.99

-6.49%

Apples (1kg)

$4.88 CA$6.90

$4.75 CA$6.71

2.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.36 CA$1.93

6.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.15 CA$5.87

$4.38 CA$6.19

-5.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 CA$5.64

$3.87 CA$5.47

3.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.93 CA$4.14

$2.86 CA$4.04

2.45%

Onion (1kg)

$3.02 CA$4.27

$2.96 CA$4.18

2.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.67 CA$3.77

$2.71 CA$3.83

-1.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.22

$1.88 CA$2.66

-16.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.11 CA$19.93

$14.38 CA$20.31

-1.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.45 CA$21.83

$11.40 CA$16.10

35.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 CA$3.54

$3.54 CA$4.99

-29.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 CA$4.49

$3.17 CA$4.48

0.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.85 CA$4.02

$2.10 CA$2.97

35.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.2 CA$127

$181 CA$255

-50.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 CA$4.47

$3.29 CA$4.65

-3.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 CA$1.99

$1.39 CA$1.96

1.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.46 CA$38.79

$21.17 CA$29.91

29.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 CA$1.67

$1.17 CA$1.66

0.85%

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

$27.9K CA$39.4K

0.02%

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

$21.1K CA$29.7K

$20.9K CA$29.5K

0.75%

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

$182 CA$257

$223 CA$315

-18.54%

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

$36.01 CA$50.9

$44.70 CA$63.2

-19.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.80 CA$69.0

$55.5 CA$78.4

-12.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.78 CA$68.9

$87.4 CA$124

-44.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.15 CA$25.65

$35.08 CA$49.57

-48.26%

Cinema Ticket

$14.52 CA$20.51

$14.09 CA$19.91

3.05%

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

$542 CA$766

$646 CA$913

-16.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.2K CA$29.9K

$9,848 CA$13.9K

114.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 CA$83.5

$43.68 CA$61.7

35.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.34 CA$59.8

$43.16 CA$61.0

-1.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.2 CA$133

$85.7 CA$121

9.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$153

$110 CA$156

-1.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,214 CA$1,715

$1,271 CA$1,795

-4.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 CA$1,464

$1,142 CA$1,614

-9.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,045 CA$2,890

$1,765 CA$2,494

15.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,655 CA$2,338

0.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,653 CA$5,161

$6,073 CA$8,581

-39.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,183 CA$4,497

$6,230 CA$8,802

-48.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,219 CA$4,547

$2,961 CA$4,183

8.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.43

4.32

2.55%

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

Last update for Calgary: November 2, 2026

Last update for Airdrie: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1K 45.1%

Airdrie

$1.1K 44.3% 10.2% $106

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$390 17%

Airdrie

$386 15% 1% $3.9

Eating Out

Calgary

$277 12.1%

Airdrie

$285 11.1% 2.8% $7.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$267 11.6%

Airdrie

$323 12.5% 21.3% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$137 6%

Airdrie

$127 4.9% 7.1% $9.7

Getting Around

Calgary

$112 4.9%

Airdrie

$199 7.7% 78.4% $88

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$78 3.4%

Airdrie

$116 4.5% 48.6% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,214 in Calgary versus $1,271 in Airdrie. 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 9% higher in Calgary, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69 in Calgary versus $78 in Airdrie. Groceries tell a different story – $390 in Calgary vs $386 in Airdrie – so Airdrie wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇨🇦 Airdrie

🕒 Local time

11:41 11:41 AM

Same time as Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

54,891

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.708 USD

1 CAD = 0.635 EUR

1 CAD = 0.708 USD

1 CAD = 0.635 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Calgary Airdrie 27 km

From you

Calgary
Airdrie

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

Calgary vs Airdrie: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,297 in Calgary, $2,579 in Airdrie – Calgary comes out roughly 11% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,445 per month in Calgary and $3,869 in Airdrie. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,214 in Calgary and $1,271 in Airdrie. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,297 in Calgary and $2,579 in Airdrie. That makes Calgary about 11% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $542 per month in Calgary and $646 in Airdrie. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Calgary – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.