Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Alert

For one person, living costs are similar in Calgary and in Alert: $2,255 and $2,220 a month, rent and utilities included.

109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index
108

Cost of Living Index in Alert
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Alert Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,255

/mo nomad

Alert

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,220

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Alert

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 Alert actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,255 per month in Calgary vs $2,220 in Alert, rent included.

Calgary $2,255
Alert $2,220

A couple spends around $3,361 per month in Calgary vs $3,195 in Alert, rent included.

Calgary $3,361
Alert $3,195

A family of three spends $4,468 per month in Calgary vs $4,171 in Alert, rent included.

Calgary $4,468
Alert $4,171

Calgary costs about 2% more than Alert, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Calgary and Alert sit above the global median – Calgary by 66%, Alert by 64%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 CA$24.85

$17.69 CA$25.01

-0.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 CA$97.6

$65.0 CA$91.9

6.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 CA$14.97

$10.53 CA$14.89

0.57%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.42

$3.51 CA$4.96

9.40%

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

$1.93 CA$2.72

$2.01 CA$2.84

-3.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.66

$1.56 CA$2.20

20.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.09 CA$7.20

$5.34 CA$7.54

-4.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 CA$7.97

$5.58 CA$7.89

1.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 CA$2.82

$2.05 CA$2.89

-2.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 CA$3.93

$2.45 CA$3.46

13.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.59 CA$7.90

$3.29 CA$4.64

69.91%

Eggs

$3.70 CA$5.23

$3.42 CA$4.84

8.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.48 CA$16.23

$9.50 CA$13.43

20.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.20 CA$15.84

$11.41 CA$16.13

-1.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.59 CA$26.28

$14.63 CA$20.68

27.07%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 CA$6.64

$3.85 CA$5.44

22.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.27 CA$1.79

14.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.34 CA$6.13

$3.69 CA$5.22

17.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.79 CA$5.36

$3.71 CA$5.25

2.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.81

$2.44 CA$3.45

10.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.75 CA$3.88

$2.24 CA$3.17

22.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 CA$3.62

$2.36 CA$3.34

8.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$1.55 CA$2.19

-3.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.39 CA$20.34

$14.25 CA$20.14

0.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.81 CA$22.35

$12.40 CA$17.53

27.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 CA$3.49

$2.61 CA$3.69

-5.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 CA$4.39

$2.96 CA$4.19

4.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.81 CA$3.97

$2.25 CA$3.18

24.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.6 CA$128

$61.2 CA$86.5

48.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 CA$4.64

$2.88 CA$4.07

13.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 CA$1.97

$1.43 CA$2.02

-2.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.49 CA$37.45

$22.87 CA$32.33

15.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.72

$1.17 CA$1.66

4.27%

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

$28.4K CA$40.1K

$27.3K CA$38.6K

4.05%

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

$20.8K CA$29.5K

$19.3K CA$27.3K

7.71%

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

$165 CA$233

$132 CA$186

24.86%

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

$38.24 CA$54.1

$37.42 CA$52.9

2.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.1 CA$70.9

$54.2 CA$76.7

-7.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 CA$76.1

$40.55 CA$57.3

32.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.04 CA$25.51

$17.87 CA$25.26

0.95%

Cinema Ticket

$14.04 CA$19.84

$11.20 CA$15.84

25.36%

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

$797 CA$1,126

$752 CA$1,063

5.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K CA$22.3K

$13.2K CA$18.7K

19.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 CA$83.5

$53.0 CA$74.9

11.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.20 CA$56.8

$38.42 CA$54.3

4.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.8 CA$128

$83.8 CA$118

8.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$155

$103 CA$145

6.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 CA$1,707

$1,220 CA$1,725

-1.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,011 CA$1,429

$1,116 CA$1,577

-9.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,949 CA$2,756

$1,940 CA$2,743

0.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 CA$2,371

$1,667 CA$2,357

0.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,532 CA$4,993

$4,131 CA$5,840

-14.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,392 CA$4,795

$3,514 CA$4,968

-3.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,152 CA$4,456

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.66

-3.22%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 18, 2026

Last update for Alert: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1K 44.8%

Alert

$1.1K 50.3% 10.4% $105

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$392 17.4%

Alert

$345 15.5% 11.9% $47

Eating Out

Calgary

$270 12%

Alert

$267 12% 1.2% $3.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$253 11.2%

Alert

$224 10.1% 11.7% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$135 6%

Alert

$125 5.6% 7.2% $9.7

Getting Around

Calgary

$112 5%

Alert

$80 3.6% 28.5% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$82 3.6%

Alert

$63 2.8% 23.1% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,207 in Calgary versus $1,220 in Alert. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Calgary versus $65.0 in Alert. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $392 vs $345 – making Alert the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇨🇦 Alert

🕒 Local time

07:27 7:27 AM

09:27 9:27 AM

2 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Calgary Alert 3,860 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Calgary
Alert

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 Alert: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,255 in Calgary, $2,220 in Alert – roughly 2% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,382 per month in Calgary and $3,330 in Alert. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Alert, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 14% more in Calgary, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Calgary and $65.0 in Alert. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Alert, where all-in costs run around $2,220, than in Calgary at $2,255. In Alert it covers expenses comfortably, while in Calgary it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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