Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Alert Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Alert

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,433 per month in Calgary vs $2,372 in Alert, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,642 per month in Calgary vs $3,387 in Alert, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,850 per month in Calgary vs $4,403 in Alert, rent included.

Calgary costs about 3% more than Alert, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Calgary and Alert sit above the global median – Calgary by 81%, Alert by 76%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.20 CA$24.93

$16.96 CA$23.24

7.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.0 CA$95.9

$70.9 CA$97.1

-1.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.01 CA$15.09

$11.00 CA$15.07

0.09%

Cappuccino

$3.73 CA$5.11

$3.75 CA$5.14

-0.53%

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

$1.98 CA$2.71

$2.03 CA$2.78

-2.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 CA$2.26

$1.66 CA$2.27

-0.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.27 CA$7.22

$5.41 CA$7.41

-2.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.65 CA$9.11

$5.98 CA$8.19

11.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 CA$2.94

$2.10 CA$2.87

2.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 CA$3.67

$2.69 CA$3.69

-0.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.66

$3.50 CA$4.80

-2.86%

Eggs

$3.28 CA$4.49

$3.51 CA$4.80

-6.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.65 CA$20.07

$11.18 CA$15.32

31.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.61 CA$17.28

$11.74 CA$16.09

7.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.13 CA$22.10

$14.94 CA$20.47

7.97%

Apples (1kg)

$4.46 CA$6.11

$4.16 CA$5.70

7.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 CA$1.84

$1.35 CA$1.85

-0.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.73 CA$5.11

$3.71 CA$5.08

0.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 CA$5.88

$3.87 CA$5.30

10.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 CA$3.65

$2.40 CA$3.29

11.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.61 CA$3.57

$2.54 CA$3.48

2.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.74 CA$3.76

$2.63 CA$3.60

4.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 CA$2.60

$1.74 CA$2.38

9.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.98 CA$20.52

$13.78 CA$18.87

8.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.30 CA$19.59

$13.02 CA$17.84

9.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 CA$3.97

$2.92 CA$4.00

-0.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 CA$5.44

$3.16 CA$4.33

25.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.68 CA$3.67

$2.35 CA$3.21

14.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.9 CA$120

$63.5 CA$87.0

38.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 CA$4.88

$3.13 CA$4.28

14.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 CA$1.84

$1.45 CA$1.99

-7.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.30 CA$40.15

$26.04 CA$35.68

12.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 CA$1.55

$1.17 CA$1.60

-3.42%

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

$25.1K CA$34.4K

$25.4K CA$34.7K

-0.95%

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

$22.2K CA$30.4K

$20.5K CA$28.1K

8.13%

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

$218 CA$299

$142 CA$195

53.07%

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

$41.44 CA$56.8

$43.49 CA$59.6

-4.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.2 CA$79.7

$61.4 CA$84.1

-5.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.7 CA$73.6

$41.09 CA$56.3

30.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$52.4 CA$71.8

Cinema Ticket

$12.66 CA$17.34

$11.21 CA$15.36

12.93%

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

$885 CA$1,212

$744 CA$1,019

19.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.0K

$11.8K CA$16.1K

36.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 CA$79.6

$54.5 CA$74.7

6.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.22 CA$66.1

$40.14 CA$55.0

20.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.4 CA$121

$86.8 CA$119

1.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$146

$109 CA$150

-2.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,396 CA$1,913

$1,307 CA$1,791

6.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,186 CA$1,625

$1,198 CA$1,641

-0.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,293 CA$3,142

$2,054 CA$2,815

11.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,859 CA$2,547

$1,833 CA$2,511

1.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 CA$5,178

$4,005 CA$5,487

-5.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,509 CA$4,808

$3,770 CA$5,165

-6.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,117 CA$4,271

$3,566 CA$4,885

-12.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.71

6.46

-11.61%

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

Last update for Calgary: April 14, 2026

Last update for Alert: April 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,396 in Calgary versus $1,307 in Alert. 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 14% higher in Alert, 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 $70 in Calgary versus $71 in Alert. Groceries tell a different story – $395 in Calgary vs $367 in Alert – so Alert wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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: $2,433 in Calgary, $2,372 in Alert – roughly 3% apart. Calgary costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,650 per month in Calgary and $3,557 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 8% 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 $70.0 in Calgary and $71.0 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 $2,372, than in Calgary at $2,433. 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.