Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Alliston

For one person, living is cheaper in Alliston: $2,109 a month against $2,255 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. The total is higher in Calgary despite lower rent and utilities.

109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index
103

Cost of Living Index in Alliston
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Alliston Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,255

/mo nomad

Alliston

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,109

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Alliston

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

A single person spends $2,255 per month in Calgary vs $2,109 in Alliston, rent included.

Calgary $2,255
Alliston $2,109

A couple spends around $3,361 per month in Calgary vs $3,308 in Alliston, rent included.

Calgary $3,361
Alliston $3,308

A family of three spends $4,468 per month in Calgary vs $4,507 in Alliston, rent included.

Calgary $4,468
Alliston $4,507

Calgary costs about 7% more than Alliston, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Calgary and Alliston sit above the global median – Calgary by 66%, Alliston by 56%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 CA$24.85

$17.62 CA$24.91

-0.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 CA$97.6

$78.0 CA$110

-11.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 CA$14.97

$10.64 CA$15.04

-0.47%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.42

$1.43 CA$2.02

168.53%

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

$1.93 CA$2.72

$2.10 CA$2.97

-8.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.66

$1.67 CA$2.35

12.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.09 CA$7.20

$6.46 CA$9.13

-21.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 CA$7.97

$6.81 CA$9.63

-17.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 CA$2.82

$2.53 CA$3.58

-20.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 CA$3.93

$2.62 CA$3.70

6.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.59 CA$7.90

$2.16 CA$3.05

158.80%

Eggs

$3.70 CA$5.23

$3.04 CA$4.29

21.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.48 CA$16.23

$9.32 CA$13.18

23.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.20 CA$15.84

$11.30 CA$15.98

-0.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.59 CA$26.28

$7.07 CA$9.99

162.94%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 CA$6.64

$3.59 CA$5.08

30.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.16 CA$1.64

25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.34 CA$6.13

$3.44 CA$4.86

26.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.79 CA$5.36

$3.88 CA$5.49

-2.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.81

$1.83 CA$2.58

46.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.75 CA$3.88

$1.61 CA$2.27

70.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 CA$3.62

$2.28 CA$3.22

12.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$0.71 CA$1.00

111.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.39 CA$20.34

$13.89 CA$19.64

3.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.81 CA$22.35

$6.96 CA$9.83

127.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 CA$3.49

$2.19 CA$3.09

12.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 CA$4.39

$2.43 CA$3.44

27.57%

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

$61.5 CA$86.9

47.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 CA$4.64

$2.94 CA$4.15

11.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 CA$1.97

$1.22 CA$1.72

14.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.49 CA$37.45

$21.57 CA$30.50

22.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.72

$0.96 CA$1.36

27.08%

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

$28.4K CA$40.1K

$27.7K CA$39.2K

2.38%

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

$20.8K CA$29.5K

$19.9K CA$28.2K

4.59%

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

$165 CA$233

$120 CA$170

36.95%

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

$38.24 CA$54.1

$28.09 CA$39.71

36.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.1 CA$70.9

$48.40 CA$68.4

3.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 CA$76.1

$25.52 CA$36.07

110.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.04 CA$25.51

$17.69 CA$25.00

1.98%

Cinema Ticket

$14.04 CA$19.84

$11.24 CA$15.89

24.91%

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

$797 CA$1,126

$811 CA$1,146

-1.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K CA$22.3K

$23.6K CA$33.3K

-32.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 CA$83.5

$50.9 CA$71.9

16.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.20 CA$56.8

$39.78 CA$56.2

1.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.8 CA$128

$99.1 CA$140

-8.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$155

$122 CA$172

-10.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 CA$1,707

$1,234 CA$1,744

-2.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,011 CA$1,429

$1,101 CA$1,557

-8.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,949 CA$2,756

$1,934 CA$2,734

0.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 CA$2,371

$2,122 CA$2,999

-20.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,532 CA$4,993

$4,176 CA$5,904

-15.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,392 CA$4,795

$3,581 CA$5,063

-5.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,152 CA$4,456

$1,837 CA$2,597

71.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.47

0.89%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 18, 2026

Last update for Alliston: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1K 44.8%

Alliston

$1.1K 52.2% 8.9% $90

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$392 17.4%

Alliston

$292 13.9% 25.4% $100

Eating Out

Calgary

$270 12%

Alliston

$251 11.9% 7.2% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$253 11.2%

Alliston

$197 9.3% 22.2% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$135 6%

Alliston

$140 6.7% 4.1% $5.5

Getting Around

Calgary

$112 5%

Alliston

$80 3.8% 29.1% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$82 3.6%

Alliston

$48 2.3% 41.4% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,207 in Calgary versus $1,234 in Alliston. 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 72% higher in Calgary, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Calgary versus $78.0 in Alliston. Groceries tell a different story – $392 in Calgary vs $292 in Alliston – so Alliston wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇨🇦 Alliston

🕒 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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Between locations

Calgary Alliston 2,650 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Calgary
Alliston

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 Alliston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Calgary is pricier by about 7%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,382 per month in Calgary and $3,163 in Alliston. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 34% 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 $78.0 in Alliston. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Alliston, where all-in costs run around $2,109, than in Calgary at $2,255. In Alliston it covers expenses comfortably, while in Calgary it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Alliston – 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 Alliston. 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.