Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Arviat Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Arviat

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,523 in Calgary versus $2,295 in Arviat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,652 in Calgary versus $3,354 in Arviat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,780 in Calgary versus $4,413 in Arviat.

Living in Calgary is roughly 10% more expensive than Arviat, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 88% above, Arviat 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.59 CA$25.91

$16.67 CA$23.23

11.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.0 CA$97.6

$71.3 CA$99.3

-1.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.96 CA$15.27

$10.97 CA$15.29

-0.09%

Cappuccino

$3.73 CA$5.20

$3.68 CA$5.13

1.36%

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

$1.99 CA$2.77

$1.97 CA$2.75

1.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 CA$2.40

$1.66 CA$2.31

3.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.01 CA$6.99

$5.42 CA$7.55

-7.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.50 CA$9.06

$5.87 CA$8.18

10.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CA$3.10

$2.13 CA$2.97

4.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 CA$3.72

$2.70 CA$3.77

-1.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.55

$3.53 CA$4.92

-7.65%

Eggs

$3.35 CA$4.67

$3.37 CA$4.69

-0.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 CA$20.21

$11.06 CA$15.41

31.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.95 CA$18.04

$11.61 CA$16.18

11.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.15 CA$22.51

$14.60 CA$20.34

10.62%

Apples (1kg)

$4.32 CA$6.02

$4.13 CA$5.75

4.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 CA$1.89

$1.37 CA$1.91

-1.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.83 CA$5.33

$3.71 CA$5.17

3.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 CA$5.83

$3.70 CA$5.15

12.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.65 CA$3.69

$2.38 CA$3.32

11.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.74 CA$3.82

$2.58 CA$3.60

6.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.76 CA$3.85

$2.51 CA$3.50

9.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 CA$2.72

$1.72 CA$2.39

13.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.98 CA$20.88

$13.78 CA$19.21

8.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.67 CA$20.45

$11.12 CA$15.50

31.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 CA$3.96

$2.91 CA$4.06

-2.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 CA$5.60

$3.17 CA$4.41

26.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.80 CA$3.90

$2.35 CA$3.28

19.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.2 CA$120

$62.5 CA$87.1

37.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 CA$5.02

$3.11 CA$4.33

15.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 CA$1.84

$1.43 CA$1.99

-7.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.01 CA$40.43

$26.11 CA$36.39

11.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 CA$1.56

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

$24.9K CA$34.6K

$24.8K CA$34.6K

0.22%

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

$22.0K CA$30.6K

$20.7K CA$28.8K

6.41%

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

$217 CA$303

$144 CA$200

51.31%

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

$41.55 CA$57.9

$44.13 CA$61.5

-5.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.1 CA$80.9

$62.3 CA$86.8

-6.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.7 CA$76.3

$42.69 CA$59.5

28.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$52.8 CA$73.6

Cinema Ticket

$12.77 CA$17.79

$11.20 CA$15.61

14.02%

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

$874 CA$1,218

$732 CA$1,021

19.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K CA$22.2K

$11.7K CA$16.4K

35.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 CA$82.0

$54.2 CA$75.5

8.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.47 CA$64.8

$39.20 CA$54.6

18.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.2 CA$121

$87.5 CA$122

-0.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$152

$106 CA$147

3.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,414 CA$1,970

$1,327 CA$1,849

6.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,172 CA$1,634

$1,157 CA$1,613

1.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,319 CA$3,232

$1,980 CA$2,760

17.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,886 CA$2,629

$1,812 CA$2,526

4.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,892 CA$5,424

$4,505 CA$6,279

-13.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,503 CA$4,882

$3,610 CA$5,031

-2.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,149 CA$4,389

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Arviat: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,414 in Calgary and $1,327 in Arviat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $70.0 in Calgary vs $71.0 in Arviat. Groceries flip the comparison at $397 vs $359, with Arviat cheaper for home cooking.

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 Arviat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary and Arviat differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($2,523 vs $2,295 including rent). Arviat is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,785 in Calgary and $3,443 in Arviat to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,414 in Calgary versus $1,327 in Arviat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $874 in Calgary versus $732 in Arviat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Calgary. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,295 in Arviat versus $2,523 in Calgary, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Arviat but tight or insufficient in Calgary. The gap between the two cities makes Arviat 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 Arviat gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.