Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Brampton

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,232 a month against $2,446 in Brampton, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Brampton outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index
116

Cost of Living Index in Brampton
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Brampton Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,232

/mo nomad

Brampton

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,446

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Brampton

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,232 in Calgary versus $2,446 in Brampton.

Calgary $2,232
Brampton $2,446

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,363 in Calgary versus $3,450 in Brampton.

Calgary $3,363
Brampton $3,450

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,493 in Calgary versus $4,453 in Brampton.

Calgary $4,493
Brampton $4,453

Living in Calgary costs roughly 9% less than in Brampton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 67% above, Brampton 83% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.22 CA$24.54

$15.86 CA$22.61

8.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.2 CA$101

$48.51 CA$69.1

46.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 CA$15.06

$10.37 CA$14.78

1.83%

Cappuccino

$3.77 CA$5.38

$3.22 CA$4.59

17.08%

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

$1.91 CA$2.73

$1.47 CA$2.10

29.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 CA$2.63

$1.22 CA$1.73

50.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.86 CA$6.93

$4.81 CA$6.86

1.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 CA$7.91

$5.48 CA$7.82

1.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 CA$2.68

$3.22 CA$4.59

-41.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 CA$3.89

$2.11 CA$3.01

29.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.34 CA$7.61

$2.84 CA$4.05

88.03%

Eggs

$3.77 CA$5.37

$3.17 CA$4.52

18.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.29 CA$16.09

$9.13 CA$13.02

23.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.34

$9.64 CA$13.74

18.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.26 CA$26.03

$17.32 CA$24.69

5.43%

Apples (1kg)

$4.64 CA$6.62

$3.34 CA$4.76

38.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.05

$2.09 CA$2.98

-31.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.22 CA$6.02

$3.16 CA$4.50

33.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.86 CA$5.50

$3.92 CA$5.59

-1.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 CA$3.74

$2.08 CA$2.96

25.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 CA$3.79

$2.39 CA$3.41

11.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.59 CA$3.69

$2.30 CA$3.28

12.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 CA$2.19

$2.21 CA$3.15

-30.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.26 CA$20.32

$12.59 CA$17.95

13.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.27 CA$21.76

$11.67 CA$16.64

30.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 CA$3.44

$2.28 CA$3.26

5.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.41

$2.23 CA$3.18

38.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 CA$4.11

$3.11 CA$4.43

-7.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.7 CA$126

$100 CA$143

-11.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.61

$3.04 CA$4.34

6.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 CA$1.97

$1.27 CA$1.82

8.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.49 CA$37.75

$20.90 CA$29.80

26.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 CA$1.68

$1.16 CA$1.66

1.72%

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

$28.3K CA$40.3K

0.03%

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

$20.7K CA$29.5K

$19.2K CA$27.4K

7.84%

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

$159 CA$227

$171 CA$244

-6.92%

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

$37.61 CA$53.6

$28.65 CA$40.84

31.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.68 CA$70.8

$56.2 CA$80.0

-11.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 CA$75.9

$27.77 CA$39.58

91.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.31 CA$26.10

$29.79 CA$42.46

-38.54%

Cinema Ticket

$14.08 CA$20.06

$12.06 CA$17.18

16.75%

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

$809 CA$1,154

$946 CA$1,348

-14.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K CA$22.6K

$10.9K CA$15.5K

45.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 CA$83.8

$59.9 CA$85.3

-1.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.84 CA$55.4

$42.78 CA$61.0

-9.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.4 CA$130

$102 CA$146

-10.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$155

$109 CA$156

-0.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 CA$1,764

$1,361 CA$1,941

-9.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$996 CA$1,420

$1,227 CA$1,749

-18.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,908 CA$2,720

$2,132 CA$3,039

-10.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 CA$2,382

$1,982 CA$2,826

-15.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,530 CA$5,032

$5,772 CA$8,227

-38.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,336 CA$4,755

$5,230 CA$7,455

-36.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,130 CA$4,461

$2,908 CA$4,144

7.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.72

-4.45%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 3, 2026

Last update for Brampton: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$996 44.8%

Brampton

$1.2K 51.3% 23.2% $231

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$387 17.4%

Brampton

$352 14.7% 9% $35

Eating Out

Calgary

$265 11.9%

Brampton

$242 10.1% 8.6% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$247 11.1%

Brampton

$256 10.7% 3.8% $9.3

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$134 6%

Brampton

$142 5.9% 5.5% $7.4

Getting Around

Calgary

$110 5%

Brampton

$122 5.1% 10.7% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$81 3.7%

Brampton

$52 2.2% 36.3% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,237 in Calgary and $1,361 in Brampton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $71.0 in Calgary vs $49.00 in Brampton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $387 vs $352 per month, with Brampton cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇨🇦 Brampton

🕒 Local time

00:18 12:18 AM

02:18 2:18 AM

2 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

593,638

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Calgary Brampton 2,680 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Calgary
Brampton

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 Brampton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in clothing and transport. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 8% higher in Calgary, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,237 in Calgary versus $1,361 in Brampton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,232 per month in Calgary versus $2,446 in Brampton – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Calgary runs roughly 13% less than in Brampton. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,232 in Calgary versus $2,446 in Brampton, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Brampton. The gap between the two cities makes Calgary 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 Calgary gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Brampton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.