Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Brandon, MB

For one person, living is cheaper in Brandon, MB: $1,622 a month against $2,303 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Brandon, MB
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Brandon, MB Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,303

/mo nomad

Brandon, MB

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,622

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Brandon, MB

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

A single person spends $2,303 per month in Calgary vs $1,622 in Brandon, MB, rent included.

Calgary $2,303
Brandon, MB $1,622

A couple spends around $3,366 per month in Calgary vs $2,588 in Brandon, MB, rent included.

Calgary $3,366
Brandon, MB $2,588

A family of three spends $4,428 per month in Calgary vs $3,555 in Brandon, MB, rent included.

Calgary $4,428
Brandon, MB $3,555

Calgary costs about 42% more than Brandon, MB, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Calgary and Brandon, MB sit above the global median – Calgary by 69%, Brandon, MB by 19%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 CA$24.55

$14.30 CA$20.01

22.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.4 CA$98.5

$64.9 CA$90.8

8.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.69 CA$14.95

$10.61 CA$14.84

0.75%

Cappuccino

$3.89 CA$5.44

$3.15 CA$4.40

23.49%

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

$2.04 CA$2.85

$1.81 CA$2.53

12.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.63

$1.65 CA$2.31

13.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 CA$6.85

$4.20 CA$5.87

16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.78 CA$8.09

$5.33 CA$7.46

8.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 CA$2.75

$1.46 CA$2.04

34.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 CA$3.83

$1.98 CA$2.77

38.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.46 CA$7.64

$3.20 CA$4.48

70.63%

Eggs

$3.69 CA$5.16

$3.05 CA$4.27

20.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.24 CA$15.73

$9.60 CA$13.42

17.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 CA$16.14

$10.64 CA$14.89

8.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 CA$25.70

$16.28 CA$22.77

12.90%

Apples (1kg)

$4.90 CA$6.86

$3.28 CA$4.59

49.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$1.99

$1.35 CA$1.89

5.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.89

$3.44 CA$4.82

22.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 CA$5.63

$3.21 CA$4.50

25.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.77

$2.28 CA$3.19

17.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 CA$3.72

$2.63 CA$3.68

1.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CA$3.66

$2.48 CA$3.46

5.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 CA$2.23

$1.28 CA$1.80

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.00 CA$19.58

$15.17 CA$21.22

-7.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.40 CA$21.54

$12.22 CA$17.09

26.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 CA$3.49

$2.40 CA$3.35

4.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.32

$2.20 CA$3.07

40.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.93 CA$4.10

$1.33 CA$1.86

120.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.3 CA$125

$68.8 CA$96.2

29.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 CA$4.57

$2.86 CA$3.99

14.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 CA$1.89

$1.33 CA$1.86

1.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.39 CA$38.31

$24.08 CA$33.68

13.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.64

$1.04 CA$1.45

12.50%

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

$27.9K CA$39.1K

$26.8K CA$37.4K

4.41%

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

$21.0K CA$29.4K

$20.6K CA$28.9K

1.89%

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

$167 CA$233

$163 CA$228

2.37%

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

$38.27 CA$53.5

$34.19 CA$47.82

11.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.9 CA$71.2

$48.55 CA$67.9

4.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 CA$71.3

$42.73 CA$59.8

19.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.17 CA$25.42

$16.36 CA$22.88

11.06%

Cinema Ticket

$14.44 CA$20.20

$10.61 CA$14.84

36.10%

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

$545 CA$763

$1,009 CA$1,411

-45.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$22.7K

$18.4K CA$25.8K

-12.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 CA$82.4

$43.86 CA$61.3

34.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.75 CA$55.6

$42.65 CA$59.7

-6.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$131

$69.8 CA$97.6

33.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

$85.8 CA$120

28.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 CA$1,754

$798 CA$1,116

57.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 CA$1,478

$568 CA$794

86.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,022 CA$2,828

$1,387 CA$1,940

45.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,629 CA$2,278

$1,191 CA$1,666

36.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,600 CA$5,036

$2,308 CA$3,229

55.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,243 CA$4,535

$2,300 CA$3,217

40.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,115 CA$4,357

$2,504 CA$3,502

24.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.45

1.35%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 26, 2026

Last update for Brandon, MB: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1.1K 45.9%

Brandon, MB

$568 35% 46.3% $489

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$393 17.1%

Brandon, MB

$323 19.9% 17.8% $70

Eating Out

Calgary

$271 11.8%

Brandon, MB

$230 14.2% 15.3% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$256 11.1%

Brandon, MB

$246 15.1% 4% $10

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$136 5.9%

Brandon, MB

$109 6.7% 19.9% $27

Getting Around

Calgary

$111 4.8%

Brandon, MB

$84 5.2% 24.7% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$80 3.5%

Brandon, MB

$64 3.9% 19.9% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,254 in Calgary versus $798 in Brandon, MB. 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 24% 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 $70 in Calgary versus $65 in Brandon, MB. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $393 vs $323 – making Brandon, MB the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇨🇦 Brandon, MB

🕒 Local time

04:21 4:21 AM

05:21 5:21 AM

1 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

46,061

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Calgary Brandon, MB 1,010 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Calgary
Brandon, MB

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 Brandon, MB: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Calgary is pricier by about 42%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,454 per month in Calgary and $2,433 in Brandon, MB. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Brandon, MB, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $798 there versus $1,254 in Calgary.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Calgary, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70 in Calgary and $65 in Brandon, MB. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

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