Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Burlington

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,303 a month against $2,737 in Burlington, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 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
130

Cost of Living Index in Burlington
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Burlington Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,303

/mo nomad

Burlington

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,737

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Burlington

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

A single person spends $2,303 per month in Calgary vs $2,737 in Burlington, rent included.

Calgary $2,303
Burlington $2,737

A couple spends around $3,366 per month in Calgary vs $3,881 in Burlington, rent included.

Calgary $3,366
Burlington $3,881

A family of three spends $4,428 per month in Calgary vs $5,025 in Burlington, rent included.

Calgary $4,428
Burlington $5,025

Calgary is about 16% cheaper than Burlington, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Calgary and Burlington sit above the global median – Calgary by 69%, Burlington by 101%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 CA$24.52

$21.84 CA$30.51

-19.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.4 CA$98.3

$72.3 CA$101

-2.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.69 CA$14.93

$10.60 CA$14.80

0.85%

Cappuccino

$3.89 CA$5.43

$3.31 CA$4.62

17.52%

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

$2.04 CA$2.85

$2.00 CA$2.80

2.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.62

$1.55 CA$2.17

21.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 CA$6.84

$5.57 CA$7.79

-12.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.78 CA$8.08

$6.11 CA$8.53

-5.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 CA$2.74

$2.60 CA$3.63

-24.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 CA$3.83

$2.86 CA$4.00

-4.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.46 CA$7.63

$3.78 CA$5.28

44.44%

Eggs

$3.69 CA$5.15

$3.76 CA$5.25

-1.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.24 CA$15.71

$10.00 CA$13.97

12.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 CA$16.12

$10.59 CA$14.79

8.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 CA$25.67

$14.78 CA$20.65

24.36%

Apples (1kg)

$4.90 CA$6.85

$3.83 CA$5.36

27.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$1.99

$1.48 CA$2.07

-4.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.88

$2.67 CA$3.73

57.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 CA$5.62

$3.65 CA$5.10

10.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.77

$1.96 CA$2.74

37.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 CA$3.72

$1.92 CA$2.68

38.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CA$3.65

$2.09 CA$2.92

24.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 CA$2.23

$1.47 CA$2.06

8.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.00 CA$19.56

$13.64 CA$19.06

2.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.40 CA$21.51

$10.79 CA$15.08

42.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 CA$3.49

$2.80 CA$3.92

-10.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.32

$2.92 CA$4.09

5.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.93 CA$4.09

$2.65 CA$3.70

10.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.3 CA$125

$99.8 CA$139

-10.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 CA$4.57

$5.09 CA$7.12

-35.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 CA$1.89

$2.44 CA$3.40

-44.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.39 CA$38.26

$43.32 CA$60.5

-36.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.64

$1.19 CA$1.67

-1.68%

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

$27.9K CA$39.0K

$27.8K CA$38.8K

0.55%

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

$21.0K CA$29.4K

$21.7K CA$30.4K

-3.23%

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

$167 CA$233

$144 CA$201

15.79%

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

$38.27 CA$53.5

$44.16 CA$61.7

-13.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.9 CA$71.2

$67.4 CA$94.2

-24.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 CA$71.2

$43.66 CA$61.0

16.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.17 CA$25.39

$30.23 CA$42.23

-39.89%

Cinema Ticket

$14.44 CA$20.18

$16.13 CA$22.54

-10.48%

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

$545 CA$762

$902 CA$1,261

-39.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$22.6K

$19.0K CA$26.6K

-14.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 CA$82.3

$69.3 CA$96.8

-15.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.75 CA$55.5

$65.5 CA$91.5

-39.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$130

$100 CA$140

-6.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

$99.8 CA$139

10.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 CA$1,752

$1,729 CA$2,415

-27.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 CA$1,476

$1,480 CA$2,068

-28.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,022 CA$2,825

$2,599 CA$3,631

-22.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,629 CA$2,275

$2,176 CA$3,041

-25.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,600 CA$5,030

$5,270 CA$7,363

-31.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,243 CA$4,530

$4,145 CA$5,790

-21.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,115 CA$4,352

$3,285 CA$4,590

-5.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.52

-0.22%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 26, 2026

Last update for Burlington: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1.1K 45.9%

Burlington

$1.5K 54.1% 40.1% $424

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$393 17.1%

Burlington

$346 12.7% 11.8% $46

Eating Out

Calgary

$271 11.8%

Burlington

$300 11% 10.9% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$256 11.1%

Burlington

$256 9.3% 0.1% $0.4

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$136 5.9%

Burlington

$151 5.5% 10.8% $15

Getting Around

Calgary

$111 4.8%

Burlington

$128 4.7% 15% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$80 3.5%

Burlington

$76 2.8% 4.9% $3.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,254 in Calgary versus $1,729 in Burlington. 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 5% higher in Burlington, 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 $72 in Burlington. Groceries tell a different story – $393 in Calgary vs $346 in Burlington – so Burlington wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇨🇦 Burlington

🕒 Local time

22:45 10:45 PM

23:45 11:45 PM

1 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

183,314

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Calgary Burlington 2,700 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Calgary
Burlington

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 Burlington: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Burlington is pricier by about 19%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,454 per month in Calgary and $4,105 in Burlington. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Calgary, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,254 there versus $1,729 in Burlington.

Kindergarten costs $545 per month in Calgary and $902 in Burlington. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 12% cheaper in Burlington – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

Families tend to lean toward Calgary – 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 Calgary. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Burlington makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.