Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Burnaby Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Burnaby

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,344 in Calgary versus $2,869 in Burnaby.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,499 in Calgary versus $4,015 in Burnaby.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,655 in Calgary versus $5,160 in Burnaby.

Living in Calgary costs roughly 18% less than in Burnaby, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 70% above, Burnaby 108% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.45 CA$25.59

$21.82 CA$30.27

-15.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.5 CA$99.2

$87.5 CA$121

-18.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.68 CA$14.81

$9.54 CA$13.24

11.95%

Cappuccino

$3.93 CA$5.46

$4.81 CA$6.67

-18.30%

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

$2.02 CA$2.80

$2.35 CA$3.27

-14.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 CA$2.73

$1.80 CA$2.50

9.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.92 CA$6.82

$7.19 CA$9.98

-31.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 CA$8.19

$6.10 CA$8.46

-3.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.03 CA$2.82

$2.40 CA$3.33

-15.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.86 CA$3.97

$2.92 CA$4.05

-2.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.72 CA$7.93

$3.60 CA$4.99

58.89%

Eggs

$3.81 CA$5.29

$3.30 CA$4.58

15.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.56 CA$16.04

$14.34 CA$19.89

-19.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.95 CA$16.57

$14.01 CA$19.43

-14.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.97 CA$26.30

$25.31 CA$35.10

-25.05%

Apples (1kg)

$4.91 CA$6.82

$4.56 CA$6.33

7.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$1.97

$1.30 CA$1.81

9.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.36 CA$6.04

$4.65 CA$6.45

-6.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 CA$5.59

$4.59 CA$6.36

-12.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 CA$3.77

$2.90 CA$4.02

-6.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 CA$3.99

$3.60 CA$4.99

-20.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.57 CA$3.57

$2.83 CA$3.93

-9.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 CA$2.07

$2.17 CA$3.01

-31.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.71 CA$20.41

$14.60 CA$20.25

0.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.57 CA$21.60

$13.78 CA$19.11

12.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 CA$3.50

$2.10 CA$2.91

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 CA$4.53

$2.38 CA$3.30

37.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 CA$4.07

$2.46 CA$3.42

19.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.8 CA$125

$80.9 CA$112

11.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 CA$4.58

$2.98 CA$4.13

10.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 CA$1.90

$1.47 CA$2.04

-6.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.07 CA$37.54

$26.88 CA$37.28

0.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.69

$1.33 CA$1.84

-8.27%

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

$28.6K CA$39.6K

$28.3K CA$39.2K

1.12%

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

$20.9K CA$29.0K

$19.7K CA$27.3K

6.07%

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

$182 CA$253

$125 CA$173

46.37%

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

$39.50 CA$54.8

$44.12 CA$61.2

-10.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 CA$71.3

$54.1 CA$75.0

-5.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.8 CA$76.0

$31.15 CA$43.20

75.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.79 CA$26.07

$10.89 CA$15.11

72.54%

Cinema Ticket

$14.52 CA$20.14

$14.55 CA$20.18

-0.21%

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

$819 CA$1,136

$667 CA$925

22.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K CA$22.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.8 CA$85.8

$53.3 CA$73.9

16.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.15 CA$55.7

$52.5 CA$72.8

-23.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 CA$131

$105 CA$146

-10.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 CA$158

$80.1 CA$111

42.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 CA$1,741

$1,690 CA$2,344

-25.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,089 CA$1,510

$1,550 CA$2,149

-29.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,994 CA$2,766

$2,476 CA$3,434

-19.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,706 CA$2,367

$2,189 CA$3,036

-22.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,627 CA$5,031

$6,866 CA$9,523

-47.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,403 CA$4,719

$5,585 CA$7,746

-39.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,246 CA$4,502

$3,162 CA$4,386

2.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

4.76

-5.88%

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

Last update for Calgary: September 6, 2026

Last update for Burnaby: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,256 in Calgary and $1,690 in Burnaby. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays 3% 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 $88.0 in Burnaby for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $401 vs $438 per month, with Calgary cheaper across the board.

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 Burnaby: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary and Burnaby differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($2,344 vs $2,869 including rent). Calgary is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 3% 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: $1,256 in Calgary versus $1,690 in Burnaby. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $819 in Calgary versus $667 in Burnaby. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Burnaby. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,344 in Calgary versus $2,869 in Burnaby, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Burnaby. 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 22% less than in Burnaby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.