Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Burns Lake

For one person, living costs are similar in Calgary and in Burns Lake: $2,303 and $2,278 a month, rent and utilities included.

110

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Burns Lake
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Burns Lake Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,303

/mo nomad

Burns Lake

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Burns Lake

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

A single person spends $2,303 per month in Calgary vs $2,278 in Burns Lake, rent included.

Calgary $2,303
Burns Lake $2,278

A couple spends around $3,366 per month in Calgary vs $3,271 in Burns Lake, rent included.

Calgary $3,366
Burns Lake $3,271

A family of three spends $4,428 per month in Calgary vs $4,265 in Burns Lake, rent included.

Calgary $4,428
Burns Lake $4,265

Calgary and Burns Lake have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Calgary and Burns Lake sit above the global median – Calgary by 69%, Burns Lake by 67%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 CA$24.52

$19.06 CA$26.63

-7.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.4 CA$98.4

$63.1 CA$88.1

11.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.69 CA$14.94

$12.14 CA$16.97

-11.94%

Cappuccino

$3.89 CA$5.43

$3.21 CA$4.48

21.18%

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

$2.04 CA$2.85

$1.82 CA$2.55

12.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.62

$1.44 CA$2.01

30.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 CA$6.84

$4.90 CA$6.85

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.78 CA$8.08

$5.38 CA$7.52

7.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 CA$2.74

$2.17 CA$3.03

-9.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 CA$3.83

$2.57 CA$3.60

6.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.46 CA$7.63

$3.14 CA$4.38

73.89%

Eggs

$3.69 CA$5.15

$3.19 CA$4.46

15.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.24 CA$15.71

$9.00 CA$12.58

24.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 CA$16.12

$11.80 CA$16.49

-2.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 CA$25.68

$15.17 CA$21.20

21.16%

Apples (1kg)

$4.90 CA$6.85

$3.78 CA$5.29

29.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$1.99

$1.24 CA$1.73

14.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.88

$3.86 CA$5.39

9.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 CA$5.62

$4.36 CA$6.09

-7.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.77

$2.39 CA$3.34

12.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 CA$3.72

$2.14 CA$2.99

24.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CA$3.65

$2.27 CA$3.17

14.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 CA$2.23

$1.78 CA$2.48

-10.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.00 CA$19.57

$14.50 CA$20.27

-3.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.40 CA$21.52

$14.28 CA$19.95

7.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 CA$3.49

$2.98 CA$4.16

-16.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.32

$3.41 CA$4.77

-9.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.93 CA$4.09

$2.11 CA$2.95

38.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.3 CA$125

$69.8 CA$97.5

27.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 CA$4.57

$2.50 CA$3.49

30.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 CA$1.89

$1.42 CA$1.98

-4.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.39 CA$38.27

$24.39 CA$34.08

12.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.64

$1.09 CA$1.52

7.34%

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

$27.9K CA$39.0K

$28.2K CA$39.4K

-0.97%

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

$21.0K CA$29.4K

$18.6K CA$25.9K

13.37%

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

$167 CA$233

$140 CA$196

19.13%

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

$38.27 CA$53.5

$38.23 CA$53.4

0.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.9 CA$71.2

$55.0 CA$76.8

-7.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 CA$71.2

$37.67 CA$52.6

35.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.17 CA$25.39

$18.49 CA$25.83

-1.73%

Cinema Ticket

$14.44 CA$20.18

$10.82 CA$15.12

33.46%

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

$545 CA$762

$636 CA$888

-14.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$22.7K

$15.3K CA$21.4K

5.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 CA$82.3

$48.36 CA$67.6

21.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.75 CA$55.6

$41.52 CA$58.0

-4.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$130

$87.3 CA$122

6.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

$104 CA$146

5.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 CA$1,752

$1,309 CA$1,829

-4.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 CA$1,476

$1,135 CA$1,586

-6.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,022 CA$2,826

$1,984 CA$2,772

1.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,629 CA$2,276

$1,701 CA$2,376

-4.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,600 CA$5,031

$4,598 CA$6,424

-21.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,243 CA$4,531

$3,249 CA$4,540

-0.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,115 CA$4,353

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.68

-3.63%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 26, 2026

Last update for Burns Lake: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1.1K 45.9%

Burns Lake

$1.1K 49.9% 7.4% $79

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$393 17.1%

Burns Lake

$360 15.8% 8.3% $33

Eating Out

Calgary

$271 11.8%

Burns Lake

$276 12.1% 1.8% $4.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$256 11.1%

Burns Lake

$233 10.2% 8.9% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$136 5.9%

Burns Lake

$127 5.6% 6.8% $9.3

Getting Around

Calgary

$111 4.8%

Burns Lake

$88 3.9% 20.9% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$80 3.5%

Burns Lake

$59 2.6% 25.7% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,254 in Calgary versus $1,309 in Burns Lake. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70 in Calgary versus $63 in Burns Lake. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $393 vs $360 – making Burns Lake the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇨🇦 Burns Lake

🕒 Local time

16:50 4:50 PM

15:50 3:50 PM

1 h behind Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

1,779

💱 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

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Between locations

Calgary Burns Lake 860 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Calgary
Burns Lake

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 Burns Lake: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,454 per month in Calgary and $3,416 in Burns Lake. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,254 in Calgary and $1,309 in Burns Lake. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Calgary, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Kindergarten costs $545 per month in Calgary and $636 in Burns Lake. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,303 in Calgary and $2,278 in Burns Lake. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.