Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Charlottetown

For one person, living is cheaper in Charlottetown: $1,906 a month against $2,303 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 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
91

Cost of Living Index in Charlottetown
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Charlottetown Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,303

/mo nomad

Charlottetown

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,906

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Charlottetown

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,303 in Calgary versus $1,906 in Charlottetown.

Calgary $2,303
Charlottetown $1,906

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,366 in Calgary versus $2,844 in Charlottetown.

Calgary $3,366
Charlottetown $2,844

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,428 in Calgary versus $3,782 in Charlottetown.

Calgary $4,428
Charlottetown $3,782

Living in Calgary is roughly 21% more expensive than in Charlottetown, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 69% above, Charlottetown 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 CA$24.53

$14.36 CA$20.08

22.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.4 CA$98.4

$60.9 CA$85.2

15.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.69 CA$14.94

$9.53 CA$13.32

12.17%

Cappuccino

$3.89 CA$5.44

$3.63 CA$5.07

7.16%

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

$2.04 CA$2.85

$1.69 CA$2.36

20.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.62

$1.29 CA$1.80

45.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 CA$6.84

$5.80 CA$8.11

-15.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.78 CA$8.08

$5.74 CA$8.03

0.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 CA$2.74

$2.24 CA$3.13

-12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 CA$3.83

$3.09 CA$4.32

-11.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.46 CA$7.63

$5.08 CA$7.11

7.48%

Eggs

$3.69 CA$5.15

$4.13 CA$5.78

-10.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.24 CA$15.72

$11.55 CA$16.14

-2.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 CA$16.13

$15.48 CA$21.63

-25.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 CA$25.68

$17.53 CA$24.50

4.85%

Apples (1kg)

$4.90 CA$6.85

$3.42 CA$4.78

43.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$1.99

$1.46 CA$2.04

-2.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.89

$4.04 CA$5.65

4.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 CA$5.62

$5.01 CA$7.00

-19.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.77

$1.69 CA$2.36

59.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 CA$3.72

$3.05 CA$4.27

-12.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CA$3.65

$2.73 CA$3.82

-4.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 CA$2.23

$2.05 CA$2.87

-21.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.00 CA$19.57

$17.79 CA$24.86

-21.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.40 CA$21.52

$14.03 CA$19.61

9.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 CA$3.49

$3.31 CA$4.62

-24.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.32

$3.17 CA$4.43

-2.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.93 CA$4.10

$1.40 CA$1.96

109.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.3 CA$125

$14.31 CA$20.00

523.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 CA$4.57

$7.53 CA$10.52

-56.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 CA$1.89

$2.08 CA$2.91

-35.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.39 CA$38.28

$28.10 CA$39.28

-2.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.64

$1.34 CA$1.87

-12.69%

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

$27.9K CA$39.1K

$27.8K CA$38.9K

0.36%

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

$21.0K CA$29.4K

$21.5K CA$30.1K

-2.37%

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

$167 CA$233

$129 CA$181

28.99%

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

$38.27 CA$53.5

$33.37 CA$46.64

14.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.9 CA$71.2

$76.1 CA$106

-33.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 CA$71.2

$58.5 CA$81.7

-12.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.17 CA$25.40

$3.47 CA$4.85

423.63%

Cinema Ticket

$14.44 CA$20.18

$10.50 CA$14.67

37.52%

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

$545 CA$762

$161 CA$225

238.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$22.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 CA$82.3

$40.13 CA$56.1

46.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.75 CA$55.6

$34.41 CA$48.09

15.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$130

$83.9 CA$117

11.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

$131 CA$183

-16.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 CA$1,753

$967 CA$1,351

29.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 CA$1,477

$760 CA$1,063

38.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,022 CA$2,826

$1,660 CA$2,320

21.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,629 CA$2,276

$1,237 CA$1,730

31.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,600 CA$5,032

$2,914 CA$4,073

23.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,243 CA$4,532

$1,966 CA$2,748

64.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,115 CA$4,354

$2,435 CA$3,404

27.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.58

-1.53%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 26, 2026

Last update for Charlottetown: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1.1K 45.9%

Charlottetown

$760 39.9% 28% $296

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$393 17.1%

Charlottetown

$419 22% 6.8% $27

Eating Out

Calgary

$271 11.8%

Charlottetown

$239 12.6% 11.6% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$256 11.1%

Charlottetown

$239 12.5% 6.7% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$136 5.9%

Charlottetown

$130 6.8% 4.1% $5.6

Getting Around

Calgary

$111 4.8%

Charlottetown

$38 2% 65.9% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$80 3.5%

Charlottetown

$79 4.2% 0.5% $0.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,254 in Calgary and $967 in Charlottetown. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays 28% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $70 in Calgary vs $61 in Charlottetown. Groceries flip the comparison at $393 vs $419, with Calgary cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇨🇦 Charlottetown

🕒 Local time

07:07 7:07 AM

09:07 9:07 AM

2 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

38,809

💱 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 Charlottetown 3,700 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Calgary
Charlottetown

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 Charlottetown: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Charlottetown is about 17% cheaper overall, especially in transport, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 28% 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: $1,254 in Calgary versus $967 in Charlottetown. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Charlottetown – a meal for two runs $61 versus $70 in Calgary. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,303 per month in Calgary versus $1,906 in Charlottetown – Charlottetown is about 17% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

For families, Charlottetown is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Calgary, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

It comes down to priorities – Charlottetown wins on affordability, Calgary on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.