Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Chilliwack

For one person, living costs are similar in Calgary and in Chilliwack: $2,255 and $2,320 a month, rent and utilities included.

Calgary
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,255
/mo nomad
Chilliwack
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,320
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Chilliwack

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,255 in Calgary versus $2,320 in Chilliwack.

  • Calgary $2,255
  • Chilliwack $2,320

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Calgary versus $3,412 in Chilliwack.

  • Calgary $3,361
  • Chilliwack $3,412

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,468 in Calgary versus $4,504 in Chilliwack.

  • Calgary $4,468
  • Chilliwack $4,504

Living in Calgary costs roughly 3% less than in Chilliwack, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 66% above, Chilliwack 71% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Calgary
Chilliwack
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.58 CA$24.85
$14.02 CA$19.82
25.39%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$69.1 CA$97.6
$52.6 CA$74.3
31.32%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.59 CA$14.97
$8.69 CA$12.29
21.86%
Cappuccino
$3.84 CA$5.42
$4.41 CA$6.23
-12.93%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.93 CA$2.72
$1.95 CA$2.75
-1.03%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.88 CA$2.66
$1.49 CA$2.11
26.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.09 CA$7.20
$4.95 CA$7.00
2.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.64 CA$7.97
$5.54 CA$7.83
1.81%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Calgary
Chilliwack
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.00 CA$2.82
$2.09 CA$2.96
-4.31%
White Bread (500g)
$2.78 CA$3.93
$2.98 CA$4.22
-6.71%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.59 CA$7.90
$4.46 CA$6.30
25.34%
Eggs
$3.70 CA$5.23
$4.22 CA$5.96
-12.32%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.48 CA$16.23
$20.66 CA$29.21
-44.43%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.20 CA$15.84
$14.06 CA$19.87
-20.34%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.59 CA$26.28
$20.16 CA$28.51
-7.79%
Apples (1kg)
$4.70 CA$6.64
$5.63 CA$7.97
-16.52%
Banana (1kg)
$1.45 CA$2.05
$1.33 CA$1.88
9.02%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.34 CA$6.13
$4.14 CA$5.86
4.83%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.79 CA$5.36
$5.43 CA$7.67
-30.20%
Potato (1kg)
$2.69 CA$3.81
$4.78 CA$6.76
-43.72%
Onion (1kg)
$2.75 CA$3.88
$3.11 CA$4.39
-11.58%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.56 CA$3.62
$3.17 CA$4.49
-19.24%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.50 CA$2.12
$2.47 CA$3.49
-39.27%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.39 CA$20.34
$11.94 CA$16.87
20.52%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.81 CA$22.35
$14.04 CA$19.85
12.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.47 CA$3.49
$4.54 CA$6.42
-45.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.10 CA$4.39
$5.03 CA$7.11
-38.37%
🚌 Getting Around
Calgary
Chilliwack
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.81 CA$3.97
$2.00 CA$2.83
40.50%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$90.6 CA$128
$33.16 CA$46.87
173.16%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.28 CA$4.64
$2.95 CA$4.17
11.19%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.40 CA$1.97
$2.33 CA$3.29
-39.91%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$26.49 CA$37.45
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.22 CA$1.72
$1.25 CA$1.76
-2.40%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.4K CA$40.1K
$27.2K CA$38.4K
4.48%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.8K CA$29.5K
$19.9K CA$28.1K
4.75%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Calgary
Chilliwack
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$165 CA$233
$166 CA$234
-0.65%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$38.24 CA$54.1
$54.4 CA$76.9
-29.73%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$50.1 CA$70.9
$70.1 CA$99.1
-28.47%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Calgary
Chilliwack
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$53.8 CA$76.1
$41.17 CA$58.2
30.68%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.04 CA$25.51
$17.82 CA$25.19
1.23%
Cinema Ticket
$14.04 CA$19.84
$12.14 CA$17.16
15.65%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Calgary
Chilliwack
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 CA$1,126
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.8K CA$22.3K
$11.9K CA$16.8K
32.87%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Calgary
Chilliwack
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.1 CA$83.5
$60.2 CA$85.2
-1.93%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.20 CA$56.8
$31.87 CA$45.05
26.14%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.8 CA$128
$103 CA$145
-11.74%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$109 CA$155
$211 CA$298
-48.05%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Calgary
Chilliwack
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,207 CA$1,707
$1,136 CA$1,605
6.30%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,011 CA$1,429
$1,004 CA$1,419
0.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,949 CA$2,756
$2,042 CA$2,886
-4.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,677 CA$2,371
$1,646 CA$2,326
1.94%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,532 CA$4,993
$3,321 CA$4,695
6.37%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,392 CA$4,795
$3,333 CA$4,711
1.78%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Calgary
Chilliwack
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,152 CA$4,456
$3,075 CA$4,348
2.50%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.51
4.71
-4.25%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 18, 2026

Last update for Chilliwack: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Calgary
$1K
Chilliwack
$1K 0.7% $7.1
Groceries & Markets
Calgary
$392
Chilliwack
$482 23% $90
Eating Out
Calgary
$270
Chilliwack
$241 11% $30
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Calgary
$253
Chilliwack
$290 14.7% $37
Clothing & Footwear
Calgary
$135
Chilliwack
$183 35.4% $48
Getting Around
Calgary
$112
Chilliwack
$56 50.3% $56
Sport & Entertainment
Calgary
$82
Chilliwack
$65 20.1% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,207 in Calgary and $1,136 in Chilliwack. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Calgary vs $53.0 in Chilliwack. Groceries flip the comparison at $392 vs $482, with Calgary cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Calgary
🇨🇦 Chilliwack
🕒 Local time
23:06 11:06 PM
22:06 10:06 PM
1 h behind Calgary
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,267,344
83,788
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Calgary Chilliwack 600 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Calgary
  • Chilliwack

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 Chilliwack: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Chilliwack cheaper than Calgary?
Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and utilities. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Calgary or Chilliwack?
Average pay runs 2% higher in Calgary, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Calgary and Chilliwack?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,207 in Calgary versus $1,136 in Chilliwack. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Is eating out cheaper in Calgary or in Chilliwack?
Dining out is cheaper in Calgary – a meal for two runs $69.0 versus $53.0 in Chilliwack. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Calgary runs roughly 173% less than in Chilliwack. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Calgary or in Chilliwack?
At $2,255 in Calgary versus $2,320 in Chilliwack, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Chilliwack. The gap between the two cities makes Calgary the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Calgary or in Chilliwack?
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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Calgary gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Chilliwack. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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