Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Courtenay

For one person, living is cheaper in Courtenay: $2,184 a month against $2,303 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. The total is higher in Calgary despite lower rent and utilities.

110

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
Learn more

Calgary Living Index
104

Cost of Living Index in Courtenay
Learn more

Courtenay Living Index

Jump to prices

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,303

/mo nomad

Courtenay

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,184

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Courtenay

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,303 in Calgary versus $2,184 in Courtenay.

Calgary $2,303
Courtenay $2,184

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,366 in Calgary versus $3,080 in Courtenay.

Calgary $3,366
Courtenay $3,080

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,428 in Calgary versus $3,975 in Courtenay.

Calgary $4,428
Courtenay $3,975

Living in Calgary is roughly 5% more expensive than in Courtenay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 69% above, Courtenay 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 CA$24.52

$14.38 CA$20.09

22.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.4 CA$98.3

$57.2 CA$79.9

23.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.69 CA$14.93

$9.76 CA$13.64

9.53%

Cappuccino

$3.89 CA$5.43

$3.68 CA$5.14

5.71%

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

$2.04 CA$2.85

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

$5.79 CA$8.09

-15.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.78 CA$8.08

$5.74 CA$8.02

0.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 CA$2.74

$2.41 CA$3.37

-18.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 CA$3.83

$2.05 CA$2.87

33.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.46 CA$7.63

$2.08 CA$2.91

162.50%

Eggs

$3.69 CA$5.15

$3.20 CA$4.47

15.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.24 CA$15.71

$10.17 CA$14.20

10.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 CA$16.12

$9.20 CA$12.85

25.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 CA$25.67

$19.79 CA$27.64

-7.12%

Apples (1kg)

$4.90 CA$6.85

$3.30 CA$4.61

48.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$1.99

$1.31 CA$1.83

8.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.88

$2.35 CA$3.28

79.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 CA$5.62

$3.07 CA$4.29

30.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.77

$2.65 CA$3.71

1.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 CA$3.72

$2.15 CA$3.00

23.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CA$3.65

$2.07 CA$2.89

26.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 CA$2.23

$1.64 CA$2.29

-2.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.00 CA$19.56

$14.20 CA$19.84

-1.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.40 CA$21.51

$10.89 CA$15.22

41.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 CA$3.49

$2.59 CA$3.62

-3.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.32

$2.44 CA$3.40

26.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.93 CA$4.09

$1.94 CA$2.71

51.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.3 CA$125

$42.49 CA$59.4

110.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 CA$4.57

$2.75 CA$3.84

18.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 CA$1.89

$1.40 CA$1.96

-3.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.39 CA$38.26

$17.82 CA$24.89

53.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.64

$1.28 CA$1.78

-8.59%

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

$27.9K CA$39.0K

$20.8K CA$29.1K

34.04%

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

$21.0K CA$29.4K

$18.2K CA$25.5K

15.27%

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

$167 CA$233

$139 CA$194

20.00%

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

$38.27 CA$53.5

$36.71 CA$51.3

4.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.9 CA$71.2

$65.3 CA$91.3

-22.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 CA$71.2

$42.38 CA$59.2

20.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.17 CA$25.39

$38.49 CA$53.8

-52.79%

Cinema Ticket

$14.44 CA$20.18

$10.78 CA$15.06

33.95%

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

$545 CA$762

$648 CA$906

-15.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$22.6K

$12.3K CA$17.2K

31.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 CA$82.3

$56.9 CA$79.5

3.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.75 CA$55.5

$45.43 CA$63.5

-12.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$130

$78.5 CA$110

19.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

$59.8 CA$83.5

84.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 CA$1,752

$1,219 CA$1,703

2.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 CA$1,476

$1,137 CA$1,588

-7.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,022 CA$2,825

$2,043 CA$2,854

-1.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,629 CA$2,275

$1,629 CA$2,277

-0.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,600 CA$5,030

$5,318 CA$7,429

-32.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,243 CA$4,530

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,115 CA$4,352

$3,239 CA$4,525

-3.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.87

-7.39%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 26, 2026

Last update for Courtenay: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1.1K 45.9%

Courtenay

$1.1K 52.1% 7.6% $80

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$393 17.1%

Courtenay

$331 15.1% 15.8% $62

Eating Out

Calgary

$271 11.8%

Courtenay

$243 11.1% 10.2% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$256 11.1%

Courtenay

$241 11% 5.8% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$136 5.9%

Courtenay

$108 5% 20.4% $28

Getting Around

Calgary

$111 4.8%

Courtenay

$60 2.8% 45.9% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$80 3.5%

Courtenay

$64 2.9% 19.9% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,254 in Calgary and $1,219 in Courtenay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Courtenay pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $70 in Calgary vs $57 in Courtenay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $393 vs $331 per month, with Courtenay cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇨🇦 Courtenay

🕒 Local time

22:31 10:31 PM

21:31 9:31 PM

1 h behind Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

25,599

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Calgary Courtenay 790 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Calgary
Courtenay

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 Courtenay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Courtenay is about 5% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 4% lower in Calgary. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,254 in Calgary versus $1,219 in Courtenay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Courtenay – a meal for two runs $57 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 $2,184 in Courtenay – Courtenay is about 5% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Expats usually find Courtenay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.