Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Dartmouth

For one person, living is cheaper in Dartmouth: $1,993 a month against $2,223 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index
96

Cost of Living Index in Dartmouth
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Dartmouth Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,223

/mo nomad

Dartmouth

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,993

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Dartmouth

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,223 in Calgary versus $1,993 in Dartmouth.

Calgary $2,223
Dartmouth $1,993

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,301 in Calgary versus $2,990 in Dartmouth.

Calgary $3,301
Dartmouth $2,990

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,379 in Calgary versus $3,987 in Dartmouth.

Calgary $4,379
Dartmouth $3,987

Living in Calgary is roughly 12% more expensive than in Dartmouth, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 65% above, Dartmouth 48% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.22 CA$24.34

$10.55 CA$14.91

63.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.1 CA$100

$58.5 CA$82.7

21.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.53 CA$14.89

$6.96 CA$9.84

51.29%

Cappuccino

$3.66 CA$5.18

$3.56 CA$5.04

2.81%

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

$1.98 CA$2.80

$2.00 CA$2.82

-1.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 CA$2.74

$1.88 CA$2.66

3.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.95 CA$7.00

$4.45 CA$6.30

11.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.57 CA$7.87

$5.70 CA$8.05

-2.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 CA$2.65

$2.38 CA$3.36

-21.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 CA$3.78

$2.04 CA$2.89

30.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.32 CA$7.52

$3.31 CA$4.68

60.73%

Eggs

$3.79 CA$5.35

$3.49 CA$4.93

8.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.09 CA$15.68

$7.64 CA$10.80

45.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.36 CA$16.05

$9.18 CA$12.98

23.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.40 CA$26.01

$10.37 CA$14.65

77.43%

Apples (1kg)

$4.56 CA$6.45

$3.38 CA$4.78

34.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.04

$1.52 CA$2.15

-5.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.08 CA$5.76

$4.47 CA$6.32

-8.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.89 CA$5.50

$5.75 CA$8.12

-32.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.73

$2.03 CA$2.86

30.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.73

$2.11 CA$2.98

25.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 CA$3.54

$2.48 CA$3.51

0.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$2.13 CA$3.01

-29.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.05 CA$19.86

$13.95 CA$19.72

0.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.70 CA$22.20

$14.17 CA$20.03

10.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 CA$3.45

$3.35 CA$4.74

-27.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.37

$3.87 CA$5.47

-20.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$1.97 CA$2.78

43.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 CA$125

$59.6 CA$84.2

48.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 CA$4.41

$2.76 CA$3.90

13.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 CA$1.91

$1.32 CA$1.86

2.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.02 CA$38.20

$21.34 CA$30.17

26.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 CA$1.64

$1.12 CA$1.58

3.57%

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

$27.9K CA$39.5K

$28.0K CA$39.5K

-0.23%

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

$20.3K CA$28.8K

$18.9K CA$26.7K

7.87%

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

$161 CA$227

$77.5 CA$109

107.57%

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

$38.13 CA$53.9

$41.92 CA$59.3

-9.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.0 CA$70.7

$63.3 CA$89.5

-20.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 CA$72.8

$35.19 CA$49.75

46.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 CA$25.64

Cinema Ticket

$13.82 CA$19.54

$12.41 CA$17.54

11.36%

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

$786 CA$1,111

$373 CA$527

110.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.5K CA$21.8K

$13.2K CA$18.7K

17.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 CA$82.4

$39.41 CA$55.7

47.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.27 CA$55.5

$33.13 CA$46.84

18.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 CA$127

$66.7 CA$94.3

34.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$74.6 CA$105

47.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,229 CA$1,737

$1,215 CA$1,717

1.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,001 CA$1,415

$1,037 CA$1,466

-3.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,921 CA$2,716

$1,956 CA$2,765

-1.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 CA$2,292

$1,818 CA$2,570

-10.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,549 CA$5,018

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,335 CA$4,715

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,165 CA$4,474

$2,539 CA$3,589

24.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.6

-1.96%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 13, 2026

Last update for Dartmouth: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1K 45%

Dartmouth

$1K 52.1% 3.6% $36

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$385 17.3%

Dartmouth

$343 17.2% 11.1% $43

Eating Out

Calgary

$265 11.9%

Dartmouth

$197 9.9% 25.6% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$249 11.2%

Dartmouth

$183 9.2% 26.6% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$134 6%

Dartmouth

$96 4.8% 28% $37

Getting Around

Calgary

$110 4.9%

Dartmouth

$77 3.9% 30.1% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$79 3.6%

Dartmouth

$60 3% 24.2% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,229 in Calgary and $1,215 in Dartmouth. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays 25% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $71.0 in Calgary vs $58.0 in Dartmouth for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $385 vs $343 per month, with Dartmouth cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇨🇦 Dartmouth

🕒 Local time

04:09 4:09 AM

07:09 7:09 AM

3 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

70,000

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Calgary Dartmouth 3,760 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Calgary vs Dartmouth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dartmouth is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 25% 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: $1,229 in Calgary versus $1,215 in Dartmouth. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Dartmouth – a meal for two runs $58.0 versus $71.0 in Calgary. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,223 per month in Calgary versus $1,993 in Dartmouth – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,993 in Dartmouth versus $2,223 in Calgary, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Dartmouth but tight or insufficient in Calgary. The gap between the two cities makes Dartmouth 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 Dartmouth gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.