Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Dawson City

For one person, living is cheaper in Dawson City: $1,906 a month against $2,303 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Calgary outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

110

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index
92

Cost of Living Index in Dawson City
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Dawson City Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,303

/mo nomad

Dawson City

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,906

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Dawson City

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

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

Calgary $2,303
Dawson City $1,906

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,366 in Calgary versus $3,291 in Dawson City.

Calgary $3,366
Dawson City $3,291

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,428 in Calgary versus $4,677 in Dawson City.

Calgary $4,428
Dawson City $4,677

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 CA$24.55

$25.11 CA$35.12

-30.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.4 CA$98.5

$102 CA$143

-31.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.69 CA$14.95

$10.59 CA$14.82

0.94%

Cappuccino

$3.89 CA$5.44

$3.84 CA$5.37

1.30%

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

$2.04 CA$2.85

$1.74 CA$2.43

17.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.63

$1.69 CA$2.37

11.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 CA$6.85

$5.07 CA$7.10

-3.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.78 CA$8.09

$5.68 CA$7.95

1.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 CA$2.75

$2.63 CA$3.68

-25.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 CA$3.83

$4.12 CA$5.76

-33.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.46 CA$7.64

$4.92 CA$6.87

10.98%

Eggs

$3.69 CA$5.16

$5.10 CA$7.13

-27.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.24 CA$15.73

$10.27 CA$14.36

9.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 CA$16.14

$14.47 CA$20.24

-20.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 CA$25.70

$14.45 CA$20.21

27.20%

Apples (1kg)

$4.90 CA$6.86

$4.08 CA$5.71

20.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$1.99

$1.43 CA$2.00

-0.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.89

$4.16 CA$5.82

1.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 CA$5.63

$4.13 CA$5.77

-2.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.77

$2.34 CA$3.27

14.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 CA$3.72

$2.20 CA$3.08

20.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CA$3.66

$2.50 CA$3.50

4.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 CA$2.23

$1.65 CA$2.31

-3.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.00 CA$19.58

$14.02 CA$19.61

-0.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.40 CA$21.54

$12.81 CA$17.92

20.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 CA$3.49

$2.35 CA$3.28

6.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.32

$3.28 CA$4.59

-5.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.93 CA$4.10

$2.17 CA$3.04

35.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.3 CA$125

$57.6 CA$80.6

55.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 CA$4.57

$2.90 CA$4.06

12.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 CA$1.89

$1.43 CA$2.00

-5.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.39 CA$38.31

$21.86 CA$30.57

25.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.64

$1.22 CA$1.70

-4.10%

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

$27.9K CA$39.1K

$27.1K CA$37.9K

3.06%

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

$21.0K CA$29.4K

$18.7K CA$26.2K

12.36%

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

$167 CA$233

$137 CA$192

21.44%

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

$38.27 CA$53.5

$39.51 CA$55.3

-3.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.9 CA$71.2

$55.1 CA$77.1

-7.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 CA$71.3

$38.34 CA$53.6

32.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.17 CA$25.42

$20.44 CA$28.59

-11.11%

Cinema Ticket

$14.44 CA$20.20

$11.14 CA$15.58

29.62%

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

$545 CA$763

$639 CA$894

-14.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$22.7K

$14.2K CA$19.8K

14.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 CA$82.4

$64.2 CA$89.8

-8.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.75 CA$55.6

$38.97 CA$54.5

2.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$131

$66.9 CA$93.5

39.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

$105 CA$146

5.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 CA$1,754

$1,281 CA$1,791

-2.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 CA$1,478

$679 CA$950

55.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,022 CA$2,828

$2,030 CA$2,839

-0.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,629 CA$2,278

$1,709 CA$2,390

-4.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,600 CA$5,036

$4,203 CA$5,878

-14.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,243 CA$4,535

$3,257 CA$4,555

-0.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,115 CA$4,357

$2,937 CA$4,108

6.06%

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 Dawson City: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1.1K 45.9%

Dawson City

$679 35.6% 35.7% $377

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$393 17.1%

Dawson City

$406 21.3% 3.3% $13

Eating Out

Calgary

$271 11.8%

Dawson City

$329 17.3% 21.5% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$256 11.1%

Dawson City

$232 12.2% 9.4% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$136 5.9%

Dawson City

$124 6.5% 9% $12

Getting Around

Calgary

$111 4.8%

Dawson City

$76 4% 31.2% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$80 3.5%

Dawson City

$61 3.2% 24.1% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,254 in Calgary and $1,281 in Dawson City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays 6% 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: $70 in Calgary vs $102 in Dawson City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $393 vs $406 per month, with Calgary cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇨🇦 Dawson City

🕒 Local time

22:02 10:02 PM

21:02 9:02 PM

1 h behind Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

1,375

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.642 EUR

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.642 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Calgary Dawson City 2,070 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Calgary
Dawson City

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 Dawson City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

Average pay runs 6% 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 $1,281 in Dawson City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Calgary – a meal for two runs $70 versus $102 in Dawson City. 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 Dawson City – Dawson City is about 17% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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