Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Dawson Creek

For one person, living costs are similar in Calgary and in Dawson Creek: $2,303 and $2,336 a month, rent and utilities included.

Calgary, Canada
Dawson Creek, Canada
Calgary
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,303
/mo nomad
Dawson Creek
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,336
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,303 in Calgary versus $2,336 in Dawson Creek.

  • Calgary $2,303
  • Dawson Creek $2,336

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,366 in Calgary versus $3,327 in Dawson Creek.

  • Calgary $3,366
  • Dawson Creek $3,327

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,428 in Calgary versus $4,318 in Dawson Creek.

  • Calgary $4,428
  • Dawson Creek $4,318

Monthly costs are close between Calgary and Dawson Creek; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 69% above, Dawson Creek 72% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Calgary
Dawson Creek
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.55 CA$24.53
$18.16 CA$25.38
-3.36%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$70.4 CA$98.4
$43.52 CA$60.8
61.72%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.69 CA$14.94
$12.25 CA$17.12
-12.73%
Cappuccino
$3.89 CA$5.44
$3.91 CA$5.46
-0.51%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.04 CA$2.85
$2.86 CA$4.00
-28.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.88 CA$2.62
$3.21 CA$4.48
-41.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.90 CA$6.84
$4.52 CA$6.32
8.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.78 CA$8.08
$5.61 CA$7.84
3.03%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Calgary
Dawson Creek
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.96 CA$2.74
$3.19 CA$4.45
-38.56%
White Bread (500g)
$2.74 CA$3.83
$5.03 CA$7.04
-45.53%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.46 CA$7.63
$6.75 CA$9.43
-19.11%
Eggs
$3.69 CA$5.15
$3.98 CA$5.56
-7.29%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.24 CA$15.72
$7.18 CA$10.04
56.55%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.54 CA$16.13
$17.44 CA$24.37
-33.83%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.38 CA$25.68
$16.88 CA$23.60
8.89%
Apples (1kg)
$4.90 CA$6.85
$3.83 CA$5.35
27.94%
Banana (1kg)
$1.42 CA$1.99
$1.36 CA$1.90
4.41%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.21 CA$5.89
$3.77 CA$5.26
11.67%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.02 CA$5.62
$3.82 CA$5.34
5.24%
Potato (1kg)
$2.69 CA$3.77
$2.37 CA$3.32
13.50%
Onion (1kg)
$2.66 CA$3.72
$2.25 CA$3.15
18.22%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.61 CA$3.65
$2.50 CA$3.50
4.40%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.60 CA$2.23
$1.61 CA$2.25
-0.62%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.00 CA$19.57
$13.77 CA$19.24
1.67%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.40 CA$21.52
$14.18 CA$19.82
8.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.50 CA$3.49
$3.84 CA$5.37
-34.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.09 CA$4.32
$3.06 CA$4.28
0.98%
🚌 Getting Around
Calgary
Dawson Creek
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.93 CA$4.10
$2.38 CA$3.32
23.11%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$89.3 CA$125
$55.5 CA$77.6
60.75%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.27 CA$4.57
$3.03 CA$4.24
7.92%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.35 CA$1.89
$1.37 CA$1.91
-1.46%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.39 CA$38.28
$25.31 CA$35.37
8.22%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.17 CA$1.64
$1.11 CA$1.55
5.41%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.9K CA$39.1K
$31.1K CA$43.5K
-10.22%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.0K CA$29.4K
$20.4K CA$28.5K
3.25%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Calgary
Dawson Creek
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$167 CA$233
$136 CA$189
22.98%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$38.27 CA$53.5
$39.11 CA$54.7
-2.15%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$50.9 CA$71.2
$66.7 CA$93.3
-23.68%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Calgary
Dawson Creek
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.0 CA$71.2
$37.33 CA$52.2
36.49%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.17 CA$25.40
$16.74 CA$23.40
8.54%
Cinema Ticket
$14.44 CA$20.18
$10.64 CA$14.87
35.71%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Calgary
Dawson Creek
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$545 CA$762
$555 CA$776
-1.80%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.2K CA$22.7K
$12.2K CA$17.0K
32.91%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Calgary
Dawson Creek
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$58.9 CA$82.3
$27.29 CA$38.14
115.76%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.75 CA$55.6
$39.54 CA$55.3
0.53%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$93.4 CA$130
$96.6 CA$135
-3.38%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 CA$154
$89.8 CA$125
22.56%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Calgary
Dawson Creek
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,254 CA$1,753
$571 CA$798
119.58%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,056 CA$1,477
$1,119 CA$1,564
-5.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,022 CA$2,826
$1,999 CA$2,794
1.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,629 CA$2,276
$1,703 CA$2,380
-4.37%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,600 CA$5,032
$4,809 CA$6,721
-25.13%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,243 CA$4,532
$3,905 CA$5,457
-16.95%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Calgary
Dawson Creek
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,115 CA$4,354
-
-
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 Creek: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Calgary
$1.1K
Dawson Creek
$1.1K 5.9% $63
Groceries & Markets
Calgary
$393
Dawson Creek
$441 12.2% $48
Eating Out
Calgary
$271
Dawson Creek
$287 6% $16
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Calgary
$256
Dawson Creek
$241 5.7% $15
Clothing & Footwear
Calgary
$136
Dawson Creek
$114 16.2% $22
Getting Around
Calgary
$111
Dawson Creek
$75 32.5% $36
Sport & Entertainment
Calgary
$80
Dawson Creek
$59 26.6% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,254 in Calgary and $571 in Dawson Creek. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $70 in Calgary vs $44 in Dawson Creek. Groceries flip the comparison at $393 vs $441, with Calgary cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Calgary
🇨🇦 Dawson Creek
🕒 Local time
14:16 2:16 PM
13:16 1:16 PM
1 h behind Calgary
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,267,344
11,583
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.715 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.638 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Calgary Dawson Creek 660 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Calgary
  • Dawson Creek

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 Creek: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $3,454 in Calgary and $3,503 in Dawson Creek to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Calgary and Dawson Creek?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,254 in Calgary versus $571 in Dawson Creek. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $545 in Calgary versus $555 in Dawson Creek. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Calgary or in Dawson Creek?
Dining out is cheaper in Dawson Creek – a meal for two runs $44 versus $70 in Calgary. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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