Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Drumheller

For one person, living costs are similar in Calgary and in Drumheller: $2,223 and $2,309 a month, rent and utilities included.

109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index
113

Cost of Living Index in Drumheller
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Drumheller Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,223

/mo nomad

Drumheller

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,309

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Drumheller

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,223 in Calgary versus $2,309 in Drumheller.

Calgary $2,223
Drumheller $2,309

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,301 in Calgary versus $3,337 in Drumheller.

Calgary $3,301
Drumheller $3,337

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,379 in Calgary versus $4,365 in Drumheller.

Calgary $4,379
Drumheller $4,365

Living in Calgary costs roughly 4% less than in Drumheller, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 65% above, Drumheller 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.22 CA$24.46

$19.21 CA$27.30

-10.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.1 CA$101

$42.04 CA$59.7

69.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.53 CA$14.97

$10.07 CA$14.31

4.57%

Cappuccino

$3.66 CA$5.20

$2.78 CA$3.95

31.65%

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

$1.98 CA$2.82

$1.47 CA$2.09

34.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 CA$2.76

$1.53 CA$2.17

26.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.95 CA$7.04

$3.55 CA$5.05

39.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.57 CA$7.91

$4.31 CA$6.12

29.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 CA$2.67

$0.90 CA$1.29

108.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 CA$3.80

$2.17 CA$3.08

23.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.32 CA$7.55

$2.96 CA$4.21

79.73%

Eggs

$3.79 CA$5.38

$3.55 CA$5.05

6.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.09 CA$15.76

$10.58 CA$15.02

4.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.36 CA$16.13

$11.26 CA$15.99

0.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.40 CA$26.14

$18.72 CA$26.59

-1.71%

Apples (1kg)

$4.56 CA$6.48

$4.06 CA$5.76

12.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.05

$1.38 CA$1.96

4.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.08 CA$5.79

$4.32 CA$6.13

-5.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.89 CA$5.52

$3.85 CA$5.46

1.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.75

$1.50 CA$2.13

76.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.75

$1.82 CA$2.59

45.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 CA$3.55

$2.40 CA$3.41

4.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.13

$1.81 CA$2.57

-17.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.05 CA$19.96

$14.03 CA$19.94

0.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.70 CA$22.31

$11.05 CA$15.70

42.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 CA$3.46

$3.49 CA$4.96

-30.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.39

$2.96 CA$4.20

4.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 CA$4.01

$2.49 CA$3.53

13.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 CA$126

$64.5 CA$91.6

37.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 CA$4.43

$2.94 CA$4.18

6.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 CA$1.92

$1.32 CA$1.88

2.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.02 CA$38.39

$20.91 CA$29.71

29.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 CA$1.65

$1.09 CA$1.54

6.42%

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

$27.9K CA$39.6K

$28.1K CA$39.9K

-0.67%

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

$20.3K CA$28.9K

$19.7K CA$28.0K

3.38%

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

$161 CA$228

$230 CA$327

-30.06%

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

$38.13 CA$54.2

$42.93 CA$61.0

-11.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.0 CA$71.1

$54.5 CA$77.4

-8.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 CA$73.2

$37.05 CA$52.6

38.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 CA$25.77

$16.51 CA$23.46

9.87%

Cinema Ticket

$13.82 CA$19.63

$12.57 CA$17.86

9.94%

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

$786 CA$1,117

$756 CA$1,074

4.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.5K CA$22.0K

$9,299 CA$13.2K

66.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 CA$82.8

$44.15 CA$62.7

32.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.27 CA$55.8

$46.57 CA$66.2

-15.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 CA$128

$83.6 CA$119

7.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$156

$96.7 CA$137

13.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,229 CA$1,746

$1,282 CA$1,822

-4.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,001 CA$1,422

$1,107 CA$1,573

-9.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,921 CA$2,729

$1,802 CA$2,560

6.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 CA$2,303

$1,871 CA$2,658

-13.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,549 CA$5,043

$4,809 CA$6,831

-26.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,335 CA$4,738

$3,272 CA$4,649

1.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,165 CA$4,496

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.32

4.40%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 13, 2026

Last update for Drumheller: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1K 45%

Drumheller

$1.1K 48% 10.6% $106

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$385 17.3%

Drumheller

$351 15.2% 8.9% $34

Eating Out

Calgary

$265 11.9%

Drumheller

$256 11.1% 3.5% $9.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$249 11.2%

Drumheller

$327 14.2% 31.5% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$134 6%

Drumheller

$122 5.3% 8.8% $12

Getting Around

Calgary

$110 4.9%

Drumheller

$84 3.6% 23.5% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$79 3.6%

Drumheller

$62 2.7% 21.4% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,229 in Calgary and $1,282 in Drumheller. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $71.0 in Calgary vs $42.00 in Drumheller for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $385 vs $351 per month, with Drumheller cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇨🇦 Drumheller

🕒 Local time

18:28 6:28 PM

Same time as Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

8,000

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.704 USD

1 CAD = 0.628 EUR

1 CAD = 0.704 USD

1 CAD = 0.628 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Calgary vs Drumheller: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in utilities. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,335 in Calgary and $3,464 in Drumheller 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,229 in Calgary versus $1,282 in Drumheller. 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 $71.0 versus $42.00 in Drumheller. 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 $2,309 in Drumheller – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,223 in Calgary versus $2,309 in Drumheller, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Drumheller. The gap between the two cities makes Calgary 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 Calgary gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Drumheller. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.