Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Edmonton

For one person, living costs are similar in Calgary and in Edmonton: $2,255 and $2,181 a month, rent and utilities included.

109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Edmonton
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Edmonton Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,255

/mo nomad

Edmonton

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,181

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Edmonton

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,255 in Calgary versus $2,181 in Edmonton.

Calgary $2,255
Edmonton $2,181

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Calgary versus $3,217 in Edmonton.

Calgary $3,361
Edmonton $3,217

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,468 in Calgary versus $4,252 in Edmonton.

Calgary $4,468
Edmonton $4,252

Living in Calgary is roughly 3% more expensive than in Edmonton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 66% above, Edmonton 61% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 CA$24.85

$20.22 CA$28.58

-13.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 CA$97.6

$76.4 CA$108

-9.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 CA$14.97

$9.87 CA$13.96

7.29%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.42

$3.96 CA$5.60

-3.03%

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

$1.93 CA$2.72

$2.27 CA$3.22

-14.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.66

$2.06 CA$2.91

-8.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.09 CA$7.20

$5.86 CA$8.28

-13.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 CA$7.97

$6.48 CA$9.16

-12.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 CA$2.82

$1.62 CA$2.29

23.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 CA$3.93

$2.12 CA$3.00

31.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.59 CA$7.90

$3.06 CA$4.32

82.68%

Eggs

$3.70 CA$5.23

$3.43 CA$4.85

7.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.48 CA$16.23

$10.74 CA$15.18

6.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.20 CA$15.84

$11.21 CA$15.85

-0.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.59 CA$26.28

$18.92 CA$26.75

-1.74%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 CA$6.64

$4.15 CA$5.86

13.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.35 CA$1.90

7.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.34 CA$6.13

$4.37 CA$6.18

-0.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.79 CA$5.36

$3.92 CA$5.54

-3.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.81

$2.18 CA$3.09

23.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.75 CA$3.88

$1.84 CA$2.60

49.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 CA$3.62

$2.42 CA$3.43

5.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$1.82 CA$2.57

-17.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.39 CA$20.34

$14.23 CA$20.12

1.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.81 CA$22.35

$11.33 CA$16.01

39.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 CA$3.49

$3.54 CA$5.00

-30.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 CA$4.39

$2.86 CA$4.05

8.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.81 CA$3.97

$2.69 CA$3.80

4.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.6 CA$128

$71.4 CA$101

26.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 CA$4.64

$2.86 CA$4.04

14.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 CA$1.97

$1.40 CA$1.98

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.49 CA$37.45

$21.46 CA$30.34

23.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.72

$1.15 CA$1.63

6.09%

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

$28.4K CA$40.1K

$27.9K CA$39.4K

1.76%

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

$20.8K CA$29.5K

$20.5K CA$29.0K

1.61%

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

$165 CA$233

$233 CA$330

-29.45%

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

$38.24 CA$54.1

$43.26 CA$61.2

-11.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.1 CA$70.9

$55.0 CA$77.7

-8.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 CA$76.1

$46.05 CA$65.1

16.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.04 CA$25.51

$18.11 CA$25.60

-0.39%

Cinema Ticket

$14.04 CA$19.84

$12.46 CA$17.62

12.68%

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

$797 CA$1,126

$757 CA$1,070

5.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K CA$22.3K

$9,641 CA$13.6K

63.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 CA$83.5

$43.56 CA$61.6

35.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.20 CA$56.8

$47.08 CA$66.6

-14.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.8 CA$128

$87.3 CA$123

3.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$155

$95.3 CA$135

14.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 CA$1,707

$1,094 CA$1,546

10.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,011 CA$1,429

$903 CA$1,276

12.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,949 CA$2,756

$1,706 CA$2,412

14.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 CA$2,371

$1,437 CA$2,031

16.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,532 CA$4,993

$2,205 CA$3,117

60.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,392 CA$4,795

$1,983 CA$2,803

71.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,152 CA$4,456

$3,499 CA$4,947

-9.92%

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 18, 2026

Last update for Edmonton: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1K 44.8%

Edmonton

$903 41.4% 10.7% $108

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$392 17.4%

Edmonton

$362 16.6% 7.5% $30

Eating Out

Calgary

$270 12%

Edmonton

$299 13.7% 10.4% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$253 11.2%

Edmonton

$332 15.2% 31.1% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$135 6%

Edmonton

$123 5.6% 8.8% $12

Getting Around

Calgary

$112 5%

Edmonton

$92 4.2% 17.9% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$82 3.6%

Edmonton

$71 3.3% 13.3% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,207 in Calgary and $1,094 in Edmonton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Edmonton pays 11% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Calgary vs $76.0 in Edmonton. Groceries flip the comparison at $392 vs $362, with Edmonton cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇨🇦 Edmonton

🕒 Local time

05:46 5:46 AM

Same time as Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

1,010,899

💱 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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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 Edmonton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Edmonton is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 11% lower in Edmonton. 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: $1,207 in Calgary versus $1,094 in Edmonton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Edmonton – a meal for two runs $76.0 versus $69.0 in Calgary. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,255 per month in Calgary versus $2,181 in Edmonton – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,181 in Edmonton versus $2,255 in Calgary, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Edmonton but tight or insufficient in Calgary. The gap between the two cities makes Edmonton 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 Edmonton gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.