Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Estevan

For one person, living costs are similar in Calgary and in Estevan: $2,255 and $2,230 a month, rent and utilities included.

109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Estevan
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Estevan Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,255

/mo nomad

Estevan

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,230

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Estevan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,255 in Calgary versus $2,230 in Estevan.

Calgary $2,255
Estevan $2,230

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Calgary versus $3,133 in Estevan.

Calgary $3,361
Estevan $3,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,468 in Calgary versus $4,037 in Estevan.

Calgary $4,468
Estevan $4,037

Living in Calgary is roughly 1% more expensive than in Estevan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 66% above, Estevan 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 CA$24.85

$21.21 CA$29.99

-17.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 CA$97.6

$66.3 CA$93.8

4.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 CA$14.97

$5.54 CA$7.83

91.16%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.42

$2.16 CA$3.06

77.78%

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

$1.93 CA$2.72

$2.25 CA$3.18

-14.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.66

$1.78 CA$2.52

5.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.09 CA$7.20

$6.76 CA$9.55

-24.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 CA$7.97

$5.88 CA$8.31

-4.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 CA$2.82

$0.97 CA$1.37

106.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 CA$3.93

$1.16 CA$1.64

139.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.59 CA$7.90

$3.10 CA$4.38

80.32%

Eggs

$3.70 CA$5.23

$1.94 CA$2.75

90.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.48 CA$16.23

$13.71 CA$19.38

-16.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.20 CA$15.84

$6.36 CA$8.99

76.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.59 CA$26.28

$16.11 CA$22.77

15.39%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 CA$6.64

$4.18 CA$5.90

12.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.19 CA$1.68

21.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.34 CA$6.13

$3.93 CA$5.56

10.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.79 CA$5.36

$3.57 CA$5.05

6.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.81

$2.29 CA$3.23

17.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.75 CA$3.88

$2.37 CA$3.35

16.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 CA$3.62

$1.40 CA$1.98

82.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$0.41 CA$0.57

265.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.39 CA$20.34

$14.50 CA$20.50

-0.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.81 CA$22.35

$13.39 CA$18.93

18.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 CA$3.49

$3.46 CA$4.90

-28.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 CA$4.39

$3.30 CA$4.67

-6.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.81 CA$3.97

$2.00 CA$2.83

40.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.6 CA$128

$61.5 CA$87.0

47.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 CA$4.64

$3.70 CA$5.22

-11.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 CA$1.97

$0.80 CA$1.13

75.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.49 CA$37.45

$21.13 CA$29.87

25.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.72

$1.14 CA$1.61

7.02%

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

$28.4K CA$40.1K

$28.0K CA$39.5K

1.47%

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

$20.8K CA$29.5K

$21.6K CA$30.5K

-3.57%

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

$165 CA$233

$127 CA$179

30.05%

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

$38.24 CA$54.1

$51.7 CA$73.0

-25.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.1 CA$70.9

$56.3 CA$79.6

-10.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 CA$76.1

$40.96 CA$57.9

31.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.04 CA$25.51

$19.95 CA$28.21

-9.57%

Cinema Ticket

$14.04 CA$19.84

$10.44 CA$14.76

34.48%

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

$797 CA$1,126

$466 CA$659

70.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K CA$22.3K

$10.7K CA$15.1K

47.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 CA$83.5

$52.0 CA$73.5

13.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.20 CA$56.8

$37.50 CA$53.0

7.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.8 CA$128

$94.2 CA$133

-3.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$155

$108 CA$153

0.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 CA$1,707

$1,242 CA$1,756

-2.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,011 CA$1,429

$1,154 CA$1,631

-12.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,949 CA$2,756

$1,881 CA$2,659

3.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 CA$2,371

$1,584 CA$2,240

5.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,532 CA$4,993

$4,391 CA$6,208

-19.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,392 CA$4,795

$3,310 CA$4,680

2.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,152 CA$4,456

$4,314 CA$6,099

-26.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.58

-1.53%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 18, 2026

Last update for Estevan: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1K 44.8%

Estevan

$1.2K 51.7% 14.1% $142

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$392 17.4%

Estevan

$297 13.3% 24.2% $95

Eating Out

Calgary

$270 12%

Estevan

$274 12.3% 1.3% $3.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$253 11.2%

Estevan

$235 10.5% 7.3% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$135 6%

Estevan

$131 5.9% 2.5% $3.3

Getting Around

Calgary

$112 5%

Estevan

$77 3.5% 31.1% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$82 3.6%

Estevan

$62 2.8% 24.5% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,207 in Calgary and $1,242 in Estevan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Estevan pays 37% 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 $66.0 in Estevan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $392 vs $297 per month, with Estevan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇨🇦 Estevan

🕒 Local time

08:19 8:19 AM

Same time as Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

11,054

💱 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

On the map

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Between locations

Calgary Estevan 820 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Calgary
Estevan

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 Estevan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Estevan is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 37% lower in Estevan. 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 $1,242 in Estevan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Estevan – a meal for two runs $66.0 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 $2,230 in Estevan – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,230 in Estevan versus $2,255 in Calgary, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Estevan but tight or insufficient in Calgary. The gap between the two cities makes Estevan 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 Estevan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.