Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Fort Frances, Ontario

For one person, living costs are similar in Calgary and in Fort Frances, Ontario: $2,255 and $2,196 a month, rent and utilities included.

Calgary
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,255
/mo nomad
Fort Frances, Ontario
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,196
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Fort Frances, Ontario

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 Fort Frances, Ontario actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,255 in Calgary versus $2,196 in Fort Frances, Ontario.

  • Calgary $2,255
  • Fort Frances, Ontario $2,196

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Calgary versus $3,190 in Fort Frances, Ontario.

  • Calgary $3,361
  • Fort Frances, Ontario $3,190

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,468 in Calgary versus $4,184 in Fort Frances, Ontario.

  • Calgary $4,468
  • Fort Frances, Ontario $4,184

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 66% above, Fort Frances, Ontario 62% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Calgary
Fort Frances, Ontario
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.58 CA$24.85
$17.47 CA$24.69
0.63%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$69.1 CA$97.6
$66.0 CA$93.3
4.59%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.59 CA$14.97
$10.55 CA$14.92
0.38%
Cappuccino
$3.84 CA$5.42
$3.53 CA$5.00
8.78%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.93 CA$2.72
$2.02 CA$2.85
-4.46%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.88 CA$2.66
$1.60 CA$2.26
17.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.09 CA$7.20
$5.23 CA$7.39
-2.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.64 CA$7.97
$5.66 CA$8.00
-0.35%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Calgary
Fort Frances, Ontario
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.00 CA$2.82
$2.01 CA$2.84
-0.50%
White Bread (500g)
$2.78 CA$3.93
$2.44 CA$3.45
13.93%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.59 CA$7.90
$3.21 CA$4.53
74.14%
Eggs
$3.70 CA$5.23
$3.33 CA$4.70
11.11%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.48 CA$16.23
$9.62 CA$13.60
19.33%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.20 CA$15.84
$11.38 CA$16.09
-1.58%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.59 CA$26.28
$14.30 CA$20.21
30.00%
Apples (1kg)
$4.70 CA$6.64
$3.73 CA$5.27
26.01%
Banana (1kg)
$1.45 CA$2.05
$1.34 CA$1.89
8.21%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.34 CA$6.13
$3.72 CA$5.26
16.67%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.79 CA$5.36
$3.77 CA$5.33
0.53%
Potato (1kg)
$2.69 CA$3.81
$2.48 CA$3.51
8.47%
Onion (1kg)
$2.75 CA$3.88
$2.24 CA$3.17
22.77%
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
$1.56 CA$2.20
-3.85%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.39 CA$20.34
$14.10 CA$19.93
2.06%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.81 CA$22.35
$12.44 CA$17.59
27.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.47 CA$3.49
$2.66 CA$3.76
-7.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.10 CA$4.39
$3.11 CA$4.39
-0.32%
🚌 Getting Around
Calgary
Fort Frances, Ontario
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.81 CA$3.97
$2.31 CA$3.26
21.65%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$90.6 CA$128
$60.1 CA$85.0
50.74%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.28 CA$4.64
$2.84 CA$4.02
15.49%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.40 CA$1.97
$1.46 CA$2.07
-4.11%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$26.49 CA$37.45
$23.14 CA$32.72
14.48%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.22 CA$1.72
$1.06 CA$1.50
15.09%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.4K CA$40.1K
$27.5K CA$38.9K
3.03%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.8K CA$29.5K
$19.2K CA$27.1K
8.60%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Calgary
Fort Frances, Ontario
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$165 CA$233
$98.3 CA$139
67.54%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$38.24 CA$54.1
$37.55 CA$53.1
1.84%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$50.1 CA$70.9
$49.21 CA$69.6
1.87%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Calgary
Fort Frances, Ontario
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$53.8 CA$76.1
$40.95 CA$57.9
31.38%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.04 CA$25.51
$17.62 CA$24.91
2.38%
Cinema Ticket
$14.04 CA$19.84
$11.23 CA$15.88
25.02%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Calgary
Fort Frances, Ontario
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 CA$1,126
$732 CA$1,035
8.77%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.8K CA$22.3K
$13.1K CA$18.6K
20.41%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Calgary
Fort Frances, Ontario
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.1 CA$83.5
$52.5 CA$74.2
12.58%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.20 CA$56.8
$37.90 CA$53.6
6.07%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.8 CA$128
$83.2 CA$118
9.07%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$109 CA$155
$103 CA$146
5.76%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Calgary
Fort Frances, Ontario
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,207 CA$1,707
$1,234 CA$1,745
-2.18%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,011 CA$1,429
$1,133 CA$1,602
-10.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,949 CA$2,756
$1,914 CA$2,706
1.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,677 CA$2,371
$1,721 CA$2,433
-2.53%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,532 CA$4,993
$4,261 CA$6,024
-17.11%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,392 CA$4,795
$3,578 CA$5,059
-5.21%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Calgary
Fort Frances, Ontario
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,152 CA$4,456
$3,503 CA$4,953
-10.02%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.51
4.66
-3.22%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 18, 2026

Last update for Fort Frances, Ontario: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Calgary
$1K
Fort Frances, Ontario
$1.1K 12.1% $122
Groceries & Markets
Calgary
$392
Fort Frances, Ontario
$344 12.1% $47
Eating Out
Calgary
$270
Fort Frances, Ontario
$266 1.7% $4.7
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Calgary
$253
Fort Frances, Ontario
$185 26.9% $68
Clothing & Footwear
Calgary
$135
Fort Frances, Ontario
$125 7.5% $10
Getting Around
Calgary
$112
Fort Frances, Ontario
$79 29.1% $33
Sport & Entertainment
Calgary
$82
Fort Frances, Ontario
$63 22.5% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,207 in Calgary and $1,234 in Fort Frances, Ontario. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort Frances, Ontario 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 $66.0 in Fort Frances, Ontario for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $392 vs $344 per month, with Fort Frances, Ontario cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Calgary
🇨🇦 Fort Frances, Ontario
🕒 Local time
08:21 8:21 AM
09:21 9:21 AM
1 h ahead of Calgary
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,267,344
7,700
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Calgary Fort Frances, Ontario 1,500 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Calgary
  • Fort Frances, Ontario

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 Fort Frances, Ontario: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Fort Frances, Ontario cheaper than Calgary?
Fort Frances, Ontario is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Calgary or Fort Frances, Ontario?
On paper, salaries run 11% lower in Fort Frances, Ontario. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Calgary and Fort Frances, Ontario?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,207 in Calgary versus $1,234 in Fort Frances, Ontario. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Is eating out cheaper in Calgary or in Fort Frances, Ontario?
Dining out is cheaper in Fort Frances, Ontario – 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.
What are total monthly expenses in Calgary and in Fort Frances, Ontario?
All in, you'll spend $2,255 per month in Calgary versus $2,196 in Fort Frances, Ontario – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Calgary or in Fort Frances, Ontario?
At $2,196 in Fort Frances, Ontario versus $2,255 in Calgary, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Fort Frances, Ontario but tight or insufficient in Calgary. The gap between the two cities makes Fort Frances, Ontario the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Calgary or in Fort Frances, Ontario?
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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Fort Frances, Ontario 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.

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