Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Fort McMurray

For one person, living costs are similar in Calgary and in Fort McMurray: $2,223 and $2,242 a month, rent and utilities included.

109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Fort McMurray
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Fort McMurray Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,223

/mo nomad

Fort McMurray

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,242

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Fort McMurray

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,223 in Calgary versus $2,242 in Fort McMurray.

Calgary $2,223
Fort McMurray $2,242

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,301 in Calgary versus $3,323 in Fort McMurray.

Calgary $3,301
Fort McMurray $3,323

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,379 in Calgary versus $4,404 in Fort McMurray.

Calgary $4,379
Fort McMurray $4,404

Living in Calgary costs roughly 1% less than in Fort McMurray, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.22 CA$24.34

$20.90 CA$29.54

-17.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.1 CA$100

$55.8 CA$78.9

27.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.53 CA$14.89

$13.79 CA$19.50

-23.64%

Cappuccino

$3.66 CA$5.18

$3.88 CA$5.49

-5.67%

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

$1.98 CA$2.80

$2.37 CA$3.35

-16.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 CA$2.74

$1.52 CA$2.14

27.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.95 CA$7.00

$5.73 CA$8.10

-13.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.57 CA$7.87

$5.33 CA$7.53

4.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 CA$2.65

$1.41 CA$2.00

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 CA$3.78

$2.70 CA$3.82

-1.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.32 CA$7.52

$3.02 CA$4.27

76.16%

Eggs

$3.79 CA$5.35

$2.98 CA$4.21

27.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.09 CA$15.68

$13.00 CA$18.38

-14.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.36 CA$16.05

$13.01 CA$18.39

-12.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.40 CA$26.01

$19.80 CA$27.99

-7.07%

Apples (1kg)

$4.56 CA$6.45

$4.44 CA$6.28

2.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.04

$1.26 CA$1.78

14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.08 CA$5.76

$5.19 CA$7.33

-21.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.89 CA$5.50

$6.60 CA$9.34

-41.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.73

$3.66 CA$5.17

-27.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.73

$3.95 CA$5.58

-33.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 CA$3.54

$2.99 CA$4.22

-16.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$1.36 CA$1.93

10.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.05 CA$19.86

$15.66 CA$22.13

-10.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.70 CA$22.20

$14.09 CA$19.92

11.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 CA$3.45

$4.24 CA$5.99

-42.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.37

$3.49 CA$4.93

-11.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$1.38 CA$1.94

104.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 CA$125

$49.42 CA$69.9

79.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 CA$4.41

$3.57 CA$5.05

-12.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 CA$1.91

$1.11 CA$1.57

21.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.02 CA$38.20

$32.27 CA$45.62

-16.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 CA$1.64

$1.06 CA$1.50

9.43%

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

$27.9K CA$39.5K

$27.3K CA$38.6K

2.27%

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

$20.3K CA$28.8K

$21.2K CA$29.9K

-3.80%

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

$161 CA$227

$190 CA$269

-15.58%

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

$38.13 CA$53.9

$48.41 CA$68.4

-21.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.0 CA$70.7

$61.1 CA$86.4

-18.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 CA$72.8

$43.19 CA$61.1

19.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 CA$25.64

$8.77 CA$12.40

106.84%

Cinema Ticket

$13.82 CA$19.54

$12.46 CA$17.62

10.91%

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

$786 CA$1,111

$559 CA$790

40.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.5K CA$21.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 CA$82.4

$66.3 CA$93.8

-12.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.27 CA$55.5

$35.33 CA$49.95

11.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 CA$127

$77.3 CA$109

16.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$85.2 CA$120

28.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,229 CA$1,737

$906 CA$1,281

35.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,001 CA$1,415

$965 CA$1,364

3.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,921 CA$2,716

$1,591 CA$2,250

20.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 CA$2,292

$1,656 CA$2,340

-2.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,549 CA$5,018

$2,598 CA$3,673

36.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,335 CA$4,715

$1,865 CA$2,636

78.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,165 CA$4,474

$3,042 CA$4,300

4.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.77

-5.45%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 13, 2026

Last update for Fort McMurray: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1K 45%

Fort McMurray

$965 43% 3.6% $36

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$385 17.3%

Fort McMurray

$416 18.6% 7.9% $30

Eating Out

Calgary

$265 11.9%

Fort McMurray

$310 13.8% 17% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$249 11.2%

Fort McMurray

$300 13.4% 20.5% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$134 6%

Fort McMurray

$119 5.3% 11.1% $15

Getting Around

Calgary

$110 4.9%

Fort McMurray

$64 2.9% 41.7% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$79 3.6%

Fort McMurray

$68 3% 13.9% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,229 in Calgary and $906 in Fort McMurray. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $71.0 in Calgary vs $56.0 in Fort McMurray. Groceries flip the comparison at $385 vs $416, with Calgary cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇨🇦 Fort McMurray

🕒 Local time

13:24 1:24 PM

Same time as Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

66,573

💱 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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Between locations

Calgary Fort McMurray 660 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Calgary
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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 McMurray: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 4% higher in Calgary, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,229 in Calgary versus $906 in Fort McMurray. 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 $56.0 in Fort McMurray. 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 $2,242 in Fort McMurray – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,223 in Calgary versus $2,242 in Fort McMurray, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Fort McMurray. 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 1% less than in Fort McMurray. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.