Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Gatineau

For one person, living is cheaper in Gatineau: $2,132 a month against $2,303 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index
103

Cost of Living Index in Gatineau
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Gatineau Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,303

/mo nomad

Gatineau

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,132

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Gatineau

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,303 in Calgary versus $2,132 in Gatineau.

Calgary $2,303
Gatineau $2,132

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,366 in Calgary versus $3,159 in Gatineau.

Calgary $3,366
Gatineau $3,159

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,428 in Calgary versus $4,186 in Gatineau.

Calgary $4,428
Gatineau $4,186

Living in Calgary is roughly 8% more expensive than in Gatineau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 69% above, Gatineau 57% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 CA$24.52

$13.03 CA$18.20

34.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.4 CA$98.4

$86.5 CA$121

-18.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.69 CA$14.94

$10.82 CA$15.12

-1.20%

Cappuccino

$3.89 CA$5.43

$3.17 CA$4.43

22.71%

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

$2.04 CA$2.85

$1.37 CA$1.91

48.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.62

$1.32 CA$1.85

42.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 CA$6.84

$4.41 CA$6.16

11.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.78 CA$8.08

$6.45 CA$9.02

-10.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 CA$2.74

$1.91 CA$2.67

2.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 CA$3.83

$2.99 CA$4.18

-8.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.46 CA$7.63

$5.16 CA$7.21

5.81%

Eggs

$3.69 CA$5.15

$3.21 CA$4.48

14.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.24 CA$15.71

$11.63 CA$16.26

-3.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 CA$16.12

$9.99 CA$13.96

15.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 CA$25.68

$11.08 CA$15.49

65.88%

Apples (1kg)

$4.90 CA$6.85

$3.97 CA$5.55

23.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$1.99

$1.93 CA$2.69

-26.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.88

$4.72 CA$6.60

-10.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 CA$5.62

$4.52 CA$6.32

-11.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.77

$2.10 CA$2.93

28.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 CA$3.72

$2.47 CA$3.45

7.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CA$3.65

$2.08 CA$2.91

25.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 CA$2.23

$2.68 CA$3.74

-40.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.00 CA$19.57

$11.94 CA$16.68

17.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.40 CA$21.52

$12.40 CA$17.33

24.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 CA$3.49

$2.92 CA$4.09

-14.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.32

$3.37 CA$4.71

-8.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.93 CA$4.09

$3.28 CA$4.59

-10.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.3 CA$125

$80.3 CA$112

11.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 CA$4.57

$4.91 CA$6.87

-33.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 CA$1.89

$2.28 CA$3.18

-40.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.39 CA$38.27

$33.31 CA$46.54

-17.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.64

$1.24 CA$1.73

-5.65%

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

$27.9K CA$39.0K

$27.7K CA$38.7K

0.77%

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

$21.0K CA$29.4K

$20.9K CA$29.3K

0.44%

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

$167 CA$233

$116 CA$162

43.74%

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

$38.27 CA$53.5

$36.45 CA$50.9

4.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.9 CA$71.2

$49.10 CA$68.6

3.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 CA$71.2

$46.92 CA$65.6

8.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.17 CA$25.39

$29.37 CA$41.04

-38.13%

Cinema Ticket

$14.44 CA$20.18

$10.78 CA$15.07

33.95%

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

$545 CA$762

$552 CA$771

-1.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$22.7K

$137.5K CA$192.1K

-88.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 CA$82.3

$69.9 CA$97.7

-15.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.75 CA$55.6

$43.48 CA$60.8

-8.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$130

$88.8 CA$124

5.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

$120 CA$168

-8.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 CA$1,752

$1,287 CA$1,799

-2.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 CA$1,476

$1,016 CA$1,420

3.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,022 CA$2,826

$1,933 CA$2,700

4.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,629 CA$2,276

$1,524 CA$2,129

6.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,600 CA$5,031

$5,162 CA$7,213

-30.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,243 CA$4,531

$6,163 CA$8,611

-47.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,115 CA$4,353

$2,656 CA$3,712

17.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.64

-2.80%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 26, 2026

Last update for Gatineau: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1.1K 45.9%

Gatineau

$1K 47.6% 3.8% $41

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$393 17.1%

Gatineau

$371 17.4% 5.4% $21

Eating Out

Calgary

$271 11.8%

Gatineau

$220 10.3% 18.6% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$256 11.1%

Gatineau

$202 9.5% 21.2% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$136 5.9%

Gatineau

$145 6.8% 6.6% $9

Getting Around

Calgary

$111 4.8%

Gatineau

$110 5.2% 1.1% $1.3

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$80 3.5%

Gatineau

$68 3.2% 14.2% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,254 in Calgary and $1,287 in Gatineau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays 17% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $70 in Calgary vs $87 in Gatineau. Groceries flip the comparison at $393 vs $371, with Gatineau cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇨🇦 Gatineau

🕒 Local time

02:16 2:16 AM

03:16 3:16 AM

1 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

291,041

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Calgary Gatineau 2,870 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

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Calgary
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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Calgary vs Gatineau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gatineau is about 7% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 17% 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: $1,254 in Calgary versus $1,287 in Gatineau. 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 $70 versus $87 in Gatineau. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,303 per month in Calgary versus $2,132 in Gatineau – Gatineau is about 7% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Gatineau is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

It comes down to priorities – Gatineau wins on affordability, Calgary on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.