Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Golden, BC

For one person, living is cheaper in Golden, BC: $2,214 a month against $2,303 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
Learn more

Calgary Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Golden, BC
Learn more

Golden, BC Living Index

Jump to prices

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,303

/mo nomad

Golden, BC

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,214

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Golden, BC

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,303 in Calgary versus $2,214 in Golden, BC.

Calgary $2,303
Golden, BC $2,214

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,366 in Calgary versus $3,008 in Golden, BC.

Calgary $3,366
Golden, BC $3,008

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,428 in Calgary versus $3,801 in Golden, BC.

Calgary $4,428
Golden, BC $3,801

Living in Calgary is roughly 4% more expensive than in Golden, BC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 69% above, Golden, BC 63% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 CA$24.52

$16.86 CA$23.56

4.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.4 CA$98.4

$58.7 CA$82.0

19.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.69 CA$14.94

$11.20 CA$15.65

-4.55%

Cappuccino

$3.89 CA$5.43

$3.96 CA$5.54

-1.77%

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

$2.04 CA$2.85

$2.00 CA$2.80

2.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.62

$1.66 CA$2.32

13.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 CA$6.84

$4.52 CA$6.32

8.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.78 CA$8.08

$5.73 CA$8.00

0.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 CA$2.74

$1.10 CA$1.54

78.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 CA$3.83

$2.77 CA$3.87

-1.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.46 CA$7.63

$3.52 CA$4.92

55.11%

Eggs

$3.69 CA$5.15

$3.16 CA$4.41

16.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.24 CA$15.71

$9.32 CA$13.03

20.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 CA$16.12

$13.44 CA$18.78

-14.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 CA$25.68

$21.53 CA$30.09

-14.63%

Apples (1kg)

$4.90 CA$6.85

$3.52 CA$4.92

39.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$1.99

$1.49 CA$2.08

-4.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.88

$3.57 CA$4.99

17.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 CA$5.62

$4.77 CA$6.67

-15.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.77

$3.24 CA$4.53

-16.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 CA$3.72

$3.08 CA$4.30

-13.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CA$3.65

$2.59 CA$3.61

0.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 CA$2.23

$1.93 CA$2.70

-17.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.00 CA$19.57

$14.53 CA$20.30

-3.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.40 CA$21.52

$13.81 CA$19.29

11.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 CA$3.49

$2.63 CA$3.68

-4.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.32

$3.15 CA$4.41

-1.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.93 CA$4.09

$2.13 CA$2.98

37.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.3 CA$125

$69.7 CA$97.4

28.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 CA$4.57

$2.91 CA$4.07

12.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 CA$1.89

$1.80 CA$2.52

-25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.39 CA$38.27

$34.20 CA$47.79

-19.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.64

$1.32 CA$1.84

-11.36%

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

$27.9K CA$39.0K

$28.4K CA$39.7K

-1.58%

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

$21.0K CA$29.4K

$21.7K CA$30.4K

-3.23%

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

$167 CA$233

$49.97 CA$69.8

233.62%

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

$38.27 CA$53.5

$44.60 CA$62.3

-14.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.9 CA$71.2

$57.2 CA$79.9

-10.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 CA$71.2

$37.84 CA$52.9

34.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.17 CA$25.39

$20.54 CA$28.70

-11.54%

Cinema Ticket

$14.44 CA$20.18

$11.21 CA$15.66

28.81%

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

$545 CA$762

$631 CA$881

-13.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$22.7K

$16.6K CA$23.2K

-2.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 CA$82.3

$48.90 CA$68.3

20.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.75 CA$55.6

$41.33 CA$57.8

-3.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$130

$84.6 CA$118

10.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

$101 CA$142

8.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 CA$1,752

$1,292 CA$1,805

-2.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 CA$1,476

$1,136 CA$1,588

-7.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,022 CA$2,826

$1,527 CA$2,134

32.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,629 CA$2,276

$1,287 CA$1,799

26.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,600 CA$5,031

$4,211 CA$5,884

-14.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,243 CA$4,531

$3,686 CA$5,151

-12.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,115 CA$4,353

$3,228 CA$4,511

-3.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.69

-3.84%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 26, 2026

Last update for Golden, BC: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1.1K 45.9%

Golden, BC

$1.1K 51.3% 7.6% $80

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$393 17.1%

Golden, BC

$386 17.5% 1.6% $6.3

Eating Out

Calgary

$271 11.8%

Golden, BC

$265 12% 2.3% $6.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$256 11.1%

Golden, BC

$152 6.9% 40.7% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$136 5.9%

Golden, BC

$124 5.6% 8.6% $12

Getting Around

Calgary

$111 4.8%

Golden, BC

$90 4.1% 18.8% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$80 3.5%

Golden, BC

$60 2.7% 24.5% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,254 in Calgary and $1,292 in Golden, BC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Golden, BC 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: $70 in Calgary vs $59 in Golden, BC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $393 vs $386 per month, with Golden, BC cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇨🇦 Golden, BC

🕒 Local time

05:18 5:18 AM

Same time as Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

4,038

💱 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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Calgary Golden, BC 200 km

From you

Calgary
Golden, BC

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 Golden, BC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Golden, BC is about 4% cheaper overall, especially in transport, leisure, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 3% lower in Calgary. 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: $1,254 in Calgary versus $1,292 in Golden, BC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $545 in Calgary versus $631 in Golden, BC. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Golden, BC – a meal for two runs $59 versus $70 in Calgary. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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