Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and High Level

For one person, living is cheaper in High Level: $2,168 a month against $2,303 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Calgary, Canada
High Level, Canada
Calgary
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,303
/mo nomad
High Level
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,168
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in High Level

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,303 in Calgary versus $2,168 in High Level.

  • Calgary $2,303
  • High Level $2,168

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,366 in Calgary versus $3,250 in High Level.

  • Calgary $3,366
  • High Level $3,250

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,428 in Calgary versus $4,332 in High Level.

  • Calgary $4,428
  • High Level $4,332

Living in Calgary is roughly 6% more expensive than in High Level, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 69% above, High Level 59% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Calgary
High Level
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.55 CA$24.63
$19.04 CA$26.71
-7.83%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$70.4 CA$98.8
$57.0 CA$80.0
23.43%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.69 CA$15.00
$10.18 CA$14.28
5.01%
Cappuccino
$3.89 CA$5.46
$3.41 CA$4.79
14.08%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.04 CA$2.86
$1.90 CA$2.66
7.37%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.88 CA$2.64
$1.83 CA$2.57
2.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.90 CA$6.87
$5.39 CA$7.57
-9.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.78 CA$8.11
$6.29 CA$8.82
-8.11%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Calgary
High Level
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.96 CA$2.75
$2.30 CA$3.23
-14.78%
White Bread (500g)
$2.74 CA$3.84
$2.85 CA$4.00
-3.86%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.46 CA$7.67
$3.60 CA$5.05
51.67%
Eggs
$3.69 CA$5.17
$3.62 CA$5.08
1.93%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.24 CA$15.78
$9.52 CA$13.36
18.07%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.54 CA$16.19
$10.62 CA$14.90
8.66%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.38 CA$25.79
$14.27 CA$20.02
28.80%
Apples (1kg)
$4.90 CA$6.88
$3.39 CA$4.75
44.54%
Banana (1kg)
$1.42 CA$2.00
$1.36 CA$1.91
4.41%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.21 CA$5.91
$3.47 CA$4.86
21.33%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.02 CA$5.65
$3.73 CA$5.23
7.77%
Potato (1kg)
$2.69 CA$3.78
$2.58 CA$3.62
4.26%
Onion (1kg)
$2.66 CA$3.74
$2.12 CA$2.97
25.47%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.61 CA$3.67
$2.77 CA$3.88
-5.78%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.60 CA$2.24
$1.79 CA$2.52
-10.61%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.00 CA$19.65
$14.78 CA$20.74
-5.28%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.40 CA$21.61
$12.93 CA$18.14
19.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.50 CA$3.50
$2.70 CA$3.79
-7.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.09 CA$4.34
$3.02 CA$4.24
2.32%
🚌 Getting Around
Calgary
High Level
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.93 CA$4.11
$2.22 CA$3.11
31.98%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$89.3 CA$125
$55.5 CA$77.9
60.84%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.27 CA$4.59
$2.59 CA$3.64
26.25%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.35 CA$1.89
$1.44 CA$2.02
-6.25%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.39 CA$38.43
$22.89 CA$32.12
19.66%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.17 CA$1.65
$1.13 CA$1.59
3.54%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.9K CA$39.2K
$31.5K CA$44.2K
-11.32%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.0K CA$29.5K
$22.4K CA$31.4K
-5.90%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Calgary
High Level
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$167 CA$234
$121 CA$170
37.26%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$38.27 CA$53.7
$40.46 CA$56.8
-5.41%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$50.9 CA$71.5
$58.1 CA$81.5
-12.34%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Calgary
High Level
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.0 CA$71.5
$36.13 CA$50.7
41.02%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.17 CA$25.50
$19.53 CA$27.41
-6.96%
Cinema Ticket
$14.44 CA$20.27
$10.77 CA$15.11
34.08%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Calgary
High Level
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$545 CA$766
$580 CA$814
-5.94%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.2K CA$22.7K
$14.4K CA$20.2K
12.73%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Calgary
High Level
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$58.9 CA$82.6
$49.88 CA$70.0
18.04%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.75 CA$55.8
$36.48 CA$51.2
8.96%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$93.4 CA$131
$92.9 CA$130
0.46%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 CA$154
$89.6 CA$126
22.78%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Calgary
High Level
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,254 CA$1,760
$1,288 CA$1,807
-2.62%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,056 CA$1,483
$1,064 CA$1,493
-0.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,022 CA$2,838
$1,988 CA$2,790
1.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,629 CA$2,286
$1,862 CA$2,614
-12.55%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,600 CA$5,053
$4,808 CA$6,747
-25.11%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,243 CA$4,551
$3,870 CA$5,431
-16.22%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Calgary
High Level
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,115 CA$4,372
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.51
4.68
-3.63%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 26, 2026

Last update for High Level: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Calgary
$1.1K
High Level
$1.1K 0.7% $7.6
Groceries & Markets
Calgary
$393
High Level
$352 10.3% $40
Eating Out
Calgary
$271
High Level
$278 2.7% $7.3
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Calgary
$256
High Level
$220 14% $36
Clothing & Footwear
Calgary
$136
High Level
$121 11% $15
Getting Around
Calgary
$111
High Level
$74 33.2% $37
Sport & Entertainment
Calgary
$80
High Level
$58 27.8% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,254 in Calgary and $1,288 in High Level. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $70 in Calgary vs $57 in High Level for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $393 vs $352 per month, with High Level cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Calgary
🇨🇦 High Level
🕒 Local time
14:26 2:26 PM
14:26 2:26 PM
Same time as Calgary
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,267,344
3,200
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.64 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Calgary High Level 850 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Calgary
  • High Level

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 High Level: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is High Level cheaper than Calgary?
High Level is about 6% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $3,454 in Calgary and $3,251 in High Level to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Calgary and High Level?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,254 in Calgary versus $1,288 in High Level. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Is eating out cheaper in Calgary or in High Level?
Dining out is cheaper in High Level – a meal for two runs $57 versus $70 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 High Level?
All in, you’ll spend $2,303 per month in Calgary versus $2,168 in High Level – High Level is about 6% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Is $3,000 enough for either Calgary or High Level?
Either city works on $3,000 a month, though High Level gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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