Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Iqaluit, NU

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,303 a month against $3,164 in Iqaluit, NU, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index
154

Cost of Living Index in Iqaluit, NU
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Iqaluit, NU Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,303

/mo nomad

Iqaluit, NU

🇨🇦 Canada

$3,164

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Iqaluit, NU

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,303 in Calgary versus $3,164 in Iqaluit, NU.

Calgary $2,303
Iqaluit, NU $3,164

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,366 in Calgary versus $5,007 in Iqaluit, NU.

Calgary $3,366
Iqaluit, NU $5,007

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,428 in Calgary versus $6,850 in Iqaluit, NU.

Calgary $4,428
Iqaluit, NU $6,850

Living in Calgary costs roughly 27% less than in Iqaluit, NU, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 69% above, Iqaluit, NU 132% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 CA$24.52

$28.11 CA$39.27

-37.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.4 CA$98.3

$65.1 CA$91.0

8.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.69 CA$14.93

$12.93 CA$18.07

-17.32%

Cappuccino

$3.89 CA$5.43

$7.31 CA$10.21

-46.79%

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

$2.04 CA$2.85

$3.81 CA$5.32

-46.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.62

$4.43 CA$6.20

-57.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 CA$6.84

$6.83 CA$9.54

-28.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.78 CA$8.08

$5.82 CA$8.13

-0.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 CA$2.74

$3.38 CA$4.73

-42.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 CA$3.83

$5.51 CA$7.69

-50.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.46 CA$7.63

$2.91 CA$4.07

87.63%

Eggs

$3.69 CA$5.15

$4.36 CA$6.10

-15.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.24 CA$15.71

$12.05 CA$16.83

-6.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 CA$16.12

$13.34 CA$18.63

-13.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 CA$25.67

$24.54 CA$34.28

-25.10%

Apples (1kg)

$4.90 CA$6.85

$2.02 CA$2.82

142.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$1.99

$2.95 CA$4.13

-51.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.88

$2.03 CA$2.84

107.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 CA$5.62

$1.98 CA$2.76

103.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.77

$3.04 CA$4.24

-11.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 CA$3.72

$3.92 CA$5.48

-32.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CA$3.65

$3.08 CA$4.30

-15.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 CA$2.23

$3.51 CA$4.91

-54.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.00 CA$19.56

$14.13 CA$19.74

-0.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.40 CA$21.51

$5.02 CA$7.02

206.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 CA$3.49

$1.46 CA$2.04

71.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.32

$2.11 CA$2.95

46.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.93 CA$4.09

$4.87 CA$6.80

-39.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.3 CA$125

$137 CA$191

-34.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 CA$4.57

$6.53 CA$9.12

-49.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 CA$1.89

$0.69 CA$0.97

95.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.39 CA$38.26

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

$38.6K CA$53.9K

-27.64%

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

$21.0K CA$29.4K

$31.7K CA$44.3K

-33.63%

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

$167 CA$233

$114 CA$159

46.47%

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

$38.27 CA$53.5

$52.9 CA$73.9

-27.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.9 CA$71.2

$53.2 CA$74.4

-4.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 CA$71.2

$73.9 CA$103

-31.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.17 CA$25.39

$21.24 CA$29.67

-14.45%

Cinema Ticket

$14.44 CA$20.18

$8.27 CA$11.55

74.61%

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

$545 CA$762

$1,018 CA$1,423

-46.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$22.6K

$3,943 CA$5,509

311.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 CA$82.3

$60.2 CA$84.1

-2.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.75 CA$55.5

$35.43 CA$49.50

12.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$130

$100.0 CA$140

-6.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

$116 CA$162

-5.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 CA$1,752

$1,790 CA$2,501

-29.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 CA$1,476

$1,684 CA$2,352

-37.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,022 CA$2,825

$2,856 CA$3,991

-29.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,629 CA$2,275

$3,506 CA$4,898

-53.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,600 CA$5,030

$10.2K CA$14.2K

-64.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,243 CA$4,530

$7,195 CA$10.1K

-54.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,115 CA$4,352

$4,244 CA$5,929

-26.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

5.32

-15.23%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 26, 2026

Last update for Iqaluit, NU: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1.1K 45.9%

Iqaluit, NU

$1.7K 53.2% 59.4% $627

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$393 17.1%

Iqaluit, NU

$433 13.7% 10.3% $41

Eating Out

Calgary

$271 11.8%

Iqaluit, NU

$430 13.6% 58.8% $159

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$256 11.1%

Iqaluit, NU

$220 7% 14.1% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$136 5.9%

Iqaluit, NU

$140 4.4% 3.1% $4.2

Getting Around

Calgary

$111 4.8%

Iqaluit, NU

$167 5.3% 50% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$80 3.5%

Iqaluit, NU

$90 2.9% 13.2% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,254 in Calgary and $1,790 in Iqaluit, NU. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Iqaluit, NU pays 36% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $70 in Calgary vs $65 in Iqaluit, NU. Groceries flip the comparison at $393 vs $433, with Calgary cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇨🇦 Iqaluit, NU

🕒 Local time

19:06 7:06 PM

20:06 8:06 PM

1 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

8,000

💱 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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Calgary Iqaluit, NU 2,990 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

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Calgary
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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Calgary vs Iqaluit, NU: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary is about 27% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, transport, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 27% 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 $1,790 in Iqaluit, NU. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Iqaluit, NU – a meal for two runs $65 versus $70 in Calgary. 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 $3,164 in Iqaluit, NU – Calgary is about 27% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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.

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