Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Kanata

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,297 a month against $2,514 in Kanata, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Kanata outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

110

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index
119

Cost of Living Index in Kanata
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Kanata Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,297

/mo nomad

Kanata

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,514

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Kanata

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,297 in Calgary versus $2,514 in Kanata.

Calgary $2,297
Kanata $2,514

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,378 in Calgary versus $3,581 in Kanata.

Calgary $3,378
Kanata $3,581

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,459 in Calgary versus $4,648 in Kanata.

Calgary $4,459
Kanata $4,648

Living in Calgary costs roughly 9% less than in Kanata.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 70% above, Kanata 86% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.94 CA$25.05

$18.08 CA$25.24

-0.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.9 CA$96.1

$77.2 CA$108

-10.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.94 CA$15.27

$10.87 CA$15.17

0.64%

Cappuccino

$3.70 CA$5.17

$3.46 CA$4.83

6.94%

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

$2.07 CA$2.89

$2.00 CA$2.79

3.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 CA$2.85

$1.66 CA$2.32

22.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 CA$8.02

$2.65 CA$3.69

116.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 CA$7.96

$2.74 CA$3.83

108.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.98 CA$2.76

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 CA$3.70

$2.74 CA$3.82

-3.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.84 CA$8.15

$1.83 CA$2.56

219.13%

Eggs

$3.81 CA$5.33

$4.36 CA$6.09

-12.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.81 CA$15.08

$13.52 CA$18.87

-20.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.02 CA$15.38

$11.22 CA$15.66

-1.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.87 CA$24.95

$8.95 CA$12.50

99.66%

Apples (1kg)

$4.88 CA$6.81

$3.42 CA$4.78

42.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.03

$0.98 CA$1.37

47.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.15 CA$5.80

$2.86 CA$4.00

45.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 CA$5.57

$3.91 CA$5.46

2.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.93 CA$4.09

$1.13 CA$1.57

159.29%

Onion (1kg)

$3.02 CA$4.22

$2.14 CA$2.98

41.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.67 CA$3.72

$2.56 CA$3.57

4.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.19

$1.41 CA$1.97

11.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.11 CA$19.69

$13.08 CA$18.26

7.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.45 CA$21.57

$21.76 CA$30.37

-29.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 CA$3.50

$2.71 CA$3.78

-7.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 CA$4.44

$3.23 CA$4.51

-1.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.85 CA$3.97

$2.64 CA$3.69

7.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.2 CA$126

$89.4 CA$125

0.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 CA$4.41

$2.89 CA$4.03

9.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 CA$1.96

$1.25 CA$1.75

12.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.46 CA$38.33

$33.64 CA$46.96

-18.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 CA$1.65

$1.17 CA$1.63

0.85%

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

$27.9K CA$38.9K

$26.8K CA$37.4K

3.93%

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

$21.1K CA$29.4K

$18.4K CA$25.7K

14.53%

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

$182 CA$254

$112 CA$157

62.12%

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

$36.01 CA$50.3

$44.44 CA$62.0

-18.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.80 CA$68.1

$41.78 CA$58.3

16.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.78 CA$68.1

$45.73 CA$63.8

6.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.15 CA$25.34

Cinema Ticket

$14.52 CA$20.26

$9.40 CA$13.12

54.47%

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

$542 CA$756

$861 CA$1,202

-37.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.2K CA$29.5K

$10.6K CA$14.8K

99.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 CA$82.5

$57.0 CA$79.5

3.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.34 CA$59.1

$31.75 CA$44.32

33.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.2 CA$131

$86.9 CA$121

8.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$152

$63.3 CA$88.3

71.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,214 CA$1,694

$1,559 CA$2,177

-22.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 CA$1,447

$1,435 CA$2,003

-27.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,045 CA$2,855

$2,248 CA$3,138

-9.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,655 CA$2,310

$2,133 CA$2,978

-22.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,653 CA$5,099

$3,266 CA$4,559

11.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,183 CA$4,443

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,219 CA$4,493

$2,992 CA$4,177

7.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.43

4.97

-10.87%

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

Last update for Calgary: November 2, 2026

Last update for Kanata: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1K 45.1%

Kanata

$1.4K 57.1% 38.5% $399

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$390 17%

Kanata

$348 13.8% 10.8% $42

Eating Out

Calgary

$277 12.1%

Kanata

$252 10% 9.1% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$267 11.6%

Kanata

$198 7.9% 25.6% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$137 6%

Kanata

$108 4.3% 21.5% $29

Getting Around

Calgary

$112 4.9%

Kanata

$109 4.3% 2.4% $2.7

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$78 3.4%

Kanata

$65 2.6% 17.1% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,214 in Calgary and $1,559 in Kanata. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69 in Calgary vs $77 in Kanata. Groceries flip the comparison at $390 vs $348, with Kanata cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇨🇦 Kanata

🕒 Local time

13:19 1:19 PM

14:19 2:19 PM

1 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

90,000

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.638 EUR

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.638 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Calgary Kanata 2,860 km ≈ 4 h 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 Kanata: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,297 in Calgary and $2,514 in Kanata, so Calgary is about 9% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 8% 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: $1,214 in Calgary versus $1,559 in Kanata. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $542 in Calgary versus $861 in Kanata. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Calgary – a meal for two runs $69 versus $77 in Kanata. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.