Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Karlstad

For one person, living is cheaper in Karlstad: $1,727 a month against $2,303 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 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
83

Cost of Living Index in Karlstad
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Karlstad Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,303

/mo nomad

Karlstad

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,727

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Karlstad

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,303 in Calgary versus $1,727 in Karlstad.

Calgary $2,303
Karlstad $1,727

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,366 in Calgary versus $2,665 in Karlstad.

Calgary $3,366
Karlstad $2,665

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,428 in Calgary versus $3,603 in Karlstad.

Calgary $4,428
Karlstad $3,603

Living in Calgary is roughly 33% more expensive than in Karlstad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 69% above, Karlstad 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 CA$24.52

$15.14 SEK 149

15.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.4 CA$98.4

$80.5 SEK 790

-12.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.69 CA$14.94

$10.07 SEK 98.9

6.16%

Cappuccino

$3.89 CA$5.43

$4.86 SEK 47.68

-19.96%

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

$2.04 CA$2.85

$2.45 SEK 24.01

-16.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.62

$2.16 SEK 21.25

-12.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 CA$6.84

$8.08 SEK 79.3

-39.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.78 CA$8.08

$6.60 SEK 64.7

-12.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 CA$2.74

$1.45 SEK 14.22

35.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 CA$3.83

$2.83 SEK 27.80

-3.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.46 CA$7.63

$3.68 SEK 36.14

48.37%

Eggs

$3.69 CA$5.15

$4.37 SEK 42.85

-15.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.24 CA$15.71

$10.17 SEK 99.8

10.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 CA$16.12

$13.96 SEK 137

-17.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 CA$25.68

$17.73 SEK 174

3.67%

Apples (1kg)

$4.90 CA$6.85

$2.95 SEK 28.91

66.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$1.99

$2.68 SEK 26.35

-47.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.88

$3.03 SEK 29.71

38.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 CA$5.62

$5.40 SEK 53.0

-25.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.77

$1.92 SEK 18.80

40.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 CA$3.72

$1.72 SEK 16.84

54.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CA$3.65

$2.64 SEK 25.87

-1.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 CA$2.23

$1.30 SEK 12.74

23.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.00 CA$19.57

$6.96 SEK 68.3

101.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.40 CA$21.52

$10.17 SEK 99.8

51.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 CA$3.49

$2.42 SEK 23.79

3.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.32

$2.04 SEK 19.98

51.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.93 CA$4.09

$3.13 SEK 30.70

-6.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.3 CA$125

$80.4 SEK 789

11.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 CA$4.57

$5.46 SEK 53.6

-40.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 CA$1.89

$1.29 SEK 12.67

4.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.39 CA$38.27

$60.4 SEK 592

-54.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.64

$1.72 SEK 16.90

-31.98%

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

$27.9K CA$39.0K

$32.6K SEK 320.4K

-14.41%

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

$21.0K CA$29.4K

$33.8K SEK 331.2K

-37.67%

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

$167 CA$233

$99.4 SEK 975

67.75%

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

$38.27 CA$53.5

$15.73 SEK 154

143.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.9 CA$71.2

$43.76 SEK 429

16.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 CA$71.2

$45.27 SEK 444

12.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.17 CA$25.39

$16.66 SEK 163

9.06%

Cinema Ticket

$14.44 CA$20.18

$14.08 SEK 138

2.56%

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

$545 CA$762

$126 SEK 1,236

333.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$22.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 CA$82.3

$106 SEK 1,037

-44.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.75 CA$55.6

$39.85 SEK 391

-0.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$130

$75.9 SEK 744

23.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

$141 SEK 1,384

-22.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 CA$1,752

$868 SEK 8,518

44.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 CA$1,476

$575 SEK 5,638

83.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,022 CA$2,826

$1,184 SEK 11.6K

70.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,629 CA$2,276

$867 SEK 8,504

87.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,600 CA$5,031

$3,849 SEK 37.8K

-6.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,243 CA$4,531

$2,779 SEK 27.3K

16.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,115 CA$4,353

$3,203 SEK 31.4K

-2.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.09

10.27%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 26, 2026

Last update for Karlstad: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1.1K 45.9%

Karlstad

$575 33.3% 45.6% $482

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$393 17.1%

Karlstad

$370 21.4% 5.7% $22

Eating Out

Calgary

$271 11.8%

Karlstad

$282 16.3% 4% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$256 11.1%

Karlstad

$159 9.2% 37.9% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$136 5.9%

Karlstad

$163 9.5% 20% $27

Getting Around

Calgary

$111 4.8%

Karlstad

$105 6.1% 5.6% $6.2

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$80 3.5%

Karlstad

$73 4.3% 8% $6.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,254 in Calgary and $868 in Karlstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Karlstad pays 3% 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 $81 in Karlstad. Groceries flip the comparison at $393 vs $370, with Karlstad cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇸🇪 Karlstad

🕒 Local time

20:32 8:32 PM

03:32 3:32 AM

7 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

62,797

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

100 SEK = 10.19 USD

100 SEK = 9.13 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 9.81 SEK (1 SEK = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 SEK (100 SEK = 9.13 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Calgary Karlstad 6,860 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Calgary
Karlstad

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 Karlstad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karlstad is about 25% cheaper overall, especially in utilities, groceries, and leisure. 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 $868 in Karlstad. 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 $81 in Karlstad. 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 $1,727 in Karlstad – Karlstad is about 25% 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.