Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Lethbridge, AB

For one person, living is cheaper in Lethbridge, AB: $2,201 a month against $2,303 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Calgary outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

110

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index
105

Cost of Living Index in Lethbridge, AB
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Lethbridge, AB Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,303

/mo nomad

Lethbridge, AB

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,201

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Lethbridge, AB

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,303 in Calgary versus $2,201 in Lethbridge, AB.

Calgary $2,303
Lethbridge, AB $2,201

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,366 in Calgary versus $3,140 in Lethbridge, AB.

Calgary $3,366
Lethbridge, AB $3,140

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,428 in Calgary versus $4,079 in Lethbridge, AB.

Calgary $4,428
Lethbridge, AB $4,079

Living in Calgary is roughly 5% more expensive than in Lethbridge, AB, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 69% above, Lethbridge, AB 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 CA$24.53

$21.74 CA$30.38

-19.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.4 CA$98.4

$66.9 CA$93.5

5.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.69 CA$14.94

$11.92 CA$16.66

-10.32%

Cappuccino

$3.89 CA$5.44

$4.18 CA$5.84

-6.94%

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

$2.04 CA$2.85

$1.79 CA$2.51

13.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.62

$2.08 CA$2.90

-9.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 CA$6.84

$5.08 CA$7.10

-3.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.78 CA$8.08

$5.74 CA$8.03

0.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 CA$2.74

$2.18 CA$3.04

-10.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 CA$3.83

$2.46 CA$3.44

11.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.46 CA$7.63

$4.55 CA$6.36

20.00%

Eggs

$3.69 CA$5.15

$3.54 CA$4.94

4.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.24 CA$15.72

$10.13 CA$14.16

10.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 CA$16.13

$12.45 CA$17.40

-7.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 CA$25.68

$13.15 CA$18.38

39.77%

Apples (1kg)

$4.90 CA$6.85

$3.32 CA$4.64

47.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$1.99

$1.30 CA$1.82

9.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.89

$2.69 CA$3.76

56.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 CA$5.62

$4.62 CA$6.46

-12.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.77

$3.61 CA$5.05

-25.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 CA$3.72

$3.14 CA$4.39

-15.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CA$3.65

$3.22 CA$4.50

-18.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 CA$2.23

$1.74 CA$2.43

-8.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.00 CA$19.57

$11.82 CA$16.52

18.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.40 CA$21.52

$14.28 CA$19.96

7.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 CA$3.49

$3.14 CA$4.39

-20.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.32

$3.73 CA$5.21

-17.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.93 CA$4.10

$2.13 CA$2.97

37.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.3 CA$125

$54.9 CA$76.7

62.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 CA$4.57

$3.48 CA$4.87

-6.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 CA$1.89

$2.88 CA$4.02

-53.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.39 CA$38.28

$42.75 CA$59.8

-35.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.64

$1.14 CA$1.59

2.63%

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

$27.9K CA$39.1K

$25.0K CA$34.9K

11.81%

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

$21.0K CA$29.4K

$21.2K CA$29.6K

-0.83%

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

$167 CA$233

$280 CA$391

-40.39%

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

$38.27 CA$53.5

$52.6 CA$73.5

-27.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.9 CA$71.2

$69.6 CA$97.3

-26.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 CA$71.2

$44.15 CA$61.7

15.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.17 CA$25.40

$14.34 CA$20.04

26.71%

Cinema Ticket

$14.44 CA$20.18

$14.08 CA$19.68

2.56%

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

$545 CA$762

$867 CA$1,211

-37.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$22.7K

$3,534 CA$4,939

358.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 CA$82.3

$47.97 CA$67.1

22.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.75 CA$55.6

$50.8 CA$71.0

-21.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$130

$76.7 CA$107

21.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

$116 CA$162

-5.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 CA$1,753

$1,009 CA$1,411

24.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 CA$1,477

$830 CA$1,160

27.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,022 CA$2,826

$1,431 CA$2,000

41.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,629 CA$2,276

$1,195 CA$1,670

36.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,600 CA$5,032

$5,602 CA$7,829

-35.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,243 CA$4,532

$2,052 CA$2,868

58.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,115 CA$4,354

$3,024 CA$4,227

3.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.85

-7.01%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 26, 2026

Last update for Lethbridge, AB: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1.1K 45.9%

Lethbridge, AB

$830 37.7% 21.4% $226

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$393 17.1%

Lethbridge, AB

$372 16.9% 5.3% $21

Eating Out

Calgary

$271 11.8%

Lethbridge, AB

$312 14.2% 15.3% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$256 11.1%

Lethbridge, AB

$402 18.3% 57.1% $146

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$136 5.9%

Lethbridge, AB

$131 6% 3.4% $4.7

Getting Around

Calgary

$111 4.8%

Lethbridge, AB

$81 3.7% 26.8% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$80 3.5%

Lethbridge, AB

$72 3.3% 9.4% $7.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,254 in Calgary and $1,009 in Lethbridge, AB. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays 3% 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 $67 in Lethbridge, AB for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $393 vs $372 per month, with Lethbridge, AB cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇨🇦 Lethbridge, AB

🕒 Local time

13:46 1:46 PM

Same time as Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

83,517

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.638 EUR

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.638 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Calgary Lethbridge, AB 170 km

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Calgary vs Lethbridge, AB: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

Average pay runs 3% 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: $1,254 in Calgary versus $1,009 in Lethbridge, AB. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Lethbridge, AB – a meal for two runs $67 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 $2,201 in Lethbridge, AB – Lethbridge, AB is about 4% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Lethbridge, AB gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

Expats usually find Lethbridge, AB gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.