Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Lloydminster

For one person, living is cheaper in Lloydminster: $1,628 a month against $2,223 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Lloydminster
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Lloydminster Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,223

/mo nomad

Lloydminster

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,628

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Lloydminster

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,223 in Calgary versus $1,628 in Lloydminster.

Calgary $2,223
Lloydminster $1,628

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,301 in Calgary versus $2,496 in Lloydminster.

Calgary $3,301
Lloydminster $2,496

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,379 in Calgary versus $3,363 in Lloydminster.

Calgary $4,379
Lloydminster $3,363

Living in Calgary is roughly 37% more expensive than in Lloydminster, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 65% above, Lloydminster 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.22 CA$24.34

$15.65 CA$22.12

10.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.1 CA$100

$65.8 CA$93.0

7.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.53 CA$14.89

$9.06 CA$12.81

16.23%

Cappuccino

$3.66 CA$5.18

$3.46 CA$4.89

5.78%

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

$1.98 CA$2.80

$1.61 CA$2.27

22.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 CA$2.74

$1.67 CA$2.35

16.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.95 CA$7.00

$4.19 CA$5.92

18.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.57 CA$7.87

$4.17 CA$5.90

33.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 CA$2.65

$1.92 CA$2.71

-2.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 CA$3.78

$2.19 CA$3.10

21.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.32 CA$7.52

$4.76 CA$6.72

11.76%

Eggs

$3.79 CA$5.35

$3.37 CA$4.77

12.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.09 CA$15.68

$9.64 CA$13.63

15.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.36 CA$16.05

$11.31 CA$15.99

0.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.40 CA$26.01

$13.01 CA$18.39

41.43%

Apples (1kg)

$4.56 CA$6.45

$3.89 CA$5.49

17.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.04

$1.40 CA$1.98

2.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.08 CA$5.76

$2.91 CA$4.11

40.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.89 CA$5.50

$3.15 CA$4.45

23.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.73

$2.84 CA$4.01

-7.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.73

$2.03 CA$2.86

30.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 CA$3.54

$2.05 CA$2.90

21.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$1.45 CA$2.05

3.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.05 CA$19.86

$14.30 CA$20.22

-1.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.70 CA$22.20

$13.84 CA$19.56

13.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 CA$3.45

$2.74 CA$3.87

-10.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.37

$3.31 CA$4.68

-6.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 CA$3.99

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 CA$125

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 CA$4.41

$4.24 CA$5.99

-26.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 CA$1.91

$1.28 CA$1.81

5.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.02 CA$38.20

$14.07 CA$19.89

92.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 CA$1.64

$1.00 CA$1.41

16.00%

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

$27.9K CA$39.5K

-0.02%

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

$20.3K CA$28.8K

$20.6K CA$29.1K

-1.07%

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

$161 CA$227

$195 CA$275

-17.36%

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

$38.13 CA$53.9

$46.45 CA$65.7

-17.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.0 CA$70.7

$56.8 CA$80.3

-11.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 CA$72.8

$43.23 CA$61.1

19.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 CA$25.64

Cinema Ticket

$13.82 CA$19.54

$10.61 CA$14.99

30.25%

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

$786 CA$1,111

$487 CA$689

61.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.5K CA$21.8K

$14.2K CA$20.0K

9.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 CA$82.4

$43.02 CA$60.8

35.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.27 CA$55.5

$27.51 CA$38.88

42.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 CA$127

$83.3 CA$118

7.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$107 CA$151

3.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,229 CA$1,737

$732 CA$1,035

67.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,001 CA$1,415

$562 CA$795

78.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,921 CA$2,716

$1,141 CA$1,613

68.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 CA$2,292

$1,031 CA$1,458

57.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,549 CA$5,018

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,335 CA$4,715

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,165 CA$4,474

$2,739 CA$3,872

15.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.8

-6.04%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 13, 2026

Last update for Lloydminster: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1K 45%

Lloydminster

$562 34.5% 43.9% $439

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$385 17.3%

Lloydminster

$340 20.9% 11.9% $46

Eating Out

Calgary

$265 11.9%

Lloydminster

$236 14.5% 10.8% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$249 11.2%

Lloydminster

$298 18.3% 19.6% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$134 6%

Lloydminster

$117 7.2% 12.4% $17

Getting Around

Calgary

$110 4.9%

Lloydminster

$11 * 0.7% 90.3% $99

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$79 3.6%

Lloydminster

$64 4% 18.6% $15

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,229 in Calgary and $732 in Lloydminster. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays 16% 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: $71.0 in Calgary vs $66.0 in Lloydminster for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $385 vs $340 per month, with Lloydminster cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇨🇦 Lloydminster

🕒 Local time

02:41 2:41 AM

Same time as Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

31,582

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

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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 Lloydminster: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lloydminster is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 37% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 16% 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: $1,229 in Calgary versus $732 in Lloydminster. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $786 in Calgary versus $487 in Lloydminster. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Lloydminster – a meal for two runs $66.0 versus $71.0 in Calgary. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,628 in Lloydminster versus $2,223 in Calgary, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lloydminster but tight or insufficient in Calgary. The gap between the two cities makes Lloydminster the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Calgary and Lloydminster are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Lloydminster gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.