Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Nanaimo, BC

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,297 a month against $2,383 in Nanaimo, BC, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nanaimo, BC outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

110

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
Learn more

Calgary Living Index
114

Cost of Living Index in Nanaimo, BC
Learn more

Nanaimo, BC Living Index

Jump to prices

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,297

/mo nomad

Nanaimo, BC

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,383

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Nanaimo, BC

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,297 in Calgary versus $2,383 in Nanaimo, BC.

Calgary $2,297
Nanaimo, BC $2,383

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,378 in Calgary versus $3,379 in Nanaimo, BC.

Calgary $3,378
Nanaimo, BC $3,379

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,459 in Calgary versus $4,375 in Nanaimo, BC.

Calgary $4,459
Nanaimo, BC $4,375

Living in Calgary costs roughly 4% less than in Nanaimo, BC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 70% above, Nanaimo, BC 76% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.94 CA$25.05

$17.55 CA$24.50

2.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.9 CA$96.1

$77.9 CA$109

-11.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.94 CA$15.27

$11.35 CA$15.85

-3.61%

Cappuccino

$3.70 CA$5.17

$3.97 CA$5.54

-6.80%

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

$2.07 CA$2.89

$2.27 CA$3.17

-8.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 CA$2.85

$1.63 CA$2.27

25.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 CA$8.02

$5.89 CA$8.22

-2.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 CA$7.96

$5.69 CA$7.94

0.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.98 CA$2.76

$1.67 CA$2.33

18.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 CA$3.70

$3.32 CA$4.63

-20.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.84 CA$8.15

$3.16 CA$4.41

84.81%

Eggs

$3.81 CA$5.33

$4.24 CA$5.92

-10.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.81 CA$15.08

$11.51 CA$16.07

-6.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.02 CA$15.38

$13.86 CA$19.34

-20.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.87 CA$24.95

$17.38 CA$24.26

2.82%

Apples (1kg)

$4.88 CA$6.81

$4.30 CA$6.00

13.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.03

$1.29 CA$1.81

12.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.15 CA$5.80

$4.43 CA$6.19

-6.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 CA$5.57

$5.78 CA$8.06

-30.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.93 CA$4.09

$2.41 CA$3.36

21.58%

Onion (1kg)

$3.02 CA$4.22

$2.85 CA$3.98

5.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.67 CA$3.72

$2.82 CA$3.94

-5.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.19

$2.31 CA$3.23

-32.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.11 CA$19.69

$14.51 CA$20.25

-2.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.45 CA$21.57

$14.04 CA$19.60

10.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 CA$3.50

$2.55 CA$3.56

-1.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 CA$4.44

$2.64 CA$3.69

20.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.85 CA$3.97

$1.95 CA$2.72

46.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.2 CA$126

$46.89 CA$65.5

92.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 CA$4.41

$2.83 CA$3.95

11.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 CA$1.96

$1.94 CA$2.71

-27.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.46 CA$38.33

$36.00 CA$50.3

-23.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 CA$1.65

$1.34 CA$1.87

-11.94%

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

$27.9K CA$38.9K

$26.0K CA$36.3K

7.21%

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

$21.1K CA$29.4K

$21.0K CA$29.3K

0.34%

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

$182 CA$254

$149 CA$208

22.06%

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

$36.01 CA$50.3

$40.43 CA$56.4

-10.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.80 CA$68.1

$66.5 CA$92.8

-26.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.78 CA$68.1

$25.98 CA$36.27

87.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.15 CA$25.34

$19.63 CA$27.40

-7.54%

Cinema Ticket

$14.52 CA$20.26

$10.98 CA$15.32

32.24%

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

$542 CA$756

$699 CA$976

-22.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.2K CA$29.5K

$15.1K CA$21.1K

40.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 CA$82.5

$50.2 CA$70.0

17.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.34 CA$59.1

$33.30 CA$46.48

27.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.2 CA$131

$99.5 CA$139

-5.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$152

$113 CA$158

-3.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,214 CA$1,694

$1,445 CA$2,017

-16.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 CA$1,447

$1,191 CA$1,663

-13.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,045 CA$2,855

$2,060 CA$2,876

-0.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,655 CA$2,310

$1,639 CA$2,288

0.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,653 CA$5,099

$3,800 CA$5,305

-3.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,183 CA$4,443

$3,417 CA$4,769

-6.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,219 CA$4,493

$3,169 CA$4,424

1.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.43

4.72

-6.14%

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

Last update for Calgary: November 2, 2026

Last update for Nanaimo, BC: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1K 45.1%

Nanaimo, BC

$1.2K 50% 14.9% $155

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$390 17%

Nanaimo, BC

$409 17.2% 5% $20

Eating Out

Calgary

$277 12.1%

Nanaimo, BC

$279 11.7% 0.4% $1.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$267 11.6%

Nanaimo, BC

$256 10.7% 4% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$137 6%

Nanaimo, BC

$133 5.6% 2.7% $3.7

Getting Around

Calgary

$112 4.9%

Nanaimo, BC

$67 2.8% 39.9% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$78 3.4%

Nanaimo, BC

$48 2% 38.4% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,214 in Calgary and $1,445 in Nanaimo, BC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69 in Calgary vs $78 in Nanaimo, BC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $390 vs $409 per month, with Calgary cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇨🇦 Nanaimo, BC

🕒 Local time

10:06 10:06 AM

09:06 9:06 AM

1 h behind Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

90,504

💱 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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Calgary Nanaimo, BC 740 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Calgary
Nanaimo, BC

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 Nanaimo, BC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

You’d need roughly $3,445 in Calgary and $3,575 in Nanaimo, BC to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,214 in Calgary versus $1,445 in Nanaimo, BC. 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 $69 versus $78 in Nanaimo, BC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,297 per month in Calgary versus $2,383 in Nanaimo, BC – Calgary is about 4% 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.