Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and North Bay

For one person, living is cheaper in North Bay: $2,162 a month against $2,303 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index
105

Cost of Living Index in North Bay
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North Bay Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,303

/mo nomad

North Bay

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,162

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in North Bay

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,303 in Calgary versus $2,162 in North Bay.

Calgary $2,303
North Bay $2,162

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,366 in Calgary versus $3,060 in North Bay.

Calgary $3,366
North Bay $3,060

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,428 in Calgary versus $3,957 in North Bay.

Calgary $4,428
North Bay $3,957

Living in Calgary is roughly 7% more expensive than in North Bay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 69% above, North Bay 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 CA$24.52

$17.83 CA$24.91

-1.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.4 CA$98.4

$77.4 CA$108

-9.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.69 CA$14.94

$10.73 CA$14.99

-0.37%

Cappuccino

$3.89 CA$5.43

$3.98 CA$5.57

-2.26%

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

$2.04 CA$2.85

$2.07 CA$2.90

-1.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.62

$1.76 CA$2.45

6.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 CA$6.84

$5.02 CA$7.02

-2.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.78 CA$8.08

$6.81 CA$9.51

-15.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 CA$2.74

$2.56 CA$3.57

-23.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 CA$3.83

$2.72 CA$3.81

0.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.46 CA$7.63

$2.24 CA$3.12

143.75%

Eggs

$3.69 CA$5.15

$3.53 CA$4.93

4.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.24 CA$15.71

$9.49 CA$13.27

18.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 CA$16.12

$11.32 CA$15.82

1.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 CA$25.68

$12.37 CA$17.29

48.59%

Apples (1kg)

$4.90 CA$6.85

$3.67 CA$5.13

33.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$1.99

$1.22 CA$1.70

16.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.88

$3.21 CA$4.49

31.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 CA$5.62

$4.19 CA$5.86

-4.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.77

$1.85 CA$2.58

45.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 CA$3.72

$1.68 CA$2.34

58.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CA$3.65

$2.24 CA$3.13

16.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 CA$2.23

$1.26 CA$1.76

26.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.00 CA$19.57

$14.46 CA$20.20

-3.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.40 CA$21.52

$14.26 CA$19.92

7.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 CA$3.49

$2.23 CA$3.12

12.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.32

$2.46 CA$3.44

25.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.93 CA$4.09

$2.28 CA$3.18

28.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.3 CA$125

$67.4 CA$94.1

32.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 CA$4.57

$3.08 CA$4.31

6.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 CA$1.89

$1.13 CA$1.58

19.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.39 CA$38.27

$22.26 CA$31.11

23.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.64

$1.25 CA$1.75

-6.40%

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

$27.9K CA$39.0K

$26.8K CA$37.5K

4.19%

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

$21.0K CA$29.4K

$21.5K CA$30.0K

-2.09%

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

$167 CA$233

$124 CA$173

34.76%

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

$38.27 CA$53.5

$32.74 CA$45.75

16.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.9 CA$71.2

$48.00 CA$67.1

6.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 CA$71.2

$24.94 CA$34.85

104.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.17 CA$25.39

Cinema Ticket

$14.44 CA$20.18

$13.09 CA$18.29

10.31%

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

$545 CA$762

$753 CA$1,052

-27.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$22.7K

$23.8K CA$33.2K

-31.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 CA$82.3

$44.70 CA$62.5

31.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.75 CA$55.6

$18.18 CA$25.41

118.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$130

$101 CA$141

-7.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

$89.3 CA$125

23.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 CA$1,752

$1,457 CA$2,036

-13.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 CA$1,476

$1,095 CA$1,530

-3.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,022 CA$2,826

$1,852 CA$2,587

9.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,629 CA$2,276

$1,475 CA$2,061

10.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,600 CA$5,031

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,243 CA$4,531

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,115 CA$4,353

$3,108 CA$4,343

0.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.45

1.35%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 26, 2026

Last update for North Bay: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1.1K 45.9%

North Bay

$1.1K 50.7% 3.7% $39

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$393 17.1%

North Bay

$335 15.5% 14.6% $57

Eating Out

Calgary

$271 11.8%

North Bay

$277 12.8% 2.1% $5.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$256 11.1%

North Bay

$204 9.5% 20.1% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$136 5.9%

North Bay

$114 5.3% 16.1% $22

Getting Around

Calgary

$111 4.8%

North Bay

$85 3.9% 23.3% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$80 3.5%

North Bay

$51 2.4% 36% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,254 in Calgary and $1,457 in North Bay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $70 in Calgary vs $77 in North Bay. Groceries flip the comparison at $393 vs $335, with North Bay cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇨🇦 North Bay

🕒 Local time

16:14 4:14 PM

17:14 5:14 PM

1 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

51,553

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Calgary North Bay 2,570 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Calgary
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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 North Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

North Bay is about 6% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $3,454 in Calgary and $3,243 in North Bay 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: $1,254 in Calgary versus $1,457 in North Bay. 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 $77 in North Bay. 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 $2,162 in North Bay – North Bay is about 6% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. North Bay is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.