Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Ottawa

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,255 a month against $2,416 in Ottawa, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ottawa outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Ottawa
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Ottawa Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,255

/mo nomad

Ottawa

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,416

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Ottawa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,255 in Calgary versus $2,416 in Ottawa.

Calgary $2,255
Ottawa $2,416

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Calgary versus $3,537 in Ottawa.

Calgary $3,361
Ottawa $3,537

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,468 in Calgary versus $4,658 in Ottawa.

Calgary $4,468
Ottawa $4,658

Living in Calgary costs roughly 7% less than in Ottawa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 66% above, Ottawa 78% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 CA$24.85

$17.62 CA$24.91

-0.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 CA$97.6

$78.6 CA$111

-12.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 CA$14.97

$10.61 CA$15.00

-0.19%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.42

$4.04 CA$5.71

-4.95%

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

$1.93 CA$2.72

$2.08 CA$2.94

-7.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.66

$1.75 CA$2.48

7.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.09 CA$7.20

$5.71 CA$8.08

-10.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 CA$7.97

$6.47 CA$9.14

-12.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 CA$2.82

$2.40 CA$3.39

-16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 CA$3.93

$2.96 CA$4.19

-6.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.59 CA$7.90

$2.88 CA$4.07

94.10%

Eggs

$3.70 CA$5.23

$3.23 CA$4.57

14.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.48 CA$16.23

$11.51 CA$16.27

-0.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.20 CA$15.84

$11.61 CA$16.41

-3.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.59 CA$26.28

$19.02 CA$26.90

-2.26%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 CA$6.64

$3.74 CA$5.29

25.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.27 CA$1.79

14.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.34 CA$6.13

$3.90 CA$5.52

11.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.79 CA$5.36

$3.61 CA$5.10

4.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.81

$2.57 CA$3.64

4.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.75 CA$3.88

$2.39 CA$3.38

15.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 CA$3.62

$2.61 CA$3.69

-1.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$1.47 CA$2.08

2.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.39 CA$20.34

$14.45 CA$20.43

-0.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.81 CA$22.35

$12.47 CA$17.63

26.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 CA$3.49

$2.61 CA$3.68

-5.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 CA$4.39

$3.18 CA$4.50

-2.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.81 CA$3.97

$2.93 CA$4.14

-4.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.6 CA$128

$94.6 CA$134

-4.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 CA$4.64

$2.68 CA$3.79

22.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 CA$1.97

$1.53 CA$2.16

-8.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.49 CA$37.45

$19.08 CA$26.98

38.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.72

$1.23 CA$1.74

-0.81%

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

$28.4K CA$40.1K

$27.6K CA$39.0K

2.91%

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

$20.8K CA$29.5K

$22.3K CA$31.5K

-6.48%

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

$165 CA$233

$139 CA$196

18.45%

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

$38.24 CA$54.1

$37.37 CA$52.8

2.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.1 CA$70.9

$51.1 CA$72.3

-1.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 CA$76.1

$48.10 CA$68.0

11.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.04 CA$25.51

$27.89 CA$39.43

-35.32%

Cinema Ticket

$14.04 CA$19.84

$12.68 CA$17.93

10.73%

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

$797 CA$1,126

$928 CA$1,311

-14.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K CA$22.3K

$16.1K CA$22.7K

-1.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 CA$83.5

$57.3 CA$81.0

3.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.20 CA$56.8

$37.28 CA$52.7

7.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.8 CA$128

$103 CA$146

-11.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$155

$97.5 CA$138

12.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 CA$1,707

$1,437 CA$2,031

-15.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,011 CA$1,429

$1,215 CA$1,717

-16.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,949 CA$2,756

$2,310 CA$3,266

-15.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 CA$2,371

$1,871 CA$2,645

-10.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,532 CA$4,993

$4,326 CA$6,115

-18.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,392 CA$4,795

$4,547 CA$6,428

-25.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,152 CA$4,456

$3,730 CA$5,274

-15.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.16

8.41%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 18, 2026

Last update for Ottawa: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1K 44.8%

Ottawa

$1.2K 50.3% 20.1% $204

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$392 17.4%

Ottawa

$373 15.4% 4.9% $19

Eating Out

Calgary

$270 12%

Ottawa

$278 11.5% 2.9% $7.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$253 11.2%

Ottawa

$227 9.4% 10.1% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$135 6%

Ottawa

$133 5.5% 1.4% $1.9

Getting Around

Calgary

$112 5%

Ottawa

$117 4.8% 4.1% $4.5

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$82 3.6%

Ottawa

$73 3% 10.3% $8.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,207 in Calgary and $1,437 in Ottawa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ottawa pays 18% 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: $69.0 in Calgary vs $79.0 in Ottawa. Groceries flip the comparison at $392 vs $373, with Ottawa cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇨🇦 Ottawa

🕒 Local time

17:01 5:01 PM

19:01 7:01 PM

2 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

1,000,000 Capital

💱 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

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Between locations

Calgary Ottawa 2,880 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

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)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Calgary vs Ottawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, transport, and utilities. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 18% lower in Ottawa. 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: $1,207 in Calgary versus $1,437 in Ottawa. 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 $69.0 versus $79.0 in Ottawa. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,255 per month in Calgary versus $2,416 in Ottawa – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,255 in Calgary versus $2,416 in Ottawa, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Ottawa. The gap between the two cities makes Calgary the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Calgary is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ottawa, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Calgary and Ottawa 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 Calgary gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Ottawa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.