Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Pickering, ON

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,303 a month against $2,590 in Pickering, ON, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Pickering, ON outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Calgary, Canada
Pickering, ON, Canada
Calgary
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,303
/mo nomad
Pickering, ON
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,590
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Pickering, ON

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,303 in Calgary versus $2,590 in Pickering, ON.

  • Calgary $2,303
  • Pickering, ON $2,590

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,366 in Calgary versus $3,662 in Pickering, ON.

  • Calgary $3,366
  • Pickering, ON $3,662

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,428 in Calgary versus $4,733 in Pickering, ON.

  • Calgary $4,428
  • Pickering, ON $4,733

Living in Calgary costs roughly 11% less than in Pickering, ON, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 69% above, Pickering, ON 90% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Calgary
Pickering, ON
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.55 CA$24.52
$14.17 CA$19.80
23.85%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$70.4 CA$98.4
$57.9 CA$80.9
21.64%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.69 CA$14.94
$10.80 CA$15.09
-1.02%
Cappuccino
$3.89 CA$5.43
$1.97 CA$2.75
97.46%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.04 CA$2.85
$1.69 CA$2.37
20.71%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.88 CA$2.62
$1.58 CA$2.21
18.99%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.90 CA$6.84
$4.72 CA$6.60
3.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.78 CA$8.08
$4.56 CA$6.38
26.75%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Calgary
Pickering, ON
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.96 CA$2.74
$2.14 CA$2.99
-8.41%
White Bread (500g)
$2.74 CA$3.83
$2.21 CA$3.09
23.98%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.46 CA$7.63
$4.40 CA$6.15
24.09%
Eggs
$3.69 CA$5.15
$3.65 CA$5.10
1.10%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.24 CA$15.71
$9.81 CA$13.71
14.58%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.54 CA$16.12
$11.38 CA$15.90
1.41%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.38 CA$25.68
$14.15 CA$19.77
29.89%
Apples (1kg)
$4.90 CA$6.85
$3.12 CA$4.36
57.05%
Banana (1kg)
$1.42 CA$1.99
$0.59 CA$0.82
140.68%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.21 CA$5.88
$2.54 CA$3.56
65.75%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.02 CA$5.62
$2.08 CA$2.90
93.27%
Potato (1kg)
$2.69 CA$3.77
$2.20 CA$3.07
22.27%
Onion (1kg)
$2.66 CA$3.72
$2.72 CA$3.80
-2.21%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.61 CA$3.65
$2.75 CA$3.85
-5.09%
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
$13.49 CA$18.85
3.78%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.40 CA$21.52
$12.98 CA$18.13
18.64%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.50 CA$3.49
$1.75 CA$2.45
42.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.09 CA$4.32
$2.39 CA$3.33
29.29%
🚌 Getting Around
Calgary
Pickering, ON
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.93 CA$4.09
$2.74 CA$3.84
6.93%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$89.3 CA$125
$161 CA$226
-44.69%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.27 CA$4.57
$2.89 CA$4.04
13.15%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.35 CA$1.89
$2.25 CA$3.15
-40.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.39 CA$38.27
$22.27 CA$31.12
22.99%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.17 CA$1.64
$1.11 CA$1.55
5.41%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.9K CA$39.0K
$25.0K CA$34.9K
11.96%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.0K CA$29.4K
$22.2K CA$31.1K
-5.34%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Calgary
Pickering, ON
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$167 CA$233
$107 CA$149
56.24%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$38.27 CA$53.5
$34.45 CA$48.13
11.09%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$50.9 CA$71.2
$48.19 CA$67.3
5.69%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Calgary
Pickering, ON
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.0 CA$71.2
$59.9 CA$83.6
-14.87%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.17 CA$25.39
$26.56 CA$37.11
-31.59%
Cinema Ticket
$14.44 CA$20.18
$11.21 CA$15.66
28.81%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Calgary
Pickering, ON
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$545 CA$762
$503 CA$703
8.41%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.2K CA$22.7K
$28.4K CA$39.7K
-42.97%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Calgary
Pickering, ON
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$58.9 CA$82.3
$74.4 CA$104
-20.83%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.75 CA$55.6
$54.1 CA$75.5
-26.46%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$93.4 CA$130
$82.6 CA$115
13.08%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 CA$154
$77.2 CA$108
42.44%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Calgary
Pickering, ON
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,254 CA$1,752
$1,658 CA$2,316
-24.34%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,056 CA$1,476
$1,465 CA$2,047
-27.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,022 CA$2,826
$2,504 CA$3,499
-19.26%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,629 CA$2,276
$2,194 CA$3,066
-25.77%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,600 CA$5,031
$4,334 CA$6,056
-16.93%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,243 CA$4,531
$3,903 CA$5,454
-16.93%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Calgary
Pickering, ON
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,115 CA$4,353
$3,072 CA$4,293
1.40%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.51
4.22
6.87%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 26, 2026

Last update for Pickering, ON: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Calgary
$1.1K
Pickering, ON
$1.5K 38.7% $409
Groceries & Markets
Calgary
$393
Pickering, ON
$322 18% $71
Eating Out
Calgary
$271
Pickering, ON
$215 20.5% $56
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Calgary
$256
Pickering, ON
$189 26% $67
Clothing & Footwear
Calgary
$136
Pickering, ON
$130 4.6% $6.2
Getting Around
Calgary
$111
Pickering, ON
$187 68% $76
Sport & Entertainment
Calgary
$80
Pickering, ON
$82 3.1% $2.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,254 in Calgary and $1,658 in Pickering, ON. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $70 in Calgary vs $58 in Pickering, ON for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $393 vs $322 per month, with Pickering, ON cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Calgary
🇨🇦 Pickering, ON
🕒 Local time
10:46 10:46 AM
11:46 11:46 AM
1 h ahead of Calgary
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,267,344
91,771
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Calgary Pickering, ON 2,720 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Calgary
  • Pickering, ON

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 Pickering, ON: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Calgary cheaper than Pickering, ON?
Calgary is about 11% cheaper overall, especially in transport and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $3,454 in Calgary and $3,885 in Pickering, ON 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.
What is the rent difference between Calgary and Pickering, ON?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,254 in Calgary versus $1,658 in Pickering, ON. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Is eating out cheaper in Calgary or in Pickering, ON?
Dining out is cheaper in Pickering, ON – a meal for two runs $58 versus $70 in Calgary. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
What are total monthly expenses in Calgary and in Pickering, ON?
All in, you’ll spend $2,303 per month in Calgary versus $2,590 in Pickering, ON – Calgary is about 11% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Is it better to live in Calgary or in Pickering, ON?
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.

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