Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Port Alberni

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Alberni: $1,693 a month against $2,255 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 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
82

Cost of Living Index in Port Alberni
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Port Alberni Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,255

/mo nomad

Port Alberni

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,693

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Port Alberni

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,255 in Calgary versus $1,693 in Port Alberni.

Calgary $2,255
Port Alberni $1,693

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Calgary versus $2,834 in Port Alberni.

Calgary $3,361
Port Alberni $2,834

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,468 in Calgary versus $3,976 in Port Alberni.

Calgary $4,468
Port Alberni $3,976

Living in Calgary is roughly 33% more expensive than in Port Alberni, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 66% above, Port Alberni 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 CA$24.85

$18.06 CA$25.54

-2.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 CA$97.6

$63.2 CA$89.4

9.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 CA$14.97

$10.51 CA$14.86

0.76%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.42

$4.00 CA$5.65

-4.00%

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

$1.93 CA$2.72

$2.12 CA$2.99

-8.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.66

$1.44 CA$2.04

30.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.09 CA$7.20

$3.48 CA$4.92

46.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 CA$7.97

$5.44 CA$7.69

3.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 CA$2.82

$2.25 CA$3.18

-11.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 CA$3.93

$2.31 CA$3.26

20.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.59 CA$7.90

$2.90 CA$4.10

92.76%

Eggs

$3.70 CA$5.23

$3.92 CA$5.54

-5.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.48 CA$16.23

$9.02 CA$12.76

27.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.20 CA$15.84

$4.29 CA$6.06

161.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.59 CA$26.28

$19.98 CA$28.24

-6.96%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 CA$6.64

$2.75 CA$3.89

70.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.08 CA$1.53

34.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.34 CA$6.13

$3.44 CA$4.86

26.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.79 CA$5.36

$3.62 CA$5.12

4.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.81

$2.15 CA$3.04

25.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.75 CA$3.88

$1.87 CA$2.64

47.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 CA$3.62

$2.16 CA$3.05

18.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$0.75 CA$1.05

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.39 CA$20.34

$10.52 CA$14.87

36.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.81 CA$22.35

$10.58 CA$14.96

49.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 CA$3.49

$2.56 CA$3.62

-3.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 CA$4.39

$2.88 CA$4.08

7.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.81 CA$3.97

$1.45 CA$2.05

93.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.6 CA$128

$34.08 CA$48.17

165.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 CA$4.64

$2.71 CA$3.84

21.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 CA$1.97

$1.60 CA$2.26

-12.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.49 CA$37.45

$31.40 CA$44.39

-15.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.72

$1.21 CA$1.71

0.83%

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

$28.4K CA$40.1K

$27.3K CA$38.5K

4.10%

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

$20.8K CA$29.5K

$21.0K CA$29.6K

-0.61%

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

$165 CA$233

$81.5 CA$115

102.14%

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

$38.24 CA$54.1

$36.54 CA$51.7

4.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.1 CA$70.9

$51.9 CA$73.4

-3.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 CA$76.1

$41.88 CA$59.2

28.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.04 CA$25.51

Cinema Ticket

$14.04 CA$19.84

$12.61 CA$17.83

11.34%

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

$797 CA$1,126

$1,088 CA$1,538

-26.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K CA$22.3K

$20.3K CA$28.6K

-21.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 CA$83.5

$58.9 CA$83.2

0.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.20 CA$56.8

$32.95 CA$46.58

22.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.8 CA$128

$95.4 CA$135

-4.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$155

$94.4 CA$133

15.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 CA$1,707

$788 CA$1,114

53.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,011 CA$1,429

$711 CA$1,005

42.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,949 CA$2,756

$1,697 CA$2,399

14.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 CA$2,371

$1,690 CA$2,390

-0.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,532 CA$4,993

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,392 CA$4,795

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,152 CA$4,456

$3,103 CA$4,387

1.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.28

5.37%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 18, 2026

Last update for Port Alberni: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1K 44.8%

Port Alberni

$711 42% 29.7% $300

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$392 17.4%

Port Alberni

$301 17.8% 23.2% $91

Eating Out

Calgary

$270 12%

Port Alberni

$267 15.7% 1.4% $3.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$253 11.2%

Port Alberni

$170 10% 32.8% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$135 6%

Port Alberni

$127 7.5% 5.9% $8

Getting Around

Calgary

$112 5%

Port Alberni

$51 3% 54.9% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$82 3.6%

Port Alberni

$67 4% 18% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,207 in Calgary and $788 in Port Alberni. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays 2% 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 $63.0 in Port Alberni for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $392 vs $301 per month, with Port Alberni cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇨🇦 Port Alberni

🕒 Local time

22:57 10:57 PM

21:57 9:57 PM

1 h behind Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

17,743

💱 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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Calgary Port Alberni 790 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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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 Port Alberni: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Port Alberni is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 33% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 2% 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: $1,207 in Calgary versus $788 in Port Alberni. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Port Alberni – a meal for two runs $63.0 versus $69.0 in Calgary. 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 $1,693 in Port Alberni – a 33% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,693 in Port Alberni versus $2,255 in Calgary, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Port Alberni but tight or insufficient in Calgary. The gap between the two cities makes Port Alberni 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.

Expats usually find Port Alberni gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.