Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Prince Albert

For one person, living is cheaper in Prince Albert: $1,710 a month against $2,303 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
Learn more

Calgary Living Index
82

Cost of Living Index in Prince Albert
Learn more

Prince Albert Living Index

Jump to prices

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,303

/mo nomad

Prince Albert

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,710

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Prince Albert

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,303 in Calgary versus $1,710 in Prince Albert.

Calgary $2,303
Prince Albert $1,710

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,366 in Calgary versus $2,442 in Prince Albert.

Calgary $3,366
Prince Albert $2,442

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,428 in Calgary versus $3,174 in Prince Albert.

Calgary $4,428
Prince Albert $3,174

Living in Calgary is roughly 35% more expensive than in Prince Albert, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 69% above, Prince Albert 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 CA$24.53

$17.52 CA$24.49

0.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.4 CA$98.4

$71.2 CA$99.5

-1.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.69 CA$14.94

$9.02 CA$12.61

18.51%

Cappuccino

$3.89 CA$5.44

$3.68 CA$5.14

5.71%

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

$2.04 CA$2.85

$2.06 CA$2.89

-0.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.62

$1.86 CA$2.60

1.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 CA$6.84

$4.33 CA$6.06

13.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.78 CA$8.08

$6.24 CA$8.73

-7.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 CA$2.74

$1.21 CA$1.69

61.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 CA$3.83

$1.45 CA$2.02

88.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.46 CA$7.63

$2.45 CA$3.43

122.86%

Eggs

$3.69 CA$5.15

$3.61 CA$5.05

2.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.24 CA$15.72

$6.94 CA$9.70

61.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 CA$16.13

$8.46 CA$11.83

36.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 CA$25.68

$4.16 CA$5.81

341.83%

Apples (1kg)

$4.90 CA$6.85

$4.07 CA$5.69

20.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$1.99

$1.48 CA$2.07

-4.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.89

$4.28 CA$5.99

-1.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 CA$5.62

$3.19 CA$4.45

26.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.77

$2.11 CA$2.95

27.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 CA$3.72

$2.18 CA$3.04

22.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CA$3.65

$2.89 CA$4.04

-9.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 CA$2.23

$1.50 CA$2.09

6.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.00 CA$19.57

$10.62 CA$14.85

31.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.40 CA$21.52

$13.93 CA$19.48

10.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 CA$3.49

$2.85 CA$3.99

-12.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.32

$3.48 CA$4.86

-11.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.93 CA$4.10

$1.56 CA$2.18

87.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.3 CA$125

$39.11 CA$54.7

128.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 CA$4.57

$3.00 CA$4.19

9.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 CA$1.89

$0.84 CA$1.17

60.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.39 CA$38.28

$14.25 CA$19.91

92.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.64

$1.08 CA$1.51

8.33%

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

$27.9K CA$39.1K

$22.2K CA$31.0K

25.82%

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

$21.0K CA$29.4K

$22.0K CA$30.8K

-4.58%

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

$167 CA$233

$53.2 CA$74.4

213.13%

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

$38.27 CA$53.5

$47.67 CA$66.6

-19.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.9 CA$71.2

$60.3 CA$84.3

-15.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 CA$71.2

$118 CA$165

-56.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.17 CA$25.40

$16.03 CA$22.40

13.35%

Cinema Ticket

$14.44 CA$20.18

$9.52 CA$13.30

51.68%

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

$545 CA$762

$492 CA$688

10.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$22.7K

$14.5K CA$20.3K

11.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 CA$82.3

$49.52 CA$69.2

18.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.75 CA$55.6

$35.48 CA$49.58

12.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$130

$86.9 CA$121

7.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

$107 CA$150

2.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 CA$1,753

$914 CA$1,277

37.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 CA$1,477

$694 CA$970

52.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,022 CA$2,826

$1,432 CA$2,001

41.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,629 CA$2,276

$780 CA$1,090

108.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,600 CA$5,032

$4,334 CA$6,057

-16.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,243 CA$4,532

$3,716 CA$5,194

-12.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,115 CA$4,354

$2,755 CA$3,851

13.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.8

-6.04%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 26, 2026

Last update for Prince Albert: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1.1K 45.9%

Prince Albert

$694 40.6% 34.3% $362

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$393 17.1%

Prince Albert

$278 16.3% 29.2% $115

Eating Out

Calgary

$271 11.8%

Prince Albert

$261 15.3% 3.6% $9.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$256 11.1%

Prince Albert

$161 9.4% 37% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$136 5.9%

Prince Albert

$126 7.3% 7.7% $10

Getting Around

Calgary

$111 4.8%

Prince Albert

$53 3.1% 52.7% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$80 3.5%

Prince Albert

$137 8% 72% $58

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,254 in Calgary and $914 in Prince Albert. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays 13% 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: $70 in Calgary vs $71 in Prince Albert. Groceries flip the comparison at $393 vs $278, with Prince Albert cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇨🇦 Prince Albert

🕒 Local time

14:32 2:32 PM

Same time as Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

35,129

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.638 EUR

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.638 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Calgary Prince Albert 620 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Calgary
Prince Albert

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 Prince Albert: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Prince Albert is about 26% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 13% 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: $1,254 in Calgary versus $914 in Prince Albert. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $545 in Calgary versus $492 in Prince Albert. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Prince Albert runs roughly 56% less than in Calgary. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,710 in Prince Albert versus $2,303 in Calgary, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Prince Albert but tight or insufficient in Calgary. The gap between the two cities makes Prince Albert 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.

It comes down to priorities – Prince Albert wins on affordability, Calgary on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.