Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Prince Rupert, BC

For one person, living is cheaper in Prince Rupert, BC: $1,992 a month against $2,303 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index
95

Cost of Living Index in Prince Rupert, BC
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Prince Rupert, BC Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,303

/mo nomad

Prince Rupert, BC

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,992

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Prince Rupert, BC

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,303 in Calgary versus $1,992 in Prince Rupert, BC.

Calgary $2,303
Prince Rupert, BC $1,992

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,366 in Calgary versus $3,129 in Prince Rupert, BC.

Calgary $3,366
Prince Rupert, BC $3,129

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,428 in Calgary versus $4,265 in Prince Rupert, BC.

Calgary $4,428
Prince Rupert, BC $4,265

Living in Calgary is roughly 16% more expensive than in Prince Rupert, BC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 69% above, Prince Rupert, BC 46% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 CA$24.63

$17.67 CA$24.79

-0.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.4 CA$98.8

$64.1 CA$89.9

9.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.69 CA$15.00

$10.67 CA$14.98

0.19%

Cappuccino

$3.89 CA$5.46

$3.67 CA$5.15

5.99%

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

$2.04 CA$2.86

$2.05 CA$2.88

-0.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.64

$1.70 CA$2.38

10.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 CA$6.87

$5.02 CA$7.05

-2.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.78 CA$8.11

$5.60 CA$7.87

3.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 CA$2.75

$2.31 CA$3.24

-15.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 CA$3.84

$2.62 CA$3.67

4.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.46 CA$7.67

$3.36 CA$4.72

62.50%

Eggs

$3.69 CA$5.17

$5.09 CA$7.15

-27.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.24 CA$15.78

$11.55 CA$16.21

-2.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 CA$16.19

$12.23 CA$17.16

-5.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 CA$25.79

$12.91 CA$18.12

42.37%

Apples (1kg)

$4.90 CA$6.88

$1.73 CA$2.43

183.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$2.00

$1.05 CA$1.47

35.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.91

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 CA$5.65

$3.91 CA$5.48

2.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.78

$2.38 CA$3.34

13.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 CA$3.74

$2.15 CA$3.02

23.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CA$3.67

$2.35 CA$3.30

11.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 CA$2.24

$1.63 CA$2.29

-1.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.00 CA$19.65

$13.54 CA$19.01

3.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.40 CA$21.61

$14.19 CA$19.91

8.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 CA$3.50

$2.69 CA$3.78

-7.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.34

$3.46 CA$4.86

-10.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.93 CA$4.11

$2.39 CA$3.35

22.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.3 CA$125

$67.2 CA$94.3

32.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 CA$4.59

$2.95 CA$4.14

10.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 CA$1.89

$1.29 CA$1.81

4.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.39 CA$38.43

$25.51 CA$35.80

7.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.65

$1.29 CA$1.80

-9.30%

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

$27.9K CA$39.2K

$30.7K CA$43.1K

-9.06%

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

$21.0K CA$29.5K

$21.6K CA$30.3K

-2.67%

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

$167 CA$234

$132 CA$186

26.03%

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

$38.27 CA$53.7

$36.82 CA$51.7

3.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.9 CA$71.5

$59.1 CA$83.0

-13.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 CA$71.5

$43.15 CA$60.6

18.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.17 CA$25.50

$18.74 CA$26.29

-3.04%

Cinema Ticket

$14.44 CA$20.27

$10.67 CA$14.98

35.33%

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

$545 CA$766

$686 CA$962

-20.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$22.7K

$12.1K CA$17.0K

33.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 CA$82.6

$48.33 CA$67.8

21.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.75 CA$55.8

$41.22 CA$57.9

-3.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$131

$85.7 CA$120

9.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

$106 CA$148

4.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 CA$1,760

$1,055 CA$1,481

18.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 CA$1,483

$860 CA$1,207

22.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,022 CA$2,838

$1,988 CA$2,789

1.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,629 CA$2,286

$1,714 CA$2,405

-4.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,600 CA$5,053

$4,975 CA$6,982

-27.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,243 CA$4,551

$3,037 CA$4,263

6.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,115 CA$4,372

$3,143 CA$4,411

-0.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.68

-3.63%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 26, 2026

Last update for Prince Rupert, BC: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1.1K 45.9%

Prince Rupert, BC

$860 43.2% 18.6% $196

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$393 17.1%

Prince Rupert, BC

$358 18% 8.8% $35

Eating Out

Calgary

$271 11.8%

Prince Rupert, BC

$269 13.5% 0.8% $2.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$256 11.1%

Prince Rupert, BC

$228 11.5% 10.8% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$136 5.9%

Prince Rupert, BC

$126 6.4% 7% $9.5

Getting Around

Calgary

$111 4.8%

Prince Rupert, BC

$86 4.3% 22.4% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$80 3.5%

Prince Rupert, BC

$65 3.2% 19.2% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,254 in Calgary and $1,055 in Prince Rupert, BC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $70 in Calgary vs $64 in Prince Rupert, BC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $393 vs $358 per month, with Prince Rupert, BC cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇨🇦 Prince Rupert, BC

🕒 Local time

16:57 4:57 PM

15:57 3:57 PM

1 h behind Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

12,220

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Calgary Prince Rupert, BC 1,150 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

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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 Prince Rupert, BC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Prince Rupert, BC is about 13% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $3,454 in Calgary and $2,988 in Prince Rupert, BC 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 $1,055 in Prince Rupert, BC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Prince Rupert, BC – a meal for two runs $64 versus $70 in Calgary. 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 $1,992 in Prince Rupert, BC – Prince Rupert, BC is about 13% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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 Prince Rupert, BC gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.