Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Saguenay

For one person, living is cheaper in Saguenay: $1,427 a month against $2,303 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 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
68

Cost of Living Index in Saguenay
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Saguenay Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,303

/mo nomad

Saguenay

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,427

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Saguenay

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,303 in Calgary versus $1,427 in Saguenay.

Calgary $2,303
Saguenay $1,427

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,366 in Calgary versus $2,280 in Saguenay.

Calgary $3,366
Saguenay $2,280

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,428 in Calgary versus $3,132 in Saguenay.

Calgary $4,428
Saguenay $3,132

Living in Calgary is roughly 61% more expensive than in Saguenay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 69% above, Saguenay 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 CA$24.63

$15.39 CA$21.59

14.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.4 CA$98.8

$43.46 CA$61.0

61.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.69 CA$15.00

$10.53 CA$14.78

1.52%

Cappuccino

$3.89 CA$5.46

$3.84 CA$5.38

1.30%

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

$2.04 CA$2.86

$1.53 CA$2.15

33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.64

$1.23 CA$1.72

52.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 CA$6.87

$5.45 CA$7.64

-10.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.78 CA$8.11

$5.30 CA$7.43

9.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 CA$2.75

$2.14 CA$3.00

-8.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 CA$3.84

$2.88 CA$4.04

-4.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.46 CA$7.67

$4.29 CA$6.03

27.27%

Eggs

$3.69 CA$5.17

$2.79 CA$3.91

32.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.24 CA$15.78

$8.63 CA$12.12

30.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 CA$16.19

$7.17 CA$10.06

60.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 CA$25.79

$10.63 CA$14.92

72.91%

Apples (1kg)

$4.90 CA$6.88

$4.09 CA$5.75

19.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$2.00

$1.41 CA$1.98

0.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.91

$3.87 CA$5.43

8.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 CA$5.65

$4.14 CA$5.81

-2.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.78

$2.91 CA$4.08

-7.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 CA$3.74

$2.80 CA$3.94

-5.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CA$3.67

$2.45 CA$3.44

6.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 CA$2.24

$0.76 CA$1.06

110.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.00 CA$19.65

$12.22 CA$17.15

14.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.40 CA$21.61

$11.61 CA$16.29

32.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 CA$3.50

$3.20 CA$4.48

-21.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.34

$3.40 CA$4.77

-9.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.93 CA$4.11

$2.61 CA$3.66

12.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.3 CA$125

$56.5 CA$79.3

57.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 CA$4.59

$2.95 CA$4.13

10.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 CA$1.89

$1.43 CA$2.01

-5.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.39 CA$38.43

$28.38 CA$39.83

-3.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.65

$1.21 CA$1.70

-3.31%

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

$27.9K CA$39.2K

$27.8K CA$39.1K

0.36%

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

$21.0K CA$29.5K

$19.6K CA$27.5K

7.24%

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

$167 CA$234

$64.4 CA$90.4

158.79%

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

$38.27 CA$53.7

$32.29 CA$45.31

18.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.9 CA$71.5

$45.01 CA$63.2

13.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 CA$71.5

$25.03 CA$35.12

103.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.17 CA$25.50

$19.54 CA$27.42

-7.01%

Cinema Ticket

$14.44 CA$20.27

$9.52 CA$13.37

51.68%

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

$545 CA$766

$702 CA$985

-22.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$22.7K

$9,123 CA$12.8K

77.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 CA$82.6

$56.2 CA$78.9

4.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.75 CA$55.8

$36.19 CA$50.8

9.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$131

$83.9 CA$118

11.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

$108 CA$151

2.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 CA$1,760

$618 CA$868

102.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 CA$1,483

$470 CA$660

124.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,022 CA$2,838

$1,190 CA$1,671

69.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,629 CA$2,286

$970 CA$1,361

67.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,600 CA$5,053

$5,670 CA$7,957

-36.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,243 CA$4,551

$3,522 CA$4,943

-7.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,115 CA$4,372

$2,554 CA$3,584

21.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.44

1.58%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 26, 2026

Last update for Saguenay: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1.1K 45.9%

Saguenay

$470 33% 55.5% $586

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$393 17.1%

Saguenay

$317 22.2% 19.4% $76

Eating Out

Calgary

$271 11.8%

Saguenay

$250 17.5% 7.9% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$256 11.1%

Saguenay

$142 9.9% 44.6% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$136 5.9%

Saguenay

$128 9% 6% $8.1

Getting Around

Calgary

$111 4.8%

Saguenay

$77 5.4% 30.6% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$80 3.5%

Saguenay

$44 3.1% 44.8% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,254 in Calgary and $618 in Saguenay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays 22% 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 $43 in Saguenay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $393 vs $317 per month, with Saguenay cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇨🇦 Saguenay

🕒 Local time

12:41 12:41 PM

14:41 2:41 PM

2 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

144,723

💱 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 Saguenay 3,060 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Calgary vs Saguenay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saguenay is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. The 61% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 22% 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 $618 in Saguenay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Saguenay – a meal for two runs $43 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 $1,427 in Saguenay – a 61% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,427 in Saguenay versus $2,303 in Calgary, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Saguenay but tight or insufficient in Calgary. The gap between the two cities makes Saguenay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Expats usually find Saguenay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.