Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Saint John, New Brunswick

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint John, New Brunswick: $1,954 a month against $2,255 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 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
95

Cost of Living Index in Saint John, New Brunswick
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Saint John, New Brunswick Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,255

/mo nomad

Saint John, New Brunswick

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,954

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Saint John, New Brunswick

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 Saint John, New Brunswick actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,255 in Calgary versus $1,954 in Saint John, New Brunswick.

Calgary $2,255
Saint John, New Brunswick $1,954

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Calgary versus $2,938 in Saint John, New Brunswick.

Calgary $3,361
Saint John, New Brunswick $2,938

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,468 in Calgary versus $3,922 in Saint John, New Brunswick.

Calgary $4,468
Saint John, New Brunswick $3,922

Living in Calgary is roughly 15% more expensive than in Saint John, New Brunswick, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 66% above, Saint John, New Brunswick 44% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 CA$24.85

$18.44 CA$26.08

-4.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 CA$97.6

$61.0 CA$86.2

13.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 CA$14.97

$10.83 CA$15.31

-2.22%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.42

$2.96 CA$4.18

29.73%

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

$1.93 CA$2.72

$1.77 CA$2.50

9.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.66

$1.07 CA$1.52

75.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.09 CA$7.20

$4.49 CA$6.35

13.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 CA$7.97

$5.00 CA$7.06

12.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 CA$2.82

$2.23 CA$3.16

-10.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 CA$3.93

$2.81 CA$3.97

-1.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.59 CA$7.90

$2.99 CA$4.23

86.96%

Eggs

$3.70 CA$5.23

$3.56 CA$5.03

3.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.48 CA$16.23

$13.47 CA$19.05

-14.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.20 CA$15.84

$12.04 CA$17.02

-6.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.59 CA$26.28

$12.83 CA$18.14

44.89%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 CA$6.64

$5.00 CA$7.07

-6.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.48 CA$2.10

-2.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.34 CA$6.13

$4.16 CA$5.88

4.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.79 CA$5.36

$4.03 CA$5.70

-5.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.81

$2.03 CA$2.86

32.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.75 CA$3.88

$2.21 CA$3.12

24.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 CA$3.62

$2.48 CA$3.50

3.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$1.38 CA$1.95

8.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.39 CA$20.34

$14.23 CA$20.12

1.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.81 CA$22.35

$9.67 CA$13.67

63.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 CA$3.49

$1.78 CA$2.52

38.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 CA$4.39

$2.08 CA$2.93

49.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.81 CA$3.97

$2.09 CA$2.95

34.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.6 CA$128

$56.4 CA$79.8

60.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 CA$4.64

$2.81 CA$3.97

16.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 CA$1.97

$1.05 CA$1.48

33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.49 CA$37.45

$17.60 CA$24.89

50.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.72

$1.28 CA$1.80

-4.69%

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

$28.4K CA$40.1K

$26.4K CA$37.3K

7.61%

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

$20.8K CA$29.5K

$21.4K CA$30.3K

-2.78%

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

$165 CA$233

$122 CA$173

34.86%

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

$38.24 CA$54.1

$42.20 CA$59.7

-9.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.1 CA$70.9

$64.5 CA$91.2

-22.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 CA$76.1

$53.3 CA$75.4

0.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.04 CA$25.51

$35.52 CA$50.2

-49.21%

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

$372 CA$526

114.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K CA$22.3K

$11.3K CA$16.0K

39.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 CA$83.5

$50.5 CA$71.4

17.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.20 CA$56.8

$35.95 CA$50.8

11.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.8 CA$128

$101 CA$143

-10.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$155

$107 CA$151

2.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 CA$1,707

$966 CA$1,366

24.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,011 CA$1,429

$826 CA$1,168

22.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,949 CA$2,756

$1,609 CA$2,275

21.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 CA$2,371

$1,353 CA$1,913

23.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,532 CA$4,993

$2,035 CA$2,876

73.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,392 CA$4,795

$2,131 CA$3,013

59.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,152 CA$4,456

$2,596 CA$3,670

21.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.69

-3.84%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 18, 2026

Last update for Saint John, New Brunswick: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1K 44.8%

Saint John, New Brunswick

$826 42.3% 18.3% $185

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$392 17.4%

Saint John, New Brunswick

$356 18.2% 9.2% $36

Eating Out

Calgary

$270 12%

Saint John, New Brunswick

$259 13.3% 4.1% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$253 11.2%

Saint John, New Brunswick

$229 11.7% 9.6% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$135 6%

Saint John, New Brunswick

$132 6.8% 1.9% $2.5

Getting Around

Calgary

$112 5%

Saint John, New Brunswick

$73 3.7% 35% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$82 3.6%

Saint John, New Brunswick

$79 4% 4.1% $3.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,207 in Calgary and $966 in Saint John, New Brunswick. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays 21% 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 $61.0 in Saint John, New Brunswick for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $392 vs $356 per month, with Saint John, New Brunswick cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇨🇦 Saint John, New Brunswick

🕒 Local time

08:24 8:24 AM

11:24 11:24 AM

3 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

70,063

💱 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 Saint John, New Brunswick 3,550 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

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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 Saint John, New Brunswick: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saint John, New Brunswick is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 21% 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 $966 in Saint John, New Brunswick. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Saint John, New Brunswick – a meal for two runs $61.0 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 $1,954 in Saint John, New Brunswick – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,954 in Saint John, New Brunswick versus $2,255 in Calgary, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Saint John, New Brunswick but tight or insufficient in Calgary. The gap between the two cities makes Saint John, New Brunswick 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 Saint John, New Brunswick gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.