Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Sarnia

For one person, living is cheaper in Sarnia: $2,014 a month against $2,303 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index
96

Cost of Living Index in Sarnia
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Sarnia Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,303

/mo nomad

Sarnia

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,014

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Sarnia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,303 in Calgary versus $2,014 in Sarnia.

Calgary $2,303
Sarnia $2,014

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,366 in Calgary versus $2,778 in Sarnia.

Calgary $3,366
Sarnia $2,778

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,428 in Calgary versus $3,543 in Sarnia.

Calgary $4,428
Sarnia $3,543

Living in Calgary is roughly 14% more expensive than in Sarnia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 69% above, Sarnia 48% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 CA$24.52

$13.71 CA$19.16

28.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.4 CA$98.4

$46.44 CA$64.9

51.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.69 CA$14.94

$10.86 CA$15.17

-1.57%

Cappuccino

$3.89 CA$5.43

$3.12 CA$4.36

24.68%

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

$2.04 CA$2.85

$1.93 CA$2.70

5.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.62

$1.22 CA$1.71

54.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 CA$6.84

$4.20 CA$5.87

16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.78 CA$8.08

$5.54 CA$7.75

4.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 CA$2.74

$1.27 CA$1.77

54.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 CA$3.83

$2.45 CA$3.43

11.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.46 CA$7.63

$2.37 CA$3.31

130.38%

Eggs

$3.69 CA$5.15

$2.96 CA$4.13

24.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.24 CA$15.71

$11.52 CA$16.09

-2.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 CA$16.12

$11.48 CA$16.04

0.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 CA$25.68

$14.18 CA$19.82

29.62%

Apples (1kg)

$4.90 CA$6.85

$3.39 CA$4.74

44.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$1.99

$1.25 CA$1.74

13.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.88

$3.38 CA$4.72

24.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 CA$5.62

$3.52 CA$4.92

14.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.77

$1.34 CA$1.87

100.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 CA$3.72

$1.86 CA$2.59

43.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CA$3.65

$1.68 CA$2.35

55.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 CA$2.23

$1.28 CA$1.79

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.00 CA$19.57

$12.56 CA$17.55

11.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.40 CA$21.52

$10.01 CA$13.98

53.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 CA$3.49

$2.53 CA$3.54

-1.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.32

$2.83 CA$3.95

9.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.93 CA$4.09

$2.37 CA$3.31

23.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.3 CA$125

$62.1 CA$86.8

43.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 CA$4.57

$2.57 CA$3.59

27.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 CA$1.89

$1.76 CA$2.46

-23.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.39 CA$38.27

$28.33 CA$39.58

-3.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.64

$1.23 CA$1.72

-4.88%

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

$27.9K CA$39.0K

$26.2K CA$36.6K

6.75%

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

$21.0K CA$29.4K

$21.0K CA$29.3K

0.39%

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

$167 CA$233

$145 CA$203

14.71%

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

$38.27 CA$53.5

$28.26 CA$39.49

35.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.9 CA$71.2

$43.79 CA$61.2

16.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 CA$71.2

$20.85 CA$29.13

144.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.17 CA$25.39

$17.89 CA$25.00

1.57%

Cinema Ticket

$14.44 CA$20.18

$10.91 CA$15.24

32.36%

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

$545 CA$762

$354 CA$494

54.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$22.7K

-0.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 CA$82.3

$59.7 CA$83.5

-1.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.75 CA$55.6

$33.28 CA$46.51

19.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$130

$76.9 CA$107

21.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

$77.3 CA$108

42.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 CA$1,752

$1,236 CA$1,728

1.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 CA$1,476

$1,018 CA$1,423

3.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,022 CA$2,826

$2,001 CA$2,797

1.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,629 CA$2,276

$1,365 CA$1,908

19.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,600 CA$5,031

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,243 CA$4,531

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,115 CA$4,353

$3,074 CA$4,295

1.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

5.22

-13.60%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 26, 2026

Last update for Sarnia: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1.1K 45.9%

Sarnia

$1K 50.6% 3.6% $38

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$393 17.1%

Sarnia

$317 15.7% 19.3% $76

Eating Out

Calgary

$271 11.8%

Sarnia

$224 11.2% 17.1% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$256 11.1%

Sarnia

$217 10.8% 15.1% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$136 5.9%

Sarnia

$111 5.5% 18.2% $25

Getting Around

Calgary

$111 4.8%

Sarnia

$83 4.1% 25.3% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$80 3.5%

Sarnia

$43 2.1% 46.6% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,254 in Calgary and $1,236 in Sarnia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $70 in Calgary vs $46 in Sarnia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $393 vs $317 per month, with Sarnia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇨🇦 Sarnia

🕒 Local time

06:44 6:44 AM

07:44 7:44 AM

1 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

71,594

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Calgary Sarnia 2,540 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Calgary
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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 Sarnia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sarnia is about 13% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $3,454 in Calgary and $3,020 in Sarnia 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 $1,236 in Sarnia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Sarnia – a meal for two runs $46 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 $2,014 in Sarnia – Sarnia is about 13% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Sarnia gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.