Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Saskatoon

For one person, living is cheaper in Saskatoon: $2,186 a month against $2,303 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index
104

Cost of Living Index in Saskatoon
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Saskatoon Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,303

/mo nomad

Saskatoon

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,186

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Saskatoon

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,303 in Calgary versus $2,186 in Saskatoon.

Calgary $2,303
Saskatoon $2,186

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,366 in Calgary versus $3,142 in Saskatoon.

Calgary $3,366
Saskatoon $3,142

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,428 in Calgary versus $4,098 in Saskatoon.

Calgary $4,428
Saskatoon $4,098

Living in Calgary is roughly 5% more expensive than in Saskatoon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 69% above, Saskatoon 61% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 CA$24.52

$17.78 CA$24.84

-1.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.4 CA$98.4

-0.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.69 CA$14.94

$9.25 CA$12.93

15.57%

Cappuccino

$3.89 CA$5.43

$3.64 CA$5.09

6.87%

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

$2.04 CA$2.85

$2.03 CA$2.83

0.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.62

$1.85 CA$2.58

1.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 CA$6.84

$4.24 CA$5.92

15.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.78 CA$8.08

$6.28 CA$8.78

-7.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 CA$2.74

$3.07 CA$4.29

-36.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 CA$3.83

$2.27 CA$3.18

20.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.46 CA$7.63

$4.76 CA$6.66

14.71%

Eggs

$3.69 CA$5.15

$3.64 CA$5.09

1.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.24 CA$15.71

$9.83 CA$13.73

14.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 CA$16.12

$11.79 CA$16.47

-2.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 CA$25.68

$16.52 CA$23.08

11.26%

Apples (1kg)

$4.90 CA$6.85

$4.19 CA$5.86

16.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$1.99

$1.64 CA$2.29

-13.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.88

$4.40 CA$6.15

-4.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 CA$5.62

$3.20 CA$4.47

25.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.77

$2.86 CA$3.99

-5.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 CA$3.72

$2.16 CA$3.02

23.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CA$3.65

$2.75 CA$3.84

-5.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 CA$2.23

$1.45 CA$2.03

10.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.00 CA$19.57

$15.06 CA$21.04

-7.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.40 CA$21.52

$14.02 CA$19.60

9.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 CA$3.49

$2.88 CA$4.02

-13.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.32

$3.38 CA$4.72

-8.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.93 CA$4.09

$2.39 CA$3.34

22.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.3 CA$125

$60.4 CA$84.3

47.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 CA$4.57

$4.44 CA$6.20

-26.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 CA$1.89

$1.30 CA$1.81

3.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.39 CA$38.27

$14.53 CA$20.30

88.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.64

$1.20 CA$1.68

-2.50%

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

$27.9K CA$39.0K

$28.7K CA$40.1K

-2.72%

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

$21.0K CA$29.4K

$21.6K CA$30.1K

-2.45%

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

$167 CA$233

$223 CA$312

-25.26%

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

$38.27 CA$53.5

$47.02 CA$65.7

-18.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.9 CA$71.2

$58.7 CA$82.1

-13.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 CA$71.2

$40.26 CA$56.3

26.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.17 CA$25.39

$18.14 CA$25.34

0.17%

Cinema Ticket

$14.44 CA$20.18

$11.02 CA$15.40

31.03%

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

$545 CA$762

$488 CA$682

11.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$22.7K

$14.5K CA$20.2K

11.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 CA$82.3

$58.1 CA$81.2

1.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.75 CA$55.6

$43.90 CA$61.3

-9.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$130

$86.5 CA$121

7.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

$106 CA$148

3.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 CA$1,752

$1,043 CA$1,457

20.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 CA$1,476

$939 CA$1,312

12.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,022 CA$2,826

$1,712 CA$2,393

18.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,629 CA$2,276

$1,362 CA$1,903

19.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,600 CA$5,031

$2,855 CA$3,989

26.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,243 CA$4,531

$2,474 CA$3,457

31.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,115 CA$4,353

$2,730 CA$3,815

14.09%

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 Saskatoon: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1.1K 45.9%

Saskatoon

$939 42.9% 11.1% $117

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$393 17.1%

Saskatoon

$380 17.4% 3.3% $13

Eating Out

Calgary

$271 11.8%

Saskatoon

$263 12% 2.9% $7.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$256 11.1%

Saskatoon

$329 15% 28.5% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$136 5.9%

Saskatoon

$133 6.1% 2.5% $3.4

Getting Around

Calgary

$111 4.8%

Saskatoon

$81 3.7% 27.2% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$80 3.5%

Saskatoon

$62 2.9% 22% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,254 in Calgary and $1,043 in Saskatoon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays 14% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $70 in Calgary vs $70 in Saskatoon. Groceries flip the comparison at $393 vs $380, with Saskatoon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇨🇦 Saskatoon

🕒 Local time

22:05 10:05 PM

Same time as Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

246,376

💱 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 Saskatoon 520 km ≈ 1 h 15 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 Saskatoon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saskatoon is about 5% cheaper overall, especially in transport, leisure, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 14% 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 $1,043 in Saskatoon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $545 in Calgary versus $488 in Saskatoon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Saskatoon runs roughly 32% less than in Calgary. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Saskatoon is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Saskatoon is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Calgary, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

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