Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Stratford, ON

For one person, living is cheaper in Stratford, ON: $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
96

Cost of Living Index in Stratford, ON
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Stratford, ON Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,303

/mo nomad

Stratford, ON

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,992

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Stratford, ON

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,303 in Calgary versus $1,992 in Stratford, ON.

Calgary $2,303
Stratford, ON $1,992

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,366 in Calgary versus $3,189 in Stratford, ON.

Calgary $3,366
Stratford, ON $3,189

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,428 in Calgary versus $4,387 in Stratford, ON.

Calgary $4,428
Stratford, ON $4,387

Living in Calgary is roughly 16% more expensive than in Stratford, ON, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 69% above, Stratford, ON 46% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 CA$24.55

$17.70 CA$24.76

-0.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.4 CA$98.5

$49.39 CA$69.1

42.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.69 CA$14.95

$11.27 CA$15.76

-5.15%

Cappuccino

$3.89 CA$5.44

$3.46 CA$4.83

12.43%

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

$2.04 CA$2.85

$1.49 CA$2.08

36.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.63

$1.33 CA$1.85

41.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 CA$6.85

$4.16 CA$5.82

17.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.78 CA$8.09

$4.58 CA$6.40

26.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 CA$2.75

$2.14 CA$2.99

-8.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 CA$3.83

$2.90 CA$4.06

-5.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.46 CA$7.64

$3.75 CA$5.25

45.60%

Eggs

$3.69 CA$5.16

$3.04 CA$4.25

21.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.24 CA$15.73

$10.42 CA$14.57

7.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 CA$16.14

$11.60 CA$16.23

-0.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 CA$25.70

$22.09 CA$30.89

-16.79%

Apples (1kg)

$4.90 CA$6.86

$3.63 CA$5.07

34.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$1.99

$1.06 CA$1.49

33.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.89

$4.40 CA$6.16

-4.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 CA$5.63

$4.55 CA$6.36

-11.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.77

$3.46 CA$4.83

-22.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 CA$3.72

$2.30 CA$3.21

15.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CA$3.66

$2.49 CA$3.49

4.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 CA$2.23

$1.47 CA$2.06

8.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.00 CA$19.58

$11.13 CA$15.57

25.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.40 CA$21.54

$10.88 CA$15.21

41.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 CA$3.49

$3.36 CA$4.70

-25.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.32

$3.16 CA$4.42

-2.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.93 CA$4.10

$2.09 CA$2.92

40.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.3 CA$125

$49.32 CA$69.0

81.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 CA$4.57

$2.33 CA$3.25

40.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 CA$1.89

$1.84 CA$2.58

-26.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.39 CA$38.31

$24.43 CA$34.17

12.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.64

$1.08 CA$1.51

8.33%

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

$27.9K CA$39.1K

$27.7K CA$38.8K

0.82%

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

$21.0K CA$29.4K

$22.8K CA$31.8K

-7.57%

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

$167 CA$233

$121 CA$169

37.67%

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

$38.27 CA$53.5

$39.64 CA$55.4

-3.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.9 CA$71.2

$31.75 CA$44.40

60.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 CA$71.3

$42.49 CA$59.4

19.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.17 CA$25.42

$19.24 CA$26.92

-5.56%

Cinema Ticket

$14.44 CA$20.20

$10.31 CA$14.42

40.06%

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

$545 CA$763

$823 CA$1,152

-33.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$22.7K

$17.0K CA$23.7K

-4.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 CA$82.4

$64.3 CA$90.0

-8.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.75 CA$55.6

$37.14 CA$52.0

7.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$131

$86.1 CA$120

8.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

$126 CA$177

-12.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 CA$1,754

$1,209 CA$1,691

3.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 CA$1,478

$883 CA$1,234

19.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,022 CA$2,828

$2,117 CA$2,961

-4.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,629 CA$2,278

$1,892 CA$2,646

-13.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,600 CA$5,036

$3,782 CA$5,290

-4.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,243 CA$4,535

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,115 CA$4,357

$2,765 CA$3,868

12.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.99

-9.62%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 26, 2026

Last update for Stratford, ON: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1.1K 45.9%

Stratford, ON

$883 44.3% 16.5% $174

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$393 17.1%

Stratford, ON

$385 19.4% 1.8% $7.2

Eating Out

Calgary

$271 11.8%

Stratford, ON

$258 13% 4.7% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$256 11.1%

Stratford, ON

$192 9.7% 24.8% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$136 5.9%

Stratford, ON

$141 7.1% 4% $5.4

Getting Around

Calgary

$111 4.8%

Stratford, ON

$69 3.5% 37.7% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$80 3.5%

Stratford, ON

$63 3.2% 20.9% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,254 in Calgary and $1,209 in Stratford, ON. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays 13% 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 $49 in Stratford, ON for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $393 vs $385 per month, with Stratford, ON cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇨🇦 Stratford, ON

🕒 Local time

04:20 4:20 AM

06:20 6:20 AM

2 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

31,465

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Calgary Stratford, ON 2,610 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Calgary
Stratford, ON

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 Stratford, ON: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Stratford, ON is about 13% cheaper overall, especially in transport, utilities, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 13% 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 $1,209 in Stratford, ON. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $545 in Calgary versus $823 in Stratford, ON. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Stratford, ON – a meal for two runs $49 versus $70 in Calgary. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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

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