Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Sydney, NS

For one person, living is cheaper in Sydney, NS: $1,614 a month against $2,255 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 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
78

Cost of Living Index in Sydney, NS
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Sydney, NS Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,255

/mo nomad

Sydney, NS

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Sydney, NS

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,255 in Calgary versus $1,614 in Sydney, NS.

Calgary $2,255
Sydney, NS $1,614

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Calgary versus $2,535 in Sydney, NS.

Calgary $3,361
Sydney, NS $2,535

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,468 in Calgary versus $3,456 in Sydney, NS.

Calgary $4,468
Sydney, NS $3,456

Living in Calgary is roughly 40% more expensive than in Sydney, NS, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 66% above, Sydney, NS 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 CA$24.85

$11.13 CA$15.74

57.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 CA$97.6

$62.3 CA$88.0

10.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 CA$14.97

$7.16 CA$10.12

47.91%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.42

$2.87 CA$4.06

33.80%

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

$1.93 CA$2.72

$2.33 CA$3.30

-17.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.66

$2.07 CA$2.92

-9.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.09 CA$7.20

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 CA$7.97

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 CA$2.82

$2.15 CA$3.04

-6.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 CA$3.93

$2.56 CA$3.61

8.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.59 CA$7.90

$2.41 CA$3.41

131.95%

Eggs

$3.70 CA$5.23

$3.32 CA$4.69

11.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.48 CA$16.23

$6.27 CA$8.87

83.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.20 CA$15.84

$8.23 CA$11.63

36.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.59 CA$26.28

$12.99 CA$18.36

43.11%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 CA$6.64

$7.01 CA$9.91

-32.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.16 CA$1.63

25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.34 CA$6.13

Tomato (1kg)

$3.79 CA$5.36

$1.38 CA$1.95

174.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.81

$0.84 CA$1.18

220.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.75 CA$3.88

$1.90 CA$2.68

44.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 CA$3.62

$6.30 CA$8.90

-59.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.39 CA$20.34

$17.78 CA$25.14

-19.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.81 CA$22.35

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 CA$3.49

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 CA$4.39

$4.18 CA$5.92

-25.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.81 CA$3.97

$1.08 CA$1.53

160.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.6 CA$128

$48.48 CA$68.5

86.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 CA$4.64

$4.15 CA$5.87

-20.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 CA$1.97

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.49 CA$37.45

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.72

$1.20 CA$1.70

1.67%

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

$28.4K CA$40.1K

$25.7K CA$36.4K

10.22%

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

$20.8K CA$29.5K

$19.1K CA$27.1K

8.79%

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

$165 CA$233

$86.3 CA$122

90.80%

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

$38.24 CA$54.1

$36.04 CA$51.0

6.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.1 CA$70.9

$73.3 CA$104

-31.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 CA$76.1

$49.94 CA$70.6

7.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.04 CA$25.51

$3.45 CA$4.88

422.90%

Cinema Ticket

$14.04 CA$19.84

$7.04 CA$9.96

99.43%

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

$797 CA$1,126

$721 CA$1,020

10.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K CA$22.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 CA$83.5

$68.1 CA$96.3

-13.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.20 CA$56.8

$67.2 CA$95.1

-40.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.8 CA$128

$99.7 CA$141

-8.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$155

$105 CA$148

4.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 CA$1,707

$893 CA$1,262

35.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,011 CA$1,429

$724 CA$1,024

39.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,949 CA$2,756

$1,753 CA$2,479

11.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 CA$2,371

$1,374 CA$1,943

22.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,532 CA$4,993

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,392 CA$4,795

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,152 CA$4,456

$2,527 CA$3,573

24.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

5.8

-22.24%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 18, 2026

Last update for Sydney, NS: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1K 44.8%

Sydney, NS

$724 44.9% 28.4% $287

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$392 17.4%

Sydney, NS

$258 * 16% 34.2% $134

Eating Out

Calgary

$270 12%

Sydney, NS

$163 * 10.1% 39.9% $108

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$253 11.2%

Sydney, NS

$196 12.1% 22.7% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$135 6%

Sydney, NS

$153 9.5% 13.5% $18

Getting Around

Calgary

$112 5%

Sydney, NS

$57 * 3.5% 49.2% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$82 3.6%

Sydney, NS

$64 4% 21.8% $18

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,207 in Calgary and $893 in Sydney, NS. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays 25% 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 $62.0 in Sydney, NS for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $392 vs $258 per month, with Sydney, NS cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇨🇦 Sydney, NS

🕒 Local time

22:57 10:57 PM

01:57 1:57 AM

3 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

30,960

💱 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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Between locations

Calgary Sydney, NS 3,910 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Calgary
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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 Sydney, NS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sydney, NS is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 25% 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 $893 in Sydney, NS. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Sydney, NS – a meal for two runs $62.0 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 $1,614 in Sydney, NS – a 40% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,614 in Sydney, NS versus $2,255 in Calgary, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sydney, NS but tight or insufficient in Calgary. The gap between the two cities makes Sydney, NS 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 Sydney, NS gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.