Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Terrace

For one person, living is cheaper in Terrace: $1,887 a month against $2,223 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 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
91

Cost of Living Index in Terrace
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Terrace Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,223

/mo nomad

Terrace

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,887

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Terrace

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,223 in Calgary versus $1,887 in Terrace.

Calgary $2,223
Terrace $1,887

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,301 in Calgary versus $2,853 in Terrace.

Calgary $3,301
Terrace $2,853

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,379 in Calgary versus $3,819 in Terrace.

Calgary $4,379
Terrace $3,819

Living in Calgary is roughly 18% more expensive than in Terrace, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 65% above, Terrace 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.22 CA$24.34

$17.53 CA$24.78

-1.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.1 CA$100

$79.9 CA$113

-11.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.53 CA$14.89

$9.87 CA$13.95

6.69%

Cappuccino

$3.66 CA$5.18

$3.93 CA$5.55

-6.87%

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

$1.98 CA$2.80

$2.09 CA$2.95

-5.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 CA$2.74

$1.62 CA$2.29

19.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.95 CA$7.00

$5.19 CA$7.34

-4.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.57 CA$7.87

$6.15 CA$8.69

-9.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 CA$2.65

$2.25 CA$3.19

-16.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 CA$3.78

$2.63 CA$3.72

1.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.32 CA$7.52

$5.10 CA$7.21

4.31%

Eggs

$3.79 CA$5.35

$3.60 CA$5.10

5.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.09 CA$15.68

$8.81 CA$12.45

25.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.36 CA$16.05

$15.36 CA$21.71

-26.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.40 CA$26.01

$13.51 CA$19.10

36.20%

Apples (1kg)

$4.56 CA$6.45

$4.06 CA$5.73

12.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.04

$1.21 CA$1.72

19.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.08 CA$5.76

$2.99 CA$4.23

36.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.89 CA$5.50

$3.67 CA$5.20

5.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.73

$3.14 CA$4.44

-15.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.73

$3.13 CA$4.43

-15.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 CA$3.54

$2.37 CA$3.36

5.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$1.01 CA$1.43

48.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.05 CA$19.86

$11.27 CA$15.94

24.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.70 CA$22.20

$13.44 CA$18.99

16.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 CA$3.45

$2.09 CA$2.96

16.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.37

$1.78 CA$2.52

73.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$1.38 CA$1.95

104.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 CA$125

$31.40 CA$44.40

182.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 CA$4.41

$3.30 CA$4.66

-5.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 CA$1.91

$1.50 CA$2.12

-10.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.02 CA$38.20

$20.03 CA$28.31

34.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 CA$1.64

$1.22 CA$1.72

-4.92%

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

$27.9K CA$39.5K

$27.8K CA$39.3K

0.37%

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

$20.3K CA$28.8K

$18.7K CA$26.5K

8.68%

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

$161 CA$227

$93.2 CA$132

72.42%

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

$38.13 CA$53.9

$38.92 CA$55.0

-2.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.0 CA$70.7

$58.3 CA$82.5

-14.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 CA$72.8

$40.14 CA$56.7

28.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 CA$25.64

$16.45 CA$23.26

10.27%

Cinema Ticket

$13.82 CA$19.54

$8.91 CA$12.60

55.11%

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

$786 CA$1,111

$733 CA$1,037

7.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.5K CA$21.8K

$13.4K CA$18.9K

15.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 CA$82.4

$36.65 CA$51.8

59.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.27 CA$55.5

$30.29 CA$42.82

29.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 CA$127

$79.8 CA$113

12.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$104 CA$147

5.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,229 CA$1,737

$992 CA$1,402

23.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,001 CA$1,415

$845 CA$1,194

18.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,921 CA$2,716

$1,556 CA$2,200

23.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 CA$2,292

$1,325 CA$1,874

22.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,549 CA$5,018

$4,127 CA$5,835

-14.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,335 CA$4,715

$3,426 CA$4,843

-2.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,165 CA$4,474

$3,096 CA$4,376

2.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

5.05

-10.69%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 13, 2026

Last update for Terrace: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1K 45%

Terrace

$845 44.8% 15.6% $156

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$385 17.3%

Terrace

$364 19.3% 5.6% $22

Eating Out

Calgary

$265 11.9%

Terrace

$270 14.3% 1.9% $5.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$249 11.2%

Terrace

$191 10.1% 23.5% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$134 6%

Terrace

$113 6% 15.7% $21

Getting Around

Calgary

$110 4.9%

Terrace

$48 2.5% 56.6% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$79 3.6%

Terrace

$58 3.1% 26.7% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,229 in Calgary and $992 in Terrace. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays 2% 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: $71.0 in Calgary vs $80.0 in Terrace. Groceries flip the comparison at $385 vs $364, with Terrace cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇨🇦 Terrace

🕒 Local time

13:16 1:16 PM

12:16 12:16 PM

1 h behind Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

19,443

💱 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 Terrace 1,050 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Calgary
Terrace

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 Terrace: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Terrace is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 2% 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: $1,229 in Calgary versus $992 in Terrace. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Terrace – a meal for two runs $80.0 versus $71.0 in Calgary. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,223 per month in Calgary versus $1,887 in Terrace – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,887 in Terrace versus $2,223 in Calgary, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Terrace but tight or insufficient in Calgary. The gap between the two cities makes Terrace 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 Terrace gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.