Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Thetford Mines

For one person, living is cheaper in Thetford Mines: $1,989 a month against $2,303 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 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 Thetford Mines
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Thetford Mines Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,303

/mo nomad

Thetford Mines

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,989

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Thetford Mines

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,303 in Calgary versus $1,989 in Thetford Mines.

Calgary $2,303
Thetford Mines $1,989

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,366 in Calgary versus $2,415 in Thetford Mines.

Calgary $3,366
Thetford Mines $2,415

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,428 in Calgary versus $2,840 in Thetford Mines.

Calgary $4,428
Thetford Mines $2,840

Living in Calgary is roughly 16% more expensive than in Thetford Mines, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 CA$24.52

$11.64 CA$16.26

50.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.4 CA$98.4

$40.40 CA$56.5

74.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.69 CA$14.94

$8.62 CA$12.05

24.01%

Cappuccino

$3.89 CA$5.43

$3.56 CA$4.98

9.27%

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

$2.04 CA$2.85

$2.01 CA$2.81

1.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.62

$0.92 CA$1.29

104.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 CA$6.84

$3.20 CA$4.47

53.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.78 CA$8.08

$4.67 CA$6.53

23.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 CA$2.74

$1.61 CA$2.24

21.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 CA$3.83

$2.46 CA$3.44

11.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.46 CA$7.63

$2.18 CA$3.05

150.46%

Eggs

$3.69 CA$5.15

$2.47 CA$3.46

49.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.24 CA$15.71

$9.89 CA$13.81

13.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 CA$16.12

$6.44 CA$9.00

79.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 CA$25.68

$14.03 CA$19.60

31.00%

Apples (1kg)

$4.90 CA$6.85

$2.17 CA$3.03

125.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$1.99

$1.50 CA$2.10

-5.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.88

$2.17 CA$3.03

94.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 CA$5.62

$2.19 CA$3.06

83.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.77

$1.94 CA$2.70

38.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 CA$3.72

$1.85 CA$2.58

43.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CA$3.65

$0.66 CA$0.93

295.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 CA$2.23

$1.56 CA$2.18

2.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.00 CA$19.57

$11.35 CA$15.85

23.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.40 CA$21.52

$10.50 CA$14.67

46.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 CA$3.49

$1.44 CA$2.01

73.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.32

$2.92 CA$4.08

5.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.93 CA$4.09

$2.43 CA$3.39

20.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.3 CA$125

$62.3 CA$87.1

43.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 CA$4.57

$3.23 CA$4.51

1.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 CA$1.89

$1.45 CA$2.02

-6.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.39 CA$38.27

$33.06 CA$46.19

-17.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.64

$1.06 CA$1.49

10.38%

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

$27.9K CA$39.0K

$21.4K CA$29.9K

30.72%

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

$79.6 CA$111

109.49%

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

$38.27 CA$53.5

$34.44 CA$48.13

11.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.9 CA$71.2

$43.75 CA$61.1

16.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 CA$71.2

$40.20 CA$56.2

26.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.17 CA$25.39

$15.88 CA$22.19

14.42%

Cinema Ticket

$14.44 CA$20.18

$11.30 CA$15.78

27.79%

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

$545 CA$762

$521 CA$727

4.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$22.7K

$16.3K CA$22.8K

-0.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 CA$82.3

$46.78 CA$65.4

25.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.75 CA$55.6

$24.79 CA$34.64

60.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$130

$60.0 CA$83.8

55.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

$68.6 CA$95.9

60.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 CA$1,752

$1,308 CA$1,828

-4.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 CA$1,476

$1,130 CA$1,578

-6.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,022 CA$2,826

$869 CA$1,214

132.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,629 CA$2,276

$919 CA$1,285

77.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,600 CA$5,031

$4,936 CA$6,896

-27.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,243 CA$4,531

$3,606 CA$5,039

-10.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,115 CA$4,353

$1,305 CA$1,824

138.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.48

0.67%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 26, 2026

Last update for Thetford Mines: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1.1K 45.9%

Thetford Mines

$1.1K 56.8% 6.9% $73

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$393 17.1%

Thetford Mines

$268 13.5% 31.8% $125

Eating Out

Calgary

$271 11.8%

Thetford Mines

$199 10% 26.6% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$256 11.1%

Thetford Mines

$158 7.9% 38.3% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$136 5.9%

Thetford Mines

$90 4.5% 33.7% $46

Getting Around

Calgary

$111 4.8%

Thetford Mines

$83 4.2% 25.7% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$80 3.5%

Thetford Mines

$63 3.2% 21.3% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,254 in Calgary and $1,308 in Thetford Mines. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays about 2.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $70 in Calgary vs $40 in Thetford Mines for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $393 vs $268 per month, with Thetford Mines cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇨🇦 Thetford Mines

🕒 Local time

10:09 10:09 AM

12:09 12:09 PM

2 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

26,072

💱 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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Calgary Thetford Mines 3,150 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Calgary vs Thetford Mines: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thetford Mines is about 14% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Calgary is about 2.4 times higher, 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 $1,308 in Thetford Mines. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Thetford Mines – a meal for two runs $40 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 $1,989 in Thetford Mines – Thetford Mines is about 14% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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

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