Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Thompson

For one person, living is cheaper in Thompson: $1,804 a month against $2,255 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 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
87

Cost of Living Index in Thompson
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Thompson Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,255

/mo nomad

Thompson

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,804

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Thompson

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,255 in Calgary versus $1,804 in Thompson.

Calgary $2,255
Thompson $1,804

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Calgary versus $2,733 in Thompson.

Calgary $3,361
Thompson $2,733

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,468 in Calgary versus $3,661 in Thompson.

Calgary $4,468
Thompson $3,661

Living in Calgary is roughly 25% more expensive than in Thompson, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 66% above, Thompson 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 CA$24.85

$18.00 CA$25.44

-2.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 CA$97.6

$65.7 CA$92.8

5.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 CA$14.97

$10.50 CA$14.84

0.86%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.42

$3.66 CA$5.17

4.92%

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

$1.93 CA$2.72

$2.02 CA$2.85

-4.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.66

$1.60 CA$2.26

17.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.09 CA$7.20

$5.32 CA$7.53

-4.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 CA$7.97

$5.77 CA$8.16

-2.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 CA$2.82

$2.16 CA$3.06

-7.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 CA$3.93

$2.50 CA$3.54

11.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.59 CA$7.90

$3.24 CA$4.58

72.53%

Eggs

$3.70 CA$5.23

$3.45 CA$4.87

7.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.48 CA$16.23

$10.01 CA$14.15

14.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.20 CA$15.84

$11.42 CA$16.15

-1.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.59 CA$26.28

$15.17 CA$21.45

22.54%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 CA$6.64

$3.79 CA$5.36

24.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.12 CA$1.59

29.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.34 CA$6.13

$4.00 CA$5.65

8.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.79 CA$5.36

$3.89 CA$5.50

-2.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.81

$2.43 CA$3.44

10.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.75 CA$3.88

$2.18 CA$3.08

26.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 CA$3.62

$2.45 CA$3.46

4.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$1.63 CA$2.30

-7.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.39 CA$20.34

$14.01 CA$19.81

2.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.81 CA$22.35

$12.52 CA$17.70

26.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 CA$3.49

$2.69 CA$3.81

-8.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 CA$4.39

$3.06 CA$4.33

1.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.81 CA$3.97

$2.06 CA$2.91

36.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.6 CA$128

$70.4 CA$99.5

28.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 CA$4.64

$2.95 CA$4.16

11.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 CA$1.97

$1.27 CA$1.79

10.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.49 CA$37.45

$23.59 CA$33.35

12.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.72

$1.15 CA$1.63

6.09%

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

$28.4K CA$40.1K

$27.4K CA$38.7K

3.62%

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

$20.8K CA$29.5K

$23.0K CA$32.4K

-9.24%

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

$165 CA$233

$139 CA$196

18.64%

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

$38.24 CA$54.1

$39.15 CA$55.4

-2.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.1 CA$70.9

$54.4 CA$76.9

-7.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 CA$76.1

$40.84 CA$57.7

31.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.04 CA$25.51

$18.53 CA$26.19

-2.64%

Cinema Ticket

$14.04 CA$19.84

$11.26 CA$15.91

24.69%

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

$797 CA$1,126

$619 CA$875

28.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K CA$22.3K

$14.9K CA$21.1K

5.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 CA$83.5

$53.5 CA$75.7

10.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.20 CA$56.8

$38.57 CA$54.5

4.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.8 CA$128

$87.1 CA$123

4.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$155

$102 CA$144

7.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 CA$1,707

$678 CA$959

77.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,011 CA$1,429

$669 CA$946

51.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,949 CA$2,756

$1,129 CA$1,596

72.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 CA$2,371

$1,097 CA$1,551

52.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,532 CA$4,993

$4,047 CA$5,721

-12.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,392 CA$4,795

$3,185 CA$4,502

6.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,152 CA$4,456

$1,554 CA$2,197

102.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.67

-3.43%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 18, 2026

Last update for Thompson: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1K 44.8%

Thompson

$669 37.1% 33.8% $342

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$392 17.4%

Thompson

$353 19.6% 9.9% $39

Eating Out

Calgary

$270 12%

Thompson

$272 15.1% 0.6% $1.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$253 11.2%

Thompson

$232 12.9% 8.2% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$135 6%

Thompson

$127 7% 6.1% $8.2

Getting Around

Calgary

$112 5%

Thompson

$88 4.9% 21.6% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$82 3.6%

Thompson

$63 3.5% 22.6% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,207 in Calgary and $678 in Thompson. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays 103% 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 $66.0 in Thompson for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $392 vs $353 per month, with Thompson cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇨🇦 Thompson

🕒 Local time

01:03 1:03 AM

02:03 2:03 AM

1 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

12,829

💱 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

On the map

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Between locations

Calgary Thompson 1,190 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Calgary
Thompson

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 Thompson: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thompson is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 103% 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 $678 in Thompson. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Thompson – a meal for two runs $66.0 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 $1,804 in Thompson – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,804 in Thompson versus $2,255 in Calgary, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Thompson but tight or insufficient in Calgary. The gap between the two cities makes Thompson 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 Thompson gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.