Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Thunder Bay

For one person, living costs are similar in Calgary and in Thunder Bay: $2,255 and $2,169 a month, rent and utilities included.

109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Thunder Bay
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Thunder Bay Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,255

/mo nomad

Thunder Bay

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,169

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Thunder Bay

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,255 in Calgary versus $2,169 in Thunder Bay.

Calgary $2,255
Thunder Bay $2,169

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Calgary versus $3,338 in Thunder Bay.

Calgary $3,361
Thunder Bay $3,338

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,468 in Calgary versus $4,508 in Thunder Bay.

Calgary $4,468
Thunder Bay $4,508

Living in Calgary is roughly 4% more expensive than in Thunder Bay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 66% above, Thunder Bay 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 CA$24.85

$17.63 CA$24.93

-0.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 CA$97.6

$60.2 CA$85.1

14.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 CA$14.97

$12.62 CA$17.84

-16.09%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.42

$3.40 CA$4.81

12.94%

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

$1.93 CA$2.72

$1.86 CA$2.63

3.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.66

$1.59 CA$2.25

18.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.09 CA$7.20

$5.43 CA$7.68

-6.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 CA$7.97

$5.03 CA$7.12

12.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 CA$2.82

$2.27 CA$3.20

-11.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 CA$3.93

$2.55 CA$3.60

9.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.59 CA$7.90

$3.29 CA$4.65

69.91%

Eggs

$3.70 CA$5.23

$3.59 CA$5.08

3.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.48 CA$16.23

$16.69 CA$23.59

-31.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.20 CA$15.84

$15.91 CA$22.50

-29.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.59 CA$26.28

$16.25 CA$22.98

14.40%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 CA$6.64

$3.33 CA$4.71

41.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.21 CA$1.71

19.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.34 CA$6.13

$3.92 CA$5.54

10.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.79 CA$5.36

$3.48 CA$4.92

8.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.81

$2.50 CA$3.53

7.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.75 CA$3.88

$2.16 CA$3.05

27.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 CA$3.62

$2.91 CA$4.12

-12.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$2.38 CA$3.36

-36.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.39 CA$20.34

$10.69 CA$15.11

34.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.81 CA$22.35

$8.67 CA$12.26

82.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 CA$3.49

$1.96 CA$2.77

26.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 CA$4.39

$2.92 CA$4.14

6.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.81 CA$3.97

$2.28 CA$3.22

23.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.6 CA$128

$64.3 CA$90.9

40.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 CA$4.64

$5.26 CA$7.44

-37.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 CA$1.97

$2.08 CA$2.94

-32.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.49 CA$37.45

$35.48 CA$50.2

-25.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.72

$1.16 CA$1.63

5.17%

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

$28.4K CA$40.1K

$28.0K CA$39.6K

1.41%

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

$20.8K CA$29.5K

$21.0K CA$29.7K

-0.73%

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

$165 CA$233

$159 CA$225

3.33%

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

$38.24 CA$54.1

$57.9 CA$81.8

-33.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.1 CA$70.9

$79.3 CA$112

-36.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 CA$76.1

$29.52 CA$41.73

82.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.04 CA$25.51

$18.06 CA$25.54

-0.11%

Cinema Ticket

$14.04 CA$19.84

$17.88 CA$25.27

-21.48%

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

$797 CA$1,126

$670 CA$947

18.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K CA$22.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 CA$83.5

$76.7 CA$108

-23.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.20 CA$56.8

$35.15 CA$49.69

14.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.8 CA$128

$76.6 CA$108

18.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$155

$130 CA$184

-15.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 CA$1,707

$1,053 CA$1,488

14.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,011 CA$1,429

$908 CA$1,283

11.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,949 CA$2,756

$1,898 CA$2,683

2.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 CA$2,371

$1,741 CA$2,461

-3.65%

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

$3,027 CA$4,279

4.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.58

-1.53%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 18, 2026

Last update for Thunder Bay: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1K 44.8%

Thunder Bay

$908 41.9% 10.2% $103

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$392 17.4%

Thunder Bay

$396 18.3% 1.1% $4.4

Eating Out

Calgary

$270 12%

Thunder Bay

$271 12.5% 0.1% $0.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$253 11.2%

Thunder Bay

$296 13.7% 17.2% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$135 6%

Thunder Bay

$143 6.6% 6.4% $8.6

Getting Around

Calgary

$112 5%

Thunder Bay

$89 4.1% 20.5% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$82 3.6%

Thunder Bay

$65 3% 20.3% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,207 in Calgary and $1,053 in Thunder Bay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays 4% 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 $60.0 in Thunder Bay. Groceries flip the comparison at $392 vs $396, with Calgary cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇨🇦 Thunder Bay

🕒 Local time

09:00 9:00 AM

11:00 11:00 AM

2 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

107,909

💱 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 Thunder Bay 1,800 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Calgary
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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 Thunder Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thunder Bay is cheaper overall, especially in transport and leisure. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 4% 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 $1,053 in Thunder Bay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Thunder Bay – a meal for two runs $60.0 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 $2,169 in Thunder Bay – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,169 in Thunder Bay versus $2,255 in Calgary, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Thunder Bay but tight or insufficient in Calgary. The gap between the two cities makes Thunder Bay 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 Thunder Bay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.