Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Toronto

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,255 a month against $2,610 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Toronto outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,255

/mo nomad

Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,610

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Toronto

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,255 in Calgary versus $2,610 in Toronto.

Calgary $2,255
Toronto $2,610

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Calgary versus $3,727 in Toronto.

Calgary $3,361
Toronto $3,727

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,468 in Calgary versus $4,844 in Toronto.

Calgary $4,468
Toronto $4,844

Living in Calgary costs roughly 14% less than in Toronto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 66% above, Toronto 93% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 CA$24.85

$17.59 CA$24.87

-0.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 CA$97.6

$78.8 CA$111

-12.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 CA$14.97

$10.73 CA$15.16

-1.30%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.42

$4.09 CA$5.78

-6.11%

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

$1.93 CA$2.72

$2.10 CA$2.97

-8.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.66

$1.72 CA$2.43

9.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.09 CA$7.20

$6.36 CA$8.99

-19.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 CA$7.97

$7.08 CA$10.01

-20.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 CA$2.82

$2.54 CA$3.59

-21.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 CA$3.93

$2.72 CA$3.85

2.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.59 CA$7.90

$2.18 CA$3.09

156.42%

Eggs

$3.70 CA$5.23

$3.63 CA$5.13

1.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.48 CA$16.23

$9.46 CA$13.37

21.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.20 CA$15.84

$11.54 CA$16.32

-2.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.59 CA$26.28

$14.37 CA$20.32

29.37%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 CA$6.64

$3.70 CA$5.23

27.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.19 CA$1.68

21.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.34 CA$6.13

$3.46 CA$4.90

25.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.79 CA$5.36

$4.22 CA$5.97

-10.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.81

$1.79 CA$2.52

50.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.75 CA$3.88

$1.65 CA$2.33

66.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 CA$3.62

$2.20 CA$3.11

16.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$1.26 CA$1.78

19.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.39 CA$20.34

$13.97 CA$19.75

3.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.81 CA$22.35

$14.20 CA$20.07

11.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 CA$3.49

$2.25 CA$3.18

9.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 CA$4.39

$2.53 CA$3.58

22.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.81 CA$3.97

$2.32 CA$3.28

21.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.6 CA$128

$112 CA$158

-18.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 CA$4.64

$3.06 CA$4.33

7.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 CA$1.97

$1.22 CA$1.72

14.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.49 CA$37.45

$21.69 CA$30.66

22.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.72

$1.21 CA$1.72

0.83%

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

$28.4K CA$40.1K

$26.1K CA$37.0K

8.56%

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

$20.8K CA$29.5K

$21.1K CA$29.9K

-1.38%

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

$165 CA$233

$120 CA$169

37.64%

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

$38.24 CA$54.1

$32.21 CA$45.54

18.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.1 CA$70.9

$48.88 CA$69.1

2.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 CA$76.1

$39.34 CA$55.6

36.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.04 CA$25.51

$23.58 CA$33.34

-23.49%

Cinema Ticket

$14.04 CA$19.84

$12.58 CA$17.79

11.61%

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

$797 CA$1,126

$832 CA$1,176

-4.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K CA$22.3K

$23.6K CA$33.4K

-33.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 CA$83.5

$52.3 CA$73.9

12.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.20 CA$56.8

$39.44 CA$55.8

1.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.8 CA$128

$99.0 CA$140

-8.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$155

$122 CA$172

-10.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 CA$1,707

$1,631 CA$2,306

-26.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,011 CA$1,429

$1,448 CA$2,048

-30.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,949 CA$2,756

$2,737 CA$3,869

-28.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 CA$2,371

$2,129 CA$3,010

-21.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,532 CA$4,993

$8,206 CA$11.6K

-56.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,392 CA$4,795

$6,838 CA$9,666

-50.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,152 CA$4,456

$3,520 CA$4,976

-10.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.47

0.89%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 18, 2026

Last update for Toronto: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1K 44.8%

Toronto

$1.4K 55.5% 43.3% $437

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$392 17.4%

Toronto

$343 13.1% 12.4% $49

Eating Out

Calgary

$270 12%

Toronto

$283 10.9% 4.7% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$253 11.2%

Toronto

$201 7.7% 20.7% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$135 6%

Toronto

$141 5.4% 4.4% $5.9

Getting Around

Calgary

$112 5%

Toronto

$130 5% 16.1% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$82 3.6%

Toronto

$65 2.5% 21.2% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,207 in Calgary and $1,631 in Toronto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toronto pays 12% 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 $79.0 in Toronto. Groceries flip the comparison at $392 vs $343, with Toronto cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇨🇦 Toronto

🕒 Local time

08:27 8:27 AM

10:27 10:27 AM

2 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

2,731,571

💱 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 Toronto 2,710 km ≈ 4 h 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)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Calgary vs Toronto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and transport. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 12% lower in Toronto. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,207 in Calgary versus $1,631 in Toronto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Calgary – a meal for two runs $69.0 versus $79.0 in Toronto. 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 $2,610 in Toronto – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,255 in Calgary versus $2,610 in Toronto, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Toronto. The gap between the two cities makes Calgary 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 Calgary gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Toronto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.