Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Vancouver

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,255 a month against $2,662 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Vancouver outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
Learn more

Calgary Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
Learn more

Vancouver Living Index

Jump to prices

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,255

/mo nomad

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,662

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Vancouver

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,255 in Calgary versus $2,662 in Vancouver.

Calgary $2,255
Vancouver $2,662

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Calgary versus $3,916 in Vancouver.

Calgary $3,361
Vancouver $3,916

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,468 in Calgary versus $5,170 in Vancouver.

Calgary $4,468
Vancouver $5,170

Living in Calgary costs roughly 15% less than in Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 66% above, Vancouver 96% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 CA$24.85

$18.01 CA$25.46

-2.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 CA$97.6

$71.0 CA$100

-2.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 CA$14.97

$10.83 CA$15.31

-2.22%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.42

$3.94 CA$5.56

-2.54%

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

$1.93 CA$2.72

$2.13 CA$3.01

-9.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.66

$1.66 CA$2.34

13.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.09 CA$7.20

$5.73 CA$8.10

-11.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 CA$7.97

$6.40 CA$9.04

-11.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 CA$2.82

$2.15 CA$3.04

-6.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 CA$3.93

$2.55 CA$3.61

9.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.59 CA$7.90

$4.56 CA$6.45

22.59%

Eggs

$3.70 CA$5.23

$4.06 CA$5.74

-8.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.48 CA$16.23

$12.14 CA$17.17

-5.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.20 CA$15.84

$13.23 CA$18.71

-15.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.59 CA$26.28

$20.24 CA$28.62

-8.15%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 CA$6.64

$4.05 CA$5.73

16.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.42 CA$2.00

2.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.34 CA$6.13

$3.97 CA$5.62

9.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.79 CA$5.36

$3.91 CA$5.53

-3.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.81

$2.64 CA$3.74

1.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.75 CA$3.88

$2.82 CA$3.98

-2.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 CA$3.62

$2.48 CA$3.51

3.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$1.59 CA$2.24

-5.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.39 CA$20.34

$15.30 CA$21.64

-5.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.81 CA$22.35

$14.32 CA$20.24

10.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 CA$3.49

$2.57 CA$3.63

-3.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 CA$4.39

$2.91 CA$4.12

6.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.81 CA$3.97

$2.55 CA$3.60

10.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.6 CA$128

$84.6 CA$120

7.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 CA$4.64

$2.64 CA$3.73

24.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 CA$1.97

$1.63 CA$2.31

-14.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.49 CA$37.45

$31.77 CA$44.91

-16.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.72

$1.42 CA$2.01

-14.08%

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

$28.4K CA$40.1K

$27.1K CA$38.3K

4.68%

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

$20.8K CA$29.5K

$21.6K CA$30.5K

-3.58%

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

$165 CA$233

$81.3 CA$115

102.41%

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

$38.24 CA$54.1

$37.20 CA$52.6

2.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.1 CA$70.9

$52.6 CA$74.4

-4.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 CA$76.1

$44.34 CA$62.7

21.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.04 CA$25.51

$12.37 CA$17.49

45.84%

Cinema Ticket

$14.04 CA$19.84

$12.62 CA$17.85

11.25%

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

$797 CA$1,126

$1,093 CA$1,544

-27.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K CA$22.3K

$20.0K CA$28.2K

-20.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 CA$83.5

$58.5 CA$82.7

1.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.20 CA$56.8

$33.35 CA$47.14

20.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.8 CA$128

$96.3 CA$136

-5.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$155

$95.6 CA$135

14.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 CA$1,707

$1,765 CA$2,495

-31.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,011 CA$1,429

$1,508 CA$2,132

-32.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,949 CA$2,756

$3,122 CA$4,414

-37.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 CA$2,371

$2,469 CA$3,490

-32.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,532 CA$4,993

$8,173 CA$11.6K

-56.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,392 CA$4,795

$6,354 CA$8,982

-46.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,152 CA$4,456

$3,592 CA$5,078

-12.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.28

5.37%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 18, 2026

Last update for Vancouver: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1K 44.8%

Vancouver

$1.5K 56.7% 49.2% $497

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$392 17.4%

Vancouver

$399 15% 1.9% $7.3

Eating Out

Calgary

$270 12%

Vancouver

$280 10.5% 3.7% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$253 11.2%

Vancouver

$171 6.4% 32.4% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$135 6%

Vancouver

$128 4.8% 5.3% $7.1

Getting Around

Calgary

$112 5%

Vancouver

$106 4% 5.8% $6.5

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$82 3.6%

Vancouver

$70 2.6% 15% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,207 in Calgary and $1,765 in Vancouver. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 14% 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 $71.0 in Vancouver for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $392 vs $399 per month, with Calgary cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🕒 Local time

07:20 7:20 AM

06:20 6:20 AM

1 h behind Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

631,486

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Calgary Vancouver 670 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Calgary
Vancouver

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 Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 14% lower in Vancouver. 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 $1,765 in Vancouver. 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 $71.0 in Vancouver. 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 $2,662 in Vancouver – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,255 in Calgary versus $2,662 in Vancouver, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Vancouver. 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 18% less than in Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.