Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Vaughan

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,303 a month against $2,476 in Vaughan, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Vaughan outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Calgary, Canada
Vaughan, Canada
Calgary
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,303
/mo nomad
Vaughan
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,476
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Vaughan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,303 in Calgary versus $2,476 in Vaughan.

  • Calgary $2,303
  • Vaughan $2,476

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,366 in Calgary versus $3,872 in Vaughan.

  • Calgary $3,366
  • Vaughan $3,872

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,428 in Calgary versus $5,267 in Vaughan.

  • Calgary $4,428
  • Vaughan $5,267

Living in Calgary costs roughly 7% less than in Vaughan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 69% above, Vaughan 82% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Calgary
Vaughan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.55 CA$24.63
$17.09 CA$23.98
2.69%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$70.4 CA$98.8
$71.7 CA$101
-1.88%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.69 CA$15.00
$9.90 CA$13.90
7.98%
Cappuccino
$3.89 CA$5.46
$3.80 CA$5.34
2.37%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.04 CA$2.86
$2.16 CA$3.03
-5.56%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.88 CA$2.64
$1.71 CA$2.40
9.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.90 CA$6.87
$5.70 CA$8.00
-14.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.78 CA$8.11
$6.44 CA$9.04
-10.25%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Calgary
Vaughan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.96 CA$2.75
$1.98 CA$2.77
-1.01%
White Bread (500g)
$2.74 CA$3.84
$2.22 CA$3.11
23.42%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.46 CA$7.67
$2.70 CA$3.79
102.22%
Eggs
$3.69 CA$5.17
$3.04 CA$4.27
21.38%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.24 CA$15.78
$9.65 CA$13.54
16.48%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.54 CA$16.19
$12.11 CA$16.99
-4.71%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.38 CA$25.79
$14.05 CA$19.72
30.82%
Apples (1kg)
$4.90 CA$6.88
$3.45 CA$4.85
42.03%
Banana (1kg)
$1.42 CA$2.00
$1.34 CA$1.88
5.97%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.21 CA$5.91
$3.16 CA$4.43
33.23%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.02 CA$5.65
$3.44 CA$4.82
16.86%
Potato (1kg)
$2.69 CA$3.78
$1.68 CA$2.35
60.12%
Onion (1kg)
$2.66 CA$3.74
$1.90 CA$2.67
40.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.61 CA$3.67
$2.28 CA$3.20
14.47%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.60 CA$2.24
$1.26 CA$1.76
26.98%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.00 CA$19.65
$12.69 CA$17.81
10.32%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.40 CA$21.61
$13.30 CA$18.66
15.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.50 CA$3.50
$1.99 CA$2.79
25.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.09 CA$4.34
$1.41 CA$1.97
119.15%
🚌 Getting Around
Calgary
Vaughan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.93 CA$4.11
$2.95 CA$4.14
-0.68%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$89.3 CA$125
$113 CA$158
-20.89%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.27 CA$4.59
$3.05 CA$4.28
7.21%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.35 CA$1.89
$1.21 CA$1.70
11.57%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.39 CA$38.43
$22.31 CA$31.31
22.77%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.17 CA$1.65
$1.18 CA$1.66
-0.85%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.9K CA$39.2K
$28.7K CA$40.2K
-2.52%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.0K CA$29.5K
$20.2K CA$28.3K
4.22%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Calgary
Vaughan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$167 CA$234
$113 CA$158
48.15%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$38.27 CA$53.7
$29.62 CA$41.57
29.20%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$50.9 CA$71.5
$49.75 CA$69.8
2.37%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Calgary
Vaughan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.0 CA$71.5
$30.89 CA$43.35
64.94%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.17 CA$25.50
$21.55 CA$30.24
-15.68%
Cinema Ticket
$14.44 CA$20.27
$10.36 CA$14.54
39.38%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Calgary
Vaughan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$545 CA$766
$722 CA$1,013
-24.42%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.2K CA$22.7K
$16.7K CA$23.5K
-3.17%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Calgary
Vaughan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$58.9 CA$82.6
$43.33 CA$60.8
35.89%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.75 CA$55.8
$44.36 CA$62.3
-10.39%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$93.4 CA$131
$106 CA$149
-12.30%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 CA$154
$107 CA$150
2.93%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Calgary
Vaughan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,254 CA$1,760
$1,794 CA$2,517
-30.08%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,056 CA$1,483
$1,370 CA$1,923
-22.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,022 CA$2,838
$3,421 CA$4,800
-40.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,629 CA$2,286
$2,701 CA$3,790
-39.69%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,600 CA$5,053
$7,654 CA$10.7K
-52.96%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,243 CA$4,551
$5,523 CA$7,751
-41.29%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Calgary
Vaughan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,115 CA$4,372
$3,084 CA$4,329
1.00%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.51
5.26
-14.26%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 26, 2026

Last update for Vaughan: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Calgary
$1.1K
Vaughan
$1.4K 29.7% $314
Groceries & Markets
Calgary
$393
Vaughan
$324 17.5% $69
Eating Out
Calgary
$271
Vaughan
$269 0.7% $2
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Calgary
$256
Vaughan
$192 25% $64
Clothing & Footwear
Calgary
$136
Vaughan
$135 0.3% $0.4
Getting Around
Calgary
$111
Vaughan
$134 20.5% $23
Sport & Entertainment
Calgary
$80
Vaughan
$52 35.4% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,254 in Calgary and $1,794 in Vaughan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $70 in Calgary vs $72 in Vaughan. Groceries flip the comparison at $393 vs $324, with Vaughan cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Calgary
🇨🇦 Vaughan
🕒 Local time
19:01 7:01 PM
21:01 9:01 PM
2 h ahead of Calgary
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,267,344
323,103
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.64 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Calgary Vaughan 2,690 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Calgary
  • Vaughan

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 Vaughan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Calgary cheaper than Vaughan?
Calgary is about 7% cheaper overall, especially in transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $3,454 in Calgary and $3,714 in Vaughan to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Calgary and Vaughan?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,254 in Calgary versus $1,794 in Vaughan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Is eating out cheaper in Calgary or in Vaughan?
Dining out is cheaper in Calgary – a meal for two runs $70 versus $72 in Vaughan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
What are total monthly expenses in Calgary and in Vaughan?
All in, you’ll spend $2,303 per month in Calgary versus $2,476 in Vaughan – Calgary is about 7% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Is Calgary or Vaughan more family-friendly?
For families, Calgary is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Vaughan, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

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