Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Waterloo Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Waterloo

😐 Solo nomad: Calgary is 15.4% more expensive than Waterloo without rent, and 5% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Calgary is 13.8% more expensive than Waterloo without rent, and 2.9% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Calgary
Waterloo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.19 CA$24.76
$14.98 CA$20.39
21.43%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$70.5 CA$96
$66.9 CA$91
5.41%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.19 CA$15.23
$9.83 CA$13.38
13.84%
Cappuccino
$3.77 CA$5.13
$3.11 CA$4.24
21.22%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.97 CA$2.68
$1.57 CA$2.14
25.48%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73 CA$2.35
$1.62 CA$2.21
6.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.28 CA$7.19
$5.55 CA$7.55
-4.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.71 CA$9.13
$6.75 CA$9.18
-0.59%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Calgary
Waterloo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.21 CA$3.01
$2.16 CA$2.94
2.31%
White Bread (500g)
$2.77 CA$3.78
$2.23 CA$3.04
24.22%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.41 CA$4.65
$2.55 CA$3.47
33.73%
Eggs
$3.42 CA$4.65
$3.03 CA$4.12
12.87%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.33 CA$19.51
$8.23 CA$11.2
74.12%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.6 CA$17.15
$16.56 CA$22.54
-23.91%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.99 CA$21.76
$14.16 CA$19.27
12.92%
Apples (1kg)
$4.49 CA$6.11
$4.15 CA$5.65
8.19%
Banana (1kg)
$1.34 CA$1.82
$1.18 CA$1.61
13.56%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.83 CA$5.22
$3.22 CA$4.39
18.94%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.35 CA$5.92
$3.78 CA$5.14
15.08%
Potato (1kg)
$2.63 CA$3.58
$2.28 CA$3.1
15.35%
Onion (1kg)
$2.63 CA$3.58
$2.84 CA$3.87
-7.39%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.74 CA$3.73
$1.95 CA$2.65
40.51%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.87 CA$2.54
$1.61 CA$2.19
16.15%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$15.02 CA$20.44
$14.19 CA$19.32
5.85%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.43 CA$19.65
$10.91 CA$14.85
32.26%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.86 CA$3.89
$2.49 CA$3.39
14.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.82 CA$5.19
$3.33 CA$4.54
14.71%
🚌 Getting Around
Calgary
Waterloo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.83 CA$3.85
$2.79 CA$3.8
1.43%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$86 CA$117
$69.5 CA$94.6
23.67%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.56 CA$4.84
$2.64 CA$3.6
34.85%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.36 CA$1.85
$1.68 CA$2.29
-19.05%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$28.68 CA$39.03
$29.07 CA$39.57
-1.34%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.08 CA$1.46
$1.16 CA$1.58
-6.90%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.6K CA$33.4K
$25.3K CA$34.4K
-2.83%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.8K CA$29.7K
$19.6K CA$26.7K
11.02%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Calgary
Waterloo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$210 CA$285
$186 CA$254
12.45%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$41.82 CA$56.9
$37.08 CA$50.5
12.78%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$57.8 CA$78.7
$54 CA$73.5
7.00%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Calgary
Waterloo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$53.3 CA$72.6
$39.11 CA$53.2
36.31%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$53.6 CA$72.9
$15.74 CA$21.43
240.41%
Cinema Ticket
$12.62 CA$17.17
$12.04 CA$16.38
4.82%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Calgary
Waterloo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$867 CA$1,180
$566 CA$770
53.23%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.1K CA$21.9K
$10.2K CA$13.9K
57.80%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Calgary
Waterloo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.5 CA$78.3
$53.2 CA$72.5
8.06%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.96 CA$63.9
$25.85 CA$35.19
81.66%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$86.7 CA$118
$70.9 CA$96.5
22.36%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106 CA$144
$87.2 CA$119
21.64%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Calgary
Waterloo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,394 CA$1,897
$1,426 CA$1,941
-2.25%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,168 CA$1,589
$1,251 CA$1,703
-6.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,339 CA$3,184
$2,344 CA$3,191
-0.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,885 CA$2,566
$2,068 CA$2,815
-8.85%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,575 CA$4,867
$5,623 CA$7,654
-36.42%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,139 CA$4,273
$4,343 CA$5,912
-27.72%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Calgary
Waterloo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,990 CA$4,070
$3,028 CA$4,122
-1.25%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.71
6.71
-14.90%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 29, 2025

Last update for Waterloo: October 28, 2025

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