Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Waterloo, Canada

Name: Waterloo
Address: Waterloo, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Waterloo: $2,234 a month against $2,303 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $830 less a year. The total is higher in Calgary despite lower rent and utilities.

110

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Waterloo
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Waterloo Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,303

/mo nomad

Waterloo

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,234

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Waterloo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,303 in Calgary versus $2,234 in Waterloo.

Calgary $2,303
Waterloo $2,234

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,366 in Calgary versus $3,295 in Waterloo.

Calgary $3,366
Waterloo $3,295

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,428 in Calgary versus $4,356 in Waterloo.

Calgary $4,428
Waterloo $4,356

Living in Calgary is roughly 3% more expensive than in Waterloo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 69% above, Waterloo 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 CA$24.52

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.4 CA$98.4

$57.2 CA$79.9

23.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.69 CA$14.94

$10.71 CA$14.97

-0.19%

Cappuccino

$3.89 CA$5.43

$3.18 CA$4.45

22.33%

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

$2.04 CA$2.85

$1.95 CA$2.73

4.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.62

$1.24 CA$1.73

51.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 CA$6.84

$5.13 CA$7.17

-4.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.78 CA$8.08

$5.76 CA$8.05

0.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 CA$2.74

$2.04 CA$2.85

-3.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 CA$3.83

$2.49 CA$3.48

10.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.46 CA$7.63

$2.47 CA$3.44

121.05%

Eggs

$3.69 CA$5.15

$2.92 CA$4.08

26.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.24 CA$15.71

$11.35 CA$15.86

-0.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 CA$16.12

$15.00 CA$20.96

-23.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 CA$25.68

$16.02 CA$22.39

14.73%

Apples (1kg)

$4.90 CA$6.85

$3.46 CA$4.83

41.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$1.99

$1.29 CA$1.81

10.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.88

$3.19 CA$4.46

31.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 CA$5.62

$3.42 CA$4.78

17.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.77

$1.39 CA$1.94

93.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 CA$3.72

$1.92 CA$2.68

38.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CA$3.65

$1.66 CA$2.32

57.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 CA$2.23

$1.22 CA$1.71

31.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.00 CA$19.57

$12.80 CA$17.88

9.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.40 CA$21.52

$9.80 CA$13.69

57.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 CA$3.49

$2.61 CA$3.64

-4.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.32

$2.69 CA$3.76

14.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.93 CA$4.09

$2.88 CA$4.03

1.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.3 CA$125

$75.6 CA$106

18.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 CA$4.57

$2.47 CA$3.45

32.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 CA$1.89

$1.81 CA$2.54

-25.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.39 CA$38.27

$28.17 CA$39.37

-2.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.64

$1.19 CA$1.67

-1.68%

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

$27.9K CA$39.0K

$26.9K CA$37.6K

3.86%

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

$21.0K CA$29.4K

$20.6K CA$28.7K

2.25%

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

$167 CA$233

$147 CA$205

13.78%

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

$38.27 CA$53.5

$27.82 CA$38.87

37.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.9 CA$71.2

$42.76 CA$59.8

19.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 CA$71.2

$33.77 CA$47.19

50.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.17 CA$25.39

$19.23 CA$26.87

-5.51%

Cinema Ticket

$14.44 CA$20.18

$10.90 CA$15.23

32.48%

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

$545 CA$762

$444 CA$620

22.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$22.7K

$15.7K CA$21.9K

3.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 CA$82.3

$64.4 CA$90.0

-8.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.75 CA$55.6

$32.79 CA$45.82

21.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$130

$81.9 CA$114

13.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

$76.6 CA$107

43.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 CA$1,752

$1,443 CA$2,016

-13.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 CA$1,476

$1,141 CA$1,594

-7.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,022 CA$2,826

$2,161 CA$3,019

-6.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,629 CA$2,276

$1,905 CA$2,661

-14.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,600 CA$5,031

$5,280 CA$7,378

-31.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,243 CA$4,531

$4,609 CA$6,441

-29.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,115 CA$4,353

$3,129 CA$4,372

-0.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

5.22

-13.60%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 26, 2026

Last update for Waterloo: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1.1K 45.9%

Waterloo

$1.1K 51.1% 8% $85

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$393 17.1%

Waterloo

$346 15.5% 11.8% $46

Eating Out

Calgary

$271 11.8%

Waterloo

$261 11.7% 3.8% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$256 11.1%

Waterloo

$217 9.7% 15.2% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$136 5.9%

Waterloo

$115 5.2% 15.3% $21

Getting Around

Calgary

$111 4.8%

Waterloo

$99 4.4% 11.1% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$80 3.5%

Waterloo

$56 2.5% 30.4% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,254 in Calgary and $1,443 in Waterloo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $70 in Calgary vs $57 in Waterloo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $393 vs $346 per month, with Waterloo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇨🇦 Waterloo

🕒 Local time

14:11 2:11 PM

15:11 3:11 PM

1 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

121,436

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Calgary Waterloo 2,640 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Calgary
Waterloo

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 Waterloo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Waterloo is about 3% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $3,454 in Calgary and $3,352 in Waterloo 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,254 in Calgary versus $1,443 in Waterloo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Waterloo – a meal for two runs $57 versus $70 in Calgary. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,303 per month in Calgary versus $2,234 in Waterloo – Waterloo is about 3% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.