Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Williams Lake, BC

For one person, living is cheaper in Williams Lake, BC: $2,038 a month against $2,303 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index
98

Cost of Living Index in Williams Lake, BC
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Williams Lake, BC Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,303

/mo nomad

Williams Lake, BC

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,038

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Williams Lake, BC

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 Williams Lake, BC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,303 in Calgary versus $2,038 in Williams Lake, BC.

Calgary $2,303
Williams Lake, BC $2,038

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,366 in Calgary versus $2,920 in Williams Lake, BC.

Calgary $3,366
Williams Lake, BC $2,920

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,428 in Calgary versus $3,801 in Williams Lake, BC.

Calgary $4,428
Williams Lake, BC $3,801

Living in Calgary is roughly 13% more expensive than in Williams Lake, BC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 69% above, Williams Lake, BC 50% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 CA$24.66

$17.74 CA$24.93

-1.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.4 CA$98.9

$63.4 CA$89.1

10.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.69 CA$15.02

$10.62 CA$14.92

0.66%

Cappuccino

$3.89 CA$5.46

$3.61 CA$5.07

7.76%

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

$2.04 CA$2.86

$2.08 CA$2.92

-1.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.64

$1.69 CA$2.37

11.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 CA$6.88

$4.88 CA$6.85

0.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.78 CA$8.12

$5.36 CA$7.54

7.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 CA$2.76

$2.27 CA$3.19

-13.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 CA$3.85

$2.57 CA$3.62

6.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.46 CA$7.68

$3.80 CA$5.34

43.68%

Eggs

$3.69 CA$5.18

$3.38 CA$4.75

9.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.24 CA$15.80

$10.16 CA$14.27

10.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 CA$16.21

$11.80 CA$16.58

-2.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 CA$25.82

$14.60 CA$20.52

25.89%

Apples (1kg)

$4.90 CA$6.89

$3.75 CA$5.26

30.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$2.00

$1.33 CA$1.87

6.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.92

$3.57 CA$5.02

17.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 CA$5.65

$3.86 CA$5.42

4.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.79

$2.43 CA$3.41

10.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 CA$3.74

$2.26 CA$3.18

17.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CA$3.67

$2.42 CA$3.40

7.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 CA$2.24

$1.45 CA$2.04

10.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.00 CA$19.67

$12.42 CA$17.45

12.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.40 CA$21.64

$14.53 CA$20.41

5.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 CA$3.51

$2.60 CA$3.65

-3.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.34

$2.70 CA$3.80

14.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.93 CA$4.12

$2.37 CA$3.33

23.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.3 CA$125

$60.6 CA$85.1

47.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 CA$4.59

$2.63 CA$3.70

24.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 CA$1.90

$1.62 CA$2.27

-16.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.39 CA$38.48

$25.61 CA$35.98

6.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.65

$1.20 CA$1.68

-2.50%

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

$27.9K CA$39.3K

$28.3K CA$39.7K

-1.23%

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

$21.0K CA$29.6K

$22.1K CA$31.0K

-4.70%

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

$167 CA$234

$138 CA$194

20.75%

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

$38.27 CA$53.8

$32.57 CA$45.76

17.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.9 CA$71.6

$84.3 CA$118

-39.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 CA$71.6

$37.04 CA$52.0

37.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.17 CA$25.53

$17.65 CA$24.80

2.95%

Cinema Ticket

$14.44 CA$20.29

$10.59 CA$14.88

36.36%

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

$545 CA$766

$683 CA$960

-20.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$22.8K

$14.7K CA$20.6K

10.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 CA$82.7

$56.2 CA$78.9

4.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.75 CA$55.9

$38.39 CA$53.9

3.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$131

$97.1 CA$136

-3.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$91.6 CA$129

20.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 CA$1,762

$936 CA$1,315

33.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 CA$1,484

$892 CA$1,254

18.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,022 CA$2,841

$1,339 CA$1,882

50.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,629 CA$2,288

$1,257 CA$1,766

29.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,600 CA$5,059

$4,775 CA$6,709

-24.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,243 CA$4,556

$3,838 CA$5,393

-15.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,115 CA$4,377

$3,168 CA$4,450

-1.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.68

-3.63%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 26, 2026

Last update for Williams Lake, BC: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1.1K 45.9%

Williams Lake, BC

$892 43.8% 15.5% $164

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$393 17.1%

Williams Lake, BC

$357 17.5% 9.1% $36

Eating Out

Calgary

$271 11.8%

Williams Lake, BC

$267 13.1% 1.3% $3.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$256 11.1%

Williams Lake, BC

$255 12.5% 0.4% $0.9

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$136 5.9%

Williams Lake, BC

$127 6.3% 6.2% $8.5

Getting Around

Calgary

$111 4.8%

Williams Lake, BC

$81 4% 27.2% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$80 3.5%

Williams Lake, BC

$58 2.9% 27.1% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,254 in Calgary and $936 in Williams Lake, BC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $70 in Calgary vs $63 in Williams Lake, BC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $393 vs $357 per month, with Williams Lake, BC cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇨🇦 Williams Lake, BC

🕒 Local time

12:47 12:47 PM

11:47 11:47 AM

1 h behind Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

10,753

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.712 USD

1 CAD = 0.639 EUR

1 CAD = 0.712 USD

1 CAD = 0.639 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Calgary Williams Lake, BC 570 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

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Calgary
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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Calgary vs Williams Lake, BC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Williams Lake, BC is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and leisure. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $3,454 in Calgary and $3,057 in Williams Lake, BC 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 $936 in Williams Lake, BC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Williams Lake, BC – a meal for two runs $63 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 $2,038 in Williams Lake, BC – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Williams Lake, BC is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Expats usually find Williams Lake, BC gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.