Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Winnipeg

For one person, living is cheaper in Winnipeg: $2,071 a month against $2,303 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in Winnipeg
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Winnipeg Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,303

/mo nomad

Winnipeg

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,071

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Winnipeg

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,303 in Calgary versus $2,071 in Winnipeg.

Calgary $2,303
Winnipeg $2,071

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,366 in Calgary versus $3,039 in Winnipeg.

Calgary $3,366
Winnipeg $3,039

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,428 in Calgary versus $4,006 in Winnipeg.

Calgary $4,428
Winnipeg $4,006

Living in Calgary is roughly 11% more expensive than in Winnipeg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 69% above, Winnipeg 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 CA$24.52

$14.49 CA$20.25

21.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.4 CA$98.3

$64.3 CA$89.8

9.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.69 CA$14.93

$10.65 CA$14.87

0.38%

Cappuccino

$3.89 CA$5.43

$3.77 CA$5.26

3.18%

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

$2.04 CA$2.85

$2.30 CA$3.22

-11.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.62

$1.98 CA$2.76

-5.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 CA$6.84

$5.86 CA$8.18

-16.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.78 CA$8.08

$6.39 CA$8.92

-9.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 CA$2.74

$1.46 CA$2.04

34.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 CA$3.83

$2.25 CA$3.15

21.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.46 CA$7.63

$3.32 CA$4.64

64.46%

Eggs

$3.69 CA$5.15

$3.57 CA$4.99

3.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.24 CA$15.71

$9.66 CA$13.49

16.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 CA$16.12

$10.52 CA$14.69

9.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 CA$25.67

$16.09 CA$22.48

14.23%

Apples (1kg)

$4.90 CA$6.85

$3.81 CA$5.33

28.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$1.99

$1.42 CA$1.98

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.88

$3.51 CA$4.91

19.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 CA$5.62

$3.41 CA$4.77

17.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.77

$2.33 CA$3.26

15.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 CA$3.72

$2.73 CA$3.81

-2.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CA$3.65

$2.61 CA$3.64

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 CA$2.23

$1.32 CA$1.85

21.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.00 CA$19.56

$14.81 CA$20.69

-5.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.40 CA$21.51

$12.12 CA$16.93

27.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 CA$3.49

$2.71 CA$3.79

-7.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.32

$3.55 CA$4.96

-12.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.93 CA$4.09

$2.44 CA$3.41

20.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.3 CA$125

$83.6 CA$117

6.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 CA$4.57

$2.88 CA$4.03

13.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 CA$1.89

$1.39 CA$1.94

-2.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.39 CA$38.26

$24.21 CA$33.83

13.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.64

$1.22 CA$1.71

-4.10%

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

$27.9K CA$39.0K

$27.0K CA$37.8K

3.38%

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

$21.0K CA$29.4K

$21.6K CA$30.2K

-2.56%

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

$167 CA$233

$165 CA$230

1.20%

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

$38.27 CA$53.5

$33.35 CA$46.60

14.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.9 CA$71.2

$49.74 CA$69.5

2.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 CA$71.2

$38.01 CA$53.1

34.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.17 CA$25.39

$29.62 CA$41.38

-38.66%

Cinema Ticket

$14.44 CA$20.18

$10.57 CA$14.76

36.61%

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

$545 CA$762

$990 CA$1,383

-44.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$22.6K

$18.9K CA$26.4K

-14.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 CA$82.3

$44.39 CA$62.0

32.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.75 CA$55.5

$41.85 CA$58.5

-5.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$130

$70.3 CA$98.2

32.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

$92.2 CA$129

19.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 CA$1,752

$998 CA$1,394

25.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 CA$1,476

$960 CA$1,341

10.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,022 CA$2,825

$1,684 CA$2,353

20.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,629 CA$2,275

$1,521 CA$2,124

7.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,600 CA$5,030

$2,427 CA$3,391

48.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,243 CA$4,530

$2,306 CA$3,222

40.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,115 CA$4,352

$2,661 CA$3,718

17.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.45

1.35%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 26, 2026

Last update for Winnipeg: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1.1K 45.9%

Winnipeg

$960 46.3% 9.2% $97

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$393 17.1%

Winnipeg

$337 16.3% 14.2% $56

Eating Out

Calgary

$271 11.8%

Winnipeg

$252 12.2% 6.9% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$256 11.1%

Winnipeg

$248 12% 3.2% $8.1

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$136 5.9%

Winnipeg

$112 5.4% 17.6% $24

Getting Around

Calgary

$111 4.8%

Winnipeg

$103 5% 7.1% $7.9

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$80 3.5%

Winnipeg

$59 2.9% 25.9% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,254 in Calgary and $998 in Winnipeg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays 17% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $70 in Calgary vs $64 in Winnipeg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $393 vs $337 per month, with Winnipeg cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇨🇦 Winnipeg

🕒 Local time

19:19 7:19 PM

20:19 8:19 PM

1 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

663,617

💱 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

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Calgary vs Winnipeg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Winnipeg is about 10% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 17% higher in Calgary, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,254 in Calgary versus $998 in Winnipeg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Winnipeg – a meal for two runs $64 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 $2,071 in Winnipeg – Winnipeg is about 10% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Expats usually find Winnipeg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.