Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Yellowknife

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,303 a month against $2,997 in Yellowknife, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
Learn more

Calgary Living Index
144

Cost of Living Index in Yellowknife
Learn more

Yellowknife Living Index

Jump to prices

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,303

/mo nomad

Yellowknife

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,997

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Yellowknife

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,303 in Calgary versus $2,997 in Yellowknife.

Calgary $2,303
Yellowknife $2,997

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,366 in Calgary versus $4,165 in Yellowknife.

Calgary $3,366
Yellowknife $4,165

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,428 in Calgary versus $5,333 in Yellowknife.

Calgary $4,428
Yellowknife $5,333

Living in Calgary costs roughly 23% less than in Yellowknife, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 69% above, Yellowknife 120% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 CA$24.52

$19.93 CA$27.85

-11.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.4 CA$98.4

$86.8 CA$121

-18.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.69 CA$14.94

$8.95 CA$12.51

19.44%

Cappuccino

$3.89 CA$5.43

$4.32 CA$6.03

-9.95%

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

$2.04 CA$2.85

$2.33 CA$3.25

-12.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.62

$2.14 CA$3.00

-12.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 CA$6.84

$6.52 CA$9.11

-24.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.78 CA$8.08

$7.33 CA$10.24

-21.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 CA$2.74

$2.78 CA$3.88

-29.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 CA$3.83

$2.63 CA$3.67

4.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.46 CA$7.63

$4.73 CA$6.61

15.43%

Eggs

$3.69 CA$5.15

$3.17 CA$4.43

16.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.24 CA$15.71

$7.09 CA$9.90

58.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 CA$16.12

$16.15 CA$22.57

-28.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 CA$25.68

$15.53 CA$21.70

18.35%

Apples (1kg)

$4.90 CA$6.85

$4.85 CA$6.77

1.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$1.99

$1.48 CA$2.07

-4.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.88

$5.29 CA$7.39

-20.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 CA$5.62

$7.50 CA$10.48

-46.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.77

$4.44 CA$6.21

-39.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 CA$3.72

$3.54 CA$4.94

-24.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CA$3.65

$3.53 CA$4.93

-26.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 CA$2.23

$1.08 CA$1.51

48.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.00 CA$19.57

$17.18 CA$24.00

-18.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.40 CA$21.52

$14.50 CA$20.27

6.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 CA$3.49

$4.34 CA$6.07

-42.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.32

$6.29 CA$8.79

-50.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.93 CA$4.09

$1.40 CA$1.96

109.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.3 CA$125

$53.5 CA$74.7

66.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 CA$4.57

$3.19 CA$4.46

2.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 CA$1.89

$1.47 CA$2.05

-8.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.39 CA$38.27

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.64

$1.28 CA$1.78

-8.59%

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

$27.9K CA$39.0K

$24.3K CA$34.0K

14.92%

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

$21.0K CA$29.4K

$20.1K CA$28.0K

4.88%

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

$167 CA$233

$369 CA$516

-54.83%

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

$38.27 CA$53.5

$59.0 CA$82.5

-35.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.9 CA$71.2

$102 CA$142

-50.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 CA$71.2

$73.6 CA$103

-30.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.17 CA$25.39

Cinema Ticket

$14.44 CA$20.18

$9.93 CA$13.87

45.42%

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

$545 CA$762

$594 CA$829

-8.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$22.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 CA$82.3

$65.3 CA$91.2

-9.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.75 CA$55.6

$36.14 CA$50.5

9.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$130

$103 CA$144

-9.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

$119 CA$166

-7.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 CA$1,752

$1,616 CA$2,257

-22.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 CA$1,476

$1,419 CA$1,982

-25.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,022 CA$2,826

$2,356 CA$3,292

-14.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,629 CA$2,276

$2,048 CA$2,861

-20.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,600 CA$5,031

$3,093 CA$4,321

16.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,243 CA$4,531

$2,882 CA$4,028

12.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,115 CA$4,353

$4,657 CA$6,507

-33.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

5.32

-15.23%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 26, 2026

Last update for Yellowknife: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1.1K 45.9%

Yellowknife

$1.4K 47.3% 34.3% $362

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$393 17.1%

Yellowknife

$437 14.6% 11.2% $44

Eating Out

Calgary

$271 11.8%

Yellowknife

$303 10.1% 12% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$256 11.1%

Yellowknife

$530 17.7% 107% $274

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$136 5.9%

Yellowknife

$145 4.9% 7% $9.6

Getting Around

Calgary

$111 4.8%

Yellowknife

$70 2.3% 37.3% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$80 3.5%

Yellowknife

$93 3.1% 17.1% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,254 in Calgary and $1,616 in Yellowknife. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yellowknife pays 49% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $70 in Calgary vs $87 in Yellowknife for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $393 vs $437 per month, with Calgary cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇨🇦 Yellowknife

🕒 Local time

11:39 11:39 AM

Same time as Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

19,234

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Calgary Yellowknife 1,270 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Calgary
Yellowknife

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 Yellowknife: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary is about 23% cheaper overall, especially in utilities, groceries, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 33% lower in Calgary. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,254 in Calgary versus $1,616 in Yellowknife. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Calgary – a meal for two runs $70 versus $87 in Yellowknife. 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 $2,997 in Yellowknife – Calgary is about 23% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

For families, Calgary is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Yellowknife, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

It comes down to priorities – Calgary wins on affordability, Yellowknife on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.