Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cambridge Bay and Calgary

For one person, living costs are similar in Cambridge Bay and in Calgary: $2,251 and $2,303 a month, rent and utilities included.

Cambridge Bay, Canada
Calgary, Canada
Cambridge Bay
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,251
/mo nomad
Calgary
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,303
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cambridge Bay and in Calgary

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cambridge Bay and in Calgary actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,251 in Cambridge Bay versus $2,303 in Calgary.

  • Cambridge Bay $2,251
  • Calgary $2,303

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,293 in Cambridge Bay versus $3,366 in Calgary.

  • Cambridge Bay $3,293
  • Calgary $3,366

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,335 in Cambridge Bay versus $4,428 in Calgary.

  • Cambridge Bay $4,335
  • Calgary $4,428

Monthly costs are close between Cambridge Bay and Calgary; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cambridge Bay 65% above, Calgary 69% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cambridge Bay
Calgary
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.62 CA$31.75
$17.55 CA$24.63
28.89%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$65.0 CA$91.2
$70.4 CA$98.8
-7.64%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.52 CA$16.16
$10.69 CA$15.00
7.76%
Cappuccino
$3.80 CA$5.34
$3.89 CA$5.46
-2.31%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.00 CA$2.81
$2.04 CA$2.86
-1.96%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.61 CA$2.26
$1.88 CA$2.64
-14.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.79 CA$6.72
$4.90 CA$6.87
-2.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.96 CA$6.96
$5.78 CA$8.11
-14.19%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cambridge Bay
Calgary
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.11 CA$2.96
$1.96 CA$2.75
7.65%
White Bread (500g)
$2.52 CA$3.54
$2.74 CA$3.84
-8.03%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.99 CA$4.20
$5.46 CA$7.67
-45.24%
Eggs
$3.42 CA$4.80
$3.69 CA$5.17
-7.32%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.98 CA$14.00
$11.24 CA$15.78
-11.21%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.86 CA$18.04
$11.54 CA$16.19
11.44%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.94 CA$19.57
$18.38 CA$25.79
-24.16%
Apples (1kg)
$3.76 CA$5.28
$4.90 CA$6.88
-23.27%
Banana (1kg)
$1.32 CA$1.86
$1.42 CA$2.00
-7.04%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.15 CA$4.42
$4.21 CA$5.91
-25.18%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.84 CA$5.39
$4.02 CA$5.65
-4.48%
Potato (1kg)
$2.72 CA$3.82
$2.69 CA$3.78
1.12%
Onion (1kg)
$2.22 CA$3.11
$2.66 CA$3.74
-16.54%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.67 CA$3.75
$2.61 CA$3.67
2.30%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.74 CA$2.44
$1.60 CA$2.24
8.75%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.67 CA$20.59
$14.00 CA$19.65
4.79%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.54 CA$20.40
$15.40 CA$21.61
-5.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.41 CA$3.38
$2.50 CA$3.50
-3.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.79 CA$3.91
$3.09 CA$4.34
-9.71%
🚌 Getting Around
Cambridge Bay
Calgary
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.32 CA$3.26
$2.93 CA$4.11
-20.82%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$64.0 CA$89.8
$89.3 CA$125
-28.36%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.00 CA$4.21
$3.27 CA$4.59
-8.26%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.46 CA$2.04
$1.35 CA$1.89
8.15%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$20.90 CA$29.33
$27.39 CA$38.43
-23.69%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.17 CA$1.65
$1.17 CA$1.65
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.3K CA$37.0K
$27.9K CA$39.2K
-5.75%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.6K CA$26.1K
$21.0K CA$29.5K
-11.63%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cambridge Bay
Calgary
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$129 CA$181
$167 CA$234
-22.55%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$38.55 CA$54.1
$38.27 CA$53.7
0.73%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$54.1 CA$76.0
$50.9 CA$71.5
6.30%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cambridge Bay
Calgary
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.99 CA$60.3
$51.0 CA$71.5
-15.62%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.17 CA$22.69
$18.17 CA$25.50
-11.01%
Cinema Ticket
$9.48 CA$13.30
$14.44 CA$20.27
-34.35%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cambridge Bay
Calgary
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$558 CA$783
$545 CA$766
2.31%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.9K CA$20.9K
$16.2K CA$22.7K
-8.13%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cambridge Bay
Calgary
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.0 CA$73.0
$58.9 CA$82.6
-11.63%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.63 CA$59.8
$39.75 CA$55.8
7.25%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.4 CA$111
$93.4 CA$131
-14.94%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$92.6 CA$130
$110 CA$154
-15.87%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cambridge Bay
Calgary
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,153 CA$1,618
$1,254 CA$1,760
-8.06%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,097 CA$1,539
$1,056 CA$1,483
3.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,867 CA$2,620
$2,022 CA$2,838
-7.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,722 CA$2,416
$1,629 CA$2,286
5.70%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,906 CA$6,885
$3,600 CA$5,053
36.25%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,094 CA$4,342
$3,243 CA$4,551
-4.59%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cambridge Bay
Calgary
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$3,115 CA$4,372
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.68
4.51
3.77%

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

Last update for Cambridge Bay: October 24, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cambridge Bay
$1.1K
Calgary
$1.1K 3.7% $40
Groceries & Markets
Cambridge Bay
$357
Calgary
$393 9.9% $35
Eating Out
Cambridge Bay
$310
Calgary
$271 12.5% $39
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cambridge Bay
$222
Calgary
$256 15.4% $34
Clothing & Footwear
Cambridge Bay
$120
Calgary
$136 13.3% $16
Getting Around
Cambridge Bay
$84
Calgary
$111 32.9% $27
Sport & Entertainment
Cambridge Bay
$62
Calgary
$80 28.9% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,153 in Cambridge Bay and $1,254 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $65 in Cambridge Bay vs $70 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $357 vs $393 per month, with Cambridge Bay cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Cambridge Bay
🇨🇦 Calgary
🕒 Local time
14:11 2:11 PM
14:11 2:11 PM
Same time as Cambridge Bay
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,800
1,267,344
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.64 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cambridge Bay Calgary 2,070 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cambridge Bay
  • Calgary

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
Cambridge Bay vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $3,376 in Cambridge Bay and $3,454 in Calgary 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.
What is the rent difference between Cambridge Bay and Calgary?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,153 in Cambridge Bay versus $1,254 in Calgary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $558 in Cambridge Bay versus $545 in Calgary. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Cambridge Bay or in Calgary?
Dining out is cheaper in Cambridge Bay – a meal for two runs $65 versus $70 in Calgary. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $3,000 enough for either Cambridge Bay or Calgary?
Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Cambridge Bay gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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