Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Canberra and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,303 a month against $2,886 in Canberra, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

138

Cost of Living Index in Canberra
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Canberra Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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Canberra

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,886

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,303

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Canberra 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 Canberra and in Calgary actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,886 in Canberra versus $2,303 in Calgary.

Canberra $2,886
Calgary $2,303

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,020 in Canberra versus $3,366 in Calgary.

Canberra $4,020
Calgary $3,366

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,153 in Canberra versus $4,428 in Calgary.

Canberra $5,153
Calgary $4,428

Living in Canberra is roughly 25% more expensive than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Canberra 112% above, Calgary 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 A$29.51

$17.55 CA$24.63

18.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.8 A$128

$70.4 CA$98.8

27.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.43 A$14.82

$10.69 CA$15.00

-2.43%

Cappuccino

$3.99 A$5.66

$3.89 CA$5.46

2.57%

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

$3.12 A$4.43

$2.04 CA$2.86

52.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 A$3.75

$1.88 CA$2.64

40.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.32 A$11.82

$4.90 CA$6.87

69.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.11 A$14.36

$5.78 CA$8.11

74.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 A$2.12

$1.96 CA$2.75

-23.98%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 A$4.47

$2.74 CA$3.84

14.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 A$3.59

$5.46 CA$7.67

-53.66%

Eggs

$5.32 A$7.56

$3.69 CA$5.17

44.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.15 A$18.68

$11.24 CA$15.78

16.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.98 A$14.18

$11.54 CA$16.19

-13.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.08 A$21.43

$18.38 CA$25.79

-17.95%

Apples (1kg)

$4.03 A$5.72

$4.90 CA$6.88

-17.76%

Banana (1kg)

$3.17 A$4.50

$1.42 CA$2.00

123.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.54 A$5.03

$4.21 CA$5.91

-15.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.13 A$7.29

$4.02 CA$5.65

27.61%

Potato (1kg)

$3.22 A$4.57

$2.69 CA$3.78

19.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.83 A$4.02

$2.66 CA$3.74

6.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 A$3.52

$2.61 CA$3.67

-4.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 A$2.00

$1.60 CA$2.24

-12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.06 A$62.6

$14.00 CA$19.65

214.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.26 A$20.26

$15.40 CA$21.61

-7.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.81 A$6.84

$2.50 CA$3.50

92.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.68 A$8.07

$3.09 CA$4.34

83.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.53 A$3.60

$2.93 CA$4.11

-13.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.8 A$135

$89.3 CA$125

6.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 A$5.67

$3.27 CA$4.59

22.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 A$2.35

$1.35 CA$1.89

22.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.56 A$60.5

$27.39 CA$38.43

55.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 A$1.89

$1.17 CA$1.65

13.68%

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

$28.0K A$39.8K

$27.9K CA$39.2K

0.15%

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

$26.3K A$37.4K

$21.0K CA$29.5K

24.98%

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

$184 A$262

$167 CA$234

10.53%

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

$26.57 A$37.75

$38.27 CA$53.7

-30.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.9 A$79.5

$50.9 CA$71.5

9.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.4 A$113

$51.0 CA$71.5

55.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.81 A$39.52

$18.17 CA$25.50

53.05%

Cinema Ticket

$16.02 A$22.76

$14.44 CA$20.27

10.94%

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

$2,460 A$3,496

$545 CA$766

350.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.6K A$29.3K

$16.2K CA$22.7K

27.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.1 A$108

$58.9 CA$82.6

29.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.4 A$81.6

$39.75 CA$55.8

44.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 A$153

$93.4 CA$131

15.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 A$189

$110 CA$154

20.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,749 A$2,485

$1,254 CA$1,760

39.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,495 A$2,125

$1,056 CA$1,483

41.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,065 A$4,355

$2,022 CA$2,838

51.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,978 A$2,811

$1,629 CA$2,286

21.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.1K A$15.8K

$3,600 CA$5,053

208.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,790 A$11.1K

$3,243 CA$4,551

140.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,317 A$6,134

$3,115 CA$4,372

38.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.95

4.51

31.93%

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

Last update for Canberra: October 26, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Canberra

$1.5K 51.8%

Calgary

$1.1K 45.9% 29.3% $439

Groceries & Markets

Canberra

$397 13.8%

Calgary

$393 17.1% 1.2% $4.6

Eating Out

Canberra

$330 11.4%

Calgary

$271 11.8% 17.9% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Canberra

$267 9.2%

Calgary

$256 11.1% 4.1% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Canberra

$168 5.8%

Calgary

$136 5.9% 19.2% $32

Getting Around

Canberra

$117 4.1%

Calgary

$111 4.8% 5.2% $6.1

Sport & Entertainment

Canberra

$111 3.9%

Calgary

$80 3.5% 28.4% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,749 in Canberra and $1,254 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Canberra pays 39% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $90 in Canberra vs $70 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $397 vs $393 per month, with Calgary cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Canberra

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

04:39 4:39 AM

11:39 11:39 AM

17 h behind Canberra

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

466,566 Capital

1,267,344

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 AUD (1 AUD = 0.632 EUR).

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).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Canberra Calgary 13,420 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Canberra
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

Canberra vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and leisure. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 39% higher in Canberra, 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: $1,749 in Canberra versus $1,254 in Calgary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,460 in Canberra versus $545 in Calgary. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Calgary – a meal for two runs $70 versus $90 in Canberra. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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