Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Delta, BC and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,255 a month against $2,688 in Delta, BC, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Delta, BC
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,688
/mo nomad
Calgary
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,255
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,688 in Delta, BC versus $2,255 in Calgary.

  • Delta, BC $2,688
  • Calgary $2,255

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,993 in Delta, BC versus $3,361 in Calgary.

  • Delta, BC $3,993
  • Calgary $3,361

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,298 in Delta, BC versus $4,468 in Calgary.

  • Delta, BC $5,298
  • Calgary $4,468

Living in Delta, BC is roughly 19% more expensive than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Delta, BC 98% above, Calgary 66% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Delta, BC
Calgary
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.59 CA$27.69
$17.58 CA$24.85
11.43%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$71.1 CA$101
$69.1 CA$97.6
3.03%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.42 CA$13.31
$10.59 CA$14.97
-11.05%
Cappuccino
$4.68 CA$6.62
$3.84 CA$5.42
21.87%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.30 CA$3.25
$1.93 CA$2.72
19.17%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.79 CA$2.53
$1.88 CA$2.66
-4.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.56 CA$7.86
$5.09 CA$7.20
9.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.41 CA$9.06
$5.64 CA$7.97
13.65%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Delta, BC
Calgary
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.76 CA$2.48
$2.00 CA$2.82
-12.00%
White Bread (500g)
$2.39 CA$3.37
$2.78 CA$3.93
-14.03%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.94 CA$4.16
$5.59 CA$7.90
-47.41%
Eggs
$3.92 CA$5.54
$3.70 CA$5.23
5.95%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.81 CA$19.52
$11.48 CA$16.23
20.30%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.78 CA$19.48
$11.20 CA$15.84
23.04%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$24.80 CA$35.07
$18.59 CA$26.28
33.41%
Apples (1kg)
$3.95 CA$5.59
$4.70 CA$6.64
-15.96%
Banana (1kg)
$1.16 CA$1.64
$1.45 CA$2.05
-20.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.28 CA$6.05
$4.34 CA$6.13
-1.38%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.71 CA$6.65
$3.79 CA$5.36
24.27%
Potato (1kg)
$2.95 CA$4.17
$2.69 CA$3.81
9.67%
Onion (1kg)
$3.47 CA$4.90
$2.75 CA$3.88
26.18%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.32 CA$3.28
$2.56 CA$3.62
-9.38%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.06 CA$2.91
$1.50 CA$2.12
37.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.20 CA$20.07
$14.39 CA$20.34
-1.32%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.60 CA$17.81
$15.81 CA$22.35
-20.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.07 CA$2.92
$2.47 CA$3.49
-16.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.42 CA$3.42
$3.10 CA$4.39
-21.94%
🚌 Getting Around
Delta, BC
Calgary
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.68 CA$3.79
$2.81 CA$3.97
-4.63%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$86.7 CA$123
$90.6 CA$128
-4.26%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.99 CA$4.22
$3.28 CA$4.64
-8.84%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.51 CA$2.14
$1.40 CA$1.97
7.86%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$26.69 CA$37.74
$26.49 CA$37.45
0.76%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.26 CA$1.78
$1.22 CA$1.72
3.28%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.8K CA$39.4K
$28.4K CA$40.1K
-1.86%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.4K CA$28.8K
$20.8K CA$29.5K
-2.31%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Delta, BC
Calgary
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$125 CA$177
$165 CA$233
-23.89%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$44.08 CA$62.3
$38.24 CA$54.1
15.27%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$52.4 CA$74.1
$50.1 CA$70.9
4.61%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Delta, BC
Calgary
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$28.06 CA$39.66
$53.8 CA$76.1
-47.84%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$18.04 CA$25.51
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.87 CA$16.78
$14.04 CA$19.84
-15.46%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Delta, BC
Calgary
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$653 CA$923
$797 CA$1,126
-18.07%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.7K CA$15.2K
$15.8K CA$22.3K
-32.17%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Delta, BC
Calgary
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.3 CA$90.9
$59.1 CA$83.5
8.80%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$52.1 CA$73.6
$40.20 CA$56.8
29.55%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$82.1 CA$116
$90.8 CA$128
-9.57%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$77.2 CA$109
$109 CA$155
-29.49%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Delta, BC
Calgary
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,627 CA$2,300
$1,207 CA$1,707
34.80%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,473 CA$2,082
$1,011 CA$1,429
45.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,432 CA$4,852
$1,949 CA$2,756
76.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,509 CA$3,547
$1,677 CA$2,371
49.57%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,796 CA$5,366
$3,532 CA$4,993
7.46%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$3,392 CA$4,795
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Delta, BC
Calgary
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,047 CA$4,307
$3,152 CA$4,456
-3.35%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.76
4.51
5.54%

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

Last update for Delta, BC: October 19, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Delta, BC
$1.5K
Calgary
$1K 31.4% $462
Groceries & Markets
Delta, BC
$411
Calgary
$392 4.7% $19
Eating Out
Delta, BC
$298
Calgary
$270 9.3% $28
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Delta, BC
$222
Calgary
$253 14.1% $31
Clothing & Footwear
Delta, BC
$124
Calgary
$135 8.7% $11
Getting Around
Delta, BC
$108
Calgary
$112 3.8% $4.1
Sport & Entertainment
Delta, BC
$52
Calgary
$82 58.1% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,627 in Delta, BC and $1,207 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $71.0 in Delta, BC vs $69.0 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $411 vs $392 per month, with Calgary cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Delta, BC
🇨🇦 Calgary
🕒 Local time
05:35 5:35 AM
06:35 6:35 AM
1 h ahead of Delta, BC
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
108,455
1,267,344
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Delta, BC Calgary 680 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Delta, BC
  • 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
Delta, BC vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Calgary cheaper than Delta, BC?
Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Delta, BC or Calgary?
On paper, salaries run 3% 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.
What is the rent difference between Delta, BC and Calgary?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,627 in Delta, BC versus $1,207 in Calgary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Is eating out cheaper in Delta, BC or in Calgary?
Dining out is cheaper in Calgary – a meal for two runs $69.0 versus $71.0 in Delta, BC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
What are total monthly expenses in Delta, BC and in Calgary?
All in, you'll spend $2,688 per month in Delta, BC versus $2,255 in Calgary – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Delta, BC or in Calgary?
At $2,255 in Calgary versus $2,688 in Delta, BC, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Delta, BC. The gap between the two cities makes Calgary the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Delta, BC or in Calgary?
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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Calgary gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Delta, BC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Delta, BC vs other spots: cost of living compared

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