Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edmonton and Alton, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Alton, IL: $1,895 a month against $2,181 in Edmonton, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Edmonton
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Edmonton Living Index
92

Cost of Living Index in Alton, IL
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Alton, IL Living Index

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Edmonton

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,181

/mo nomad

Alton, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$1,895

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Edmonton and in Alton, IL

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

A single person spends $2,181 per month in Edmonton vs $1,895 in Alton, IL, rent included.

Edmonton $2,181
Alton, IL $1,895

A couple spends around $3,217 per month in Edmonton vs $2,862 in Alton, IL, rent included.

Edmonton $3,217
Alton, IL $2,862

A family of three spends $4,252 per month in Edmonton vs $3,829 in Alton, IL, rent included.

Edmonton $4,252
Alton, IL $3,829

Edmonton costs about 15% more than Alton, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Edmonton and Alton, IL sit above the global median – Edmonton by 61%, Alton, IL by 40%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 CA$28.58

$20.77 $20.77

-2.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.4 CA$108

$55.6 $55.6

37.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.87 CA$13.96

$11.17 $11.17

-11.64%

Cappuccino

$3.96 CA$5.60

$4.95 $4.95

-20.00%

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

$2.27 CA$3.22

$1.46 $1.46

55.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 CA$2.91

$1.74 $1.74

18.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 CA$8.28

$3.89 $3.89

50.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.48 CA$9.16

$5.88 $5.88

10.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 CA$2.29

$0.81 $0.81

100.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.12 CA$3.00

$2.59 $2.59

-18.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.06 CA$4.32

$3.13 $3.13

-2.24%

Eggs

$3.43 CA$4.85

$3.16 $3.16

8.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.74 CA$15.18

$9.32 $9.32

15.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.21 CA$15.85

$6.74 $6.74

66.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.92 CA$26.75

$23.42 $23.42

-19.21%

Apples (1kg)

$4.15 CA$5.86

$4.26 $4.26

-2.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 CA$1.90

$1.18 $1.18

14.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.37 CA$6.18

$5.18 $5.18

-15.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 CA$5.54

$4.89 $4.89

-19.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 CA$3.09

$2.21 $2.21

-1.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 CA$2.60

$2.74 $2.74

-32.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 CA$3.43

$2.10 $2.10

15.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 CA$2.57

$2.10 $2.10

-13.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.23 CA$20.12

$11.08 $11.08

28.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.33 CA$16.01

$12.05 $12.05

-5.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.54 CA$5.00

$1.83 $1.83

93.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 CA$4.05

$2.67 $2.67

7.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.69 CA$3.80

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.4 CA$101

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 CA$4.04

$2.96 $2.96

-3.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 CA$1.98

$1.69 $1.69

-17.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.46 CA$30.34

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 CA$1.63

$0.98 $0.98

17.35%

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

$27.9K CA$39.4K

$27.9K $27.9K

0.08%

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

$20.5K CA$29.0K

$26.0K $26.0K

-21.12%

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

$233 CA$330

$331 $331

-29.52%

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

$43.26 CA$61.2

$43.44 $43.44

-0.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.0 CA$77.7

$77.7 $77.7

-29.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.05 CA$65.1

$27.07 $27.07

70.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.11 CA$25.60

Cinema Ticket

$12.46 CA$17.62

$11.95 $11.95

4.27%

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

$757 CA$1,070

$279 $279

171.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,641 CA$13.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.56 CA$61.6

$40.36 $40.36

7.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.08 CA$66.6

$42.75 $42.75

10.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.3 CA$123

$65.4 $65.4

33.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.3 CA$135

$76.1 $76.1

25.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,094 CA$1,546

$763 $763

43.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$903 CA$1,276

$627 $627

44.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,706 CA$2,412

$1,099 $1,099

55.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,437 CA$2,031

$1,275 $1,275

12.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,205 CA$3,117

$1,513 $1,513

45.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,983 CA$2,803

$1,455 $1,455

36.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,499 CA$4,947

$3,813 $3,813

-8.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.32

-28.00%

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

Last update for Edmonton: October 18, 2026

Last update for Alton, IL: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Edmonton

$903 41.4%

Alton, IL

$627 33.1% 30.6% $276

Groceries & Markets

Edmonton

$362 16.6%

Alton, IL

$349 18.4% 3.6% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Edmonton

$332 15.2%

Alton, IL

$452 23.9% 36.4% $121

Eating Out

Edmonton

$299 13.7%

Alton, IL

$303 16% 1.5% $4.5

Clothing & Footwear

Edmonton

$123 5.6%

Alton, IL

$101 5.3% 17.8% $22

Getting Around

Edmonton

$92 4.2%

Alton, IL

$11 * 0.6% 87.6% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Edmonton

$71 3.3%

Alton, IL

$51 2.7% 28.2% $20

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,094 in Edmonton versus $763 in Alton, IL. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 9% higher in Alton, IL, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76.0 in Edmonton versus $56.0 in Alton, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $362 vs $349 – making Alton, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Edmonton

🇺🇸 Alton, IL

🕒 Local time

16:52 4:52 PM

17:52 5:52 PM

1 h ahead of Edmonton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,010,899

25,676

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Edmonton Alton, IL 2,400 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Edmonton
Alton, IL

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

Edmonton vs Alton, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Edmonton costs about 15% more than Alton, IL, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,271 per month in Edmonton and $2,842 in Alton, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Alton, IL, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,181 in Edmonton and $1,895 in Alton, IL. That's a gap of about 15%.

Kindergarten costs $757 per month in Edmonton and $279 in Alton, IL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Alton, IL, where all-in costs run around $1,895, than in Edmonton at $2,181. In Alton, IL it covers expenses comfortably, while in Edmonton it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Alton, IL – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Alton, IL. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Edmonton makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.