Cost of Living Comparison Between Edmonton and Reading Cost of Living Comparison Between Edmonton and Reading

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,186 per month in Edmonton vs $2,774 in Reading, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,279 per month in Edmonton vs $4,069 in Reading, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,372 per month in Edmonton vs $5,364 in Reading, rent included.

Edmonton is about 21% cheaper than Reading, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Edmonton and Reading sit above the global median – Edmonton by 62%, Reading by 106%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.53 CA$25.39

$26.78 £19.85

-30.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.9 CA$90.3

$94.9 £70.3

-30.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.16 CA$15.29

$9.99 £7.41

11.71%

Cappuccino

$3.83 CA$5.24

$4.94 £3.66

-22.47%

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

$2.10 CA$2.87

$3.48 £2.58

-39.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 CA$2.47

$2.82 £2.09

-35.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.87 CA$8.04

$7.91 £5.86

-25.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.04 CA$8.27

$6.89 £5.11

-12.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 CA$2.79

$1.35 £1.00

51.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 CA$3.80

$1.35 £1.00

105.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.18 CA$4.35

$2.69 £1.99

18.22%

Eggs

$3.68 CA$5.05

$3.70 £2.74

-0.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.41 CA$17.00

$10.20 £7.55

21.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.34 CA$16.91

$7.99 £5.92

54.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.17 CA$22.16

$13.07 £9.69

23.72%

Apples (1kg)

$4.80 CA$6.57

$3.07 £2.28

56.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 CA$1.88

$1.49 £1.11

-8.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.83 CA$5.25

$2.93 £2.17

30.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.74 CA$5.13

$3.29 £2.44

13.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.44 CA$3.35

$1.43 £1.06

70.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 CA$2.94

$1.40 £1.03

52.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.73 CA$3.74

$0.92 £0.68

196.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 CA$2.64

$1.57 £1.16

22.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.00 CA$20.54

$20.62 £15.28

-27.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.93 CA$17.72

$13.67 £10.13

-5.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.06 CA$4.19

$2.36 £1.75

29.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 CA$4.42

$3.36 £2.49

-3.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.60 CA$3.56

$2.80 £2.08

-7.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.7 CA$101

$85.6 £63.4

-13.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.42

$6.24 £4.62

-48.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 CA$2.26

$1.75 £1.30

-5.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.59 CA$32.31

$14.81 £10.98

59.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 CA$1.45

$1.93 £1.43

-45.08%

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

$25.7K CA$35.1K

$39.0K £28.9K

-34.21%

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

$22.2K CA$30.5K

$41.9K £31.0K

-46.89%

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

$205 CA$281

$226 £168

-9.25%

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

$44.92 CA$61.6

$19.02 £14.09

136.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.6 CA$88.5

$44.84 £33.23

43.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.36 CA$66.3

$48.19 £35.71

0.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.87 CA$29.97

$19.25 £14.27

13.61%

Cinema Ticket

$13.06 CA$17.89

$13.80 £10.22

-5.36%

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

$709 CA$971

$1,907 £1,413

-62.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K CA$16.3K

$25.4K £18.8K

-53.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.75 CA$68.2

$83.2 £61.6

-40.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.81 CA$57.3

$48.83 £36.19

-14.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.9 CA$115

$112 £83.3

-25.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 CA$139

$98.8 £73.2

2.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 CA$1,660

$1,816 £1,346

-33.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$953 CA$1,305

$1,401 £1,038

-31.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 CA$2,591

$2,973 £2,203

-36.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 CA$2,213

$2,354 £1,744

-31.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 CA$3,144

$7,224 £5,353

-68.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,229 CA$3,054

$5,804 £4,301

-61.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,086 CA$4,227

$3,538 £2,622

-12.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.08

5.53

9.95%

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

Last update for Edmonton: April 14, 2026

Last update for Reading: April 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,212 in Edmonton versus $1,816 in Reading. 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 15% higher in Reading, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66 in Edmonton versus $95 in Reading. Groceries tell a different story – $383 in Edmonton vs $290 in Reading – so Reading wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Reading: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,186 in Edmonton, $2,774 in Reading – roughly 27% apart. Reading costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,279 per month in Edmonton and $4,162 in Reading. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Edmonton, 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 $2,186 in Edmonton and $2,774 in Reading. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 16% less in Edmonton. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Edmonton, where all-in costs run around $2,186, than in Reading at $2,774. In Edmonton it covers expenses comfortably, while in Reading it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Reading has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,186 in Edmonton to $2,774 in Reading. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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