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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,243 per month in Edmonton vs $2,828 in Reading, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,292 per month in Edmonton vs $4,095 in Reading, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,340 per month in Edmonton vs $5,363 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 64%, Reading by 107%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.79 CA$27.51

$26.67 £19.75

-25.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.1 CA$107

$96.3 £71.3

-19.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 CA$13.85

$10.57 £7.83

-5.77%

Cappuccino

$3.91 CA$5.44

$4.90 £3.63

-20.20%

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

$2.26 CA$3.14

$3.03 £2.24

-25.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 CA$2.66

$2.78 £2.06

-31.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.65 CA$7.85

$8.88 £6.58

-36.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.55 CA$9.10

$6.57 £4.87

-0.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 CA$2.30

$1.45 £1.08

13.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 CA$3.11

$1.70 £1.26

31.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.10 CA$4.32

$2.99 £2.22

3.68%

Eggs

$3.62 CA$5.03

$3.82 £2.83

-5.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.16 CA$15.51

$11.56 £8.56

-3.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.53 CA$16.03

$8.73 £6.47

32.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.21 CA$25.31

$12.62 £9.35

44.29%

Apples (1kg)

$4.32 CA$6.01

$3.05 £2.26

41.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 CA$1.90

$1.54 £1.14

-11.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.47 CA$6.22

$2.80 £2.07

59.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.07 CA$5.66

$3.38 £2.50

20.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 CA$2.99

$1.66 £1.23

29.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 CA$2.62

$1.39 £1.03

35.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CA$3.38

$1.01 £0.75

140.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 CA$2.51

$1.52 £1.13

18.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.40 CA$20.02

$23.69 £17.55

-39.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.29 CA$15.70

$14.10 £10.45

-19.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.67 CA$5.10

$2.25 £1.67

63.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 CA$4.01

$3.16 £2.34

-8.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.78 CA$3.86

$3.60 £2.66

-22.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.4 CA$101

$87.0 £64.5

-16.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 CA$4.14

$6.71 £4.97

-55.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 CA$1.87

$4.70 £3.48

-71.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.95 CA$30.52

$13.37 £9.91

64.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 CA$1.60

$2.01 £1.49

-42.79%

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

$28.5K CA$39.6K

$38.3K £28.4K

-25.67%

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

$20.2K CA$28.0K

$41.3K £30.6K

-51.21%

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

$222 CA$309

$285 £211

-21.99%

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

$41.08 CA$57.1

$20.76 £15.38

97.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.0 CA$76.4

$47.42 £35.13

15.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.93 CA$66.6

$57.0 £42.18

-15.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.13 CA$25.21

$20.76 £15.38

-12.67%

Cinema Ticket

$12.94 CA$17.99

$13.29 £9.85

-2.63%

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

$777 CA$1,080

$1,811 £1,342

-57.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,627 CA$13.4K

$30.1K £22.3K

-68.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.96 CA$62.5

$75.2 £55.7

-40.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.07 CA$65.4

$70.8 £52.5

-33.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 CA$119

$116 £86.2

-26.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.4 CA$138

$102 £75.6

-2.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 CA$1,523

$1,727 £1,279

-36.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$942 CA$1,309

$1,418 £1,050

-33.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,788 CA$2,485

$3,013 £2,232

-40.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,439 CA$2,000

$2,299 £1,703

-37.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,234 CA$3,106

$7,156 £5,301

-68.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,103 CA$2,923

$5,803 £4,298

-63.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,768 CA$5,237

$3,581 £2,653

5.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.32

-13.60%

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

Last update for Edmonton: September 13, 2026

Last update for Reading: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,095 in Edmonton versus $1,727 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 5% higher in Edmonton, 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 $77.0 in Edmonton versus $96.0 in Reading. Groceries tell a different story – $368 in Edmonton vs $303 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: $2,243 in Edmonton, $2,828 in Reading – roughly 26% apart. Reading costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,365 per month in Edmonton and $4,242 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 $2,243 in Edmonton and $2,828 in Reading. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 20% 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 $2,243, than in Reading at $2,828. 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 $2,243 in Edmonton to $2,828 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.