Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Estevan and Calgary

For one person, living costs are similar in Estevan and in Calgary: $2,230 and $2,255 a month, rent and utilities included.

Estevan
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,230
/mo nomad
Calgary
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,255
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,230 in Estevan versus $2,255 in Calgary.

  • Estevan $2,230
  • Calgary $2,255

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,133 in Estevan versus $3,361 in Calgary.

  • Estevan $3,133
  • Calgary $3,361

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,037 in Estevan versus $4,468 in Calgary.

  • Estevan $4,037
  • Calgary $4,468

Living in Estevan costs roughly 1% less than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Estevan 65% above, Calgary 66% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Estevan
Calgary
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.21 CA$29.99
$17.58 CA$24.85
20.65%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.3 CA$93.8
$69.1 CA$97.6
-3.94%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.54 CA$7.83
$10.59 CA$14.97
-47.69%
Cappuccino
$2.16 CA$3.06
$3.84 CA$5.42
-43.75%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 CA$3.18
$1.93 CA$2.72
16.58%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.78 CA$2.52
$1.88 CA$2.66
-5.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.76 CA$9.55
$5.09 CA$7.20
32.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.88 CA$8.31
$5.64 CA$7.97
4.26%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Estevan
Calgary
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.97 CA$1.37
$2.00 CA$2.82
-51.50%
White Bread (500g)
$1.16 CA$1.64
$2.78 CA$3.93
-58.27%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.10 CA$4.38
$5.59 CA$7.90
-44.54%
Eggs
$1.94 CA$2.75
$3.70 CA$5.23
-47.57%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.71 CA$19.38
$11.48 CA$16.23
19.43%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.36 CA$8.99
$11.20 CA$15.84
-43.21%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.11 CA$22.77
$18.59 CA$26.28
-13.34%
Apples (1kg)
$4.18 CA$5.90
$4.70 CA$6.64
-11.06%
Banana (1kg)
$1.19 CA$1.68
$1.45 CA$2.05
-17.93%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.93 CA$5.56
$4.34 CA$6.13
-9.45%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.57 CA$5.05
$3.79 CA$5.36
-5.80%
Potato (1kg)
$2.29 CA$3.23
$2.69 CA$3.81
-14.87%
Onion (1kg)
$2.37 CA$3.35
$2.75 CA$3.88
-13.82%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.40 CA$1.98
$2.56 CA$3.62
-45.31%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.41 CA$0.57
$1.50 CA$2.12
-72.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.50 CA$20.50
$14.39 CA$20.34
0.76%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.39 CA$18.93
$15.81 CA$22.35
-15.31%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.46 CA$4.90
$2.47 CA$3.49
40.08%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.30 CA$4.67
$3.10 CA$4.39
6.45%
🚌 Getting Around
Estevan
Calgary
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.00 CA$2.83
$2.81 CA$3.97
-28.83%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$61.5 CA$87.0
$90.6 CA$128
-32.07%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.70 CA$5.22
$3.28 CA$4.64
12.80%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.80 CA$1.13
$1.40 CA$1.97
-42.86%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$21.13 CA$29.87
$26.49 CA$37.45
-20.23%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.14 CA$1.61
$1.22 CA$1.72
-6.56%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K CA$39.5K
$28.4K CA$40.1K
-1.45%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.6K CA$30.5K
$20.8K CA$29.5K
3.71%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Estevan
Calgary
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$127 CA$179
$165 CA$233
-23.10%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$51.7 CA$73.0
$38.24 CA$54.1
35.09%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$56.3 CA$79.6
$50.1 CA$70.9
12.29%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Estevan
Calgary
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.96 CA$57.9
$53.8 CA$76.1
-23.87%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.95 CA$28.21
$18.04 CA$25.51
10.59%
Cinema Ticket
$10.44 CA$14.76
$14.04 CA$19.84
-25.64%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Estevan
Calgary
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$466 CA$659
$797 CA$1,126
-41.49%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.7K CA$15.1K
$15.8K CA$22.3K
-32.39%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Estevan
Calgary
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.0 CA$73.5
$59.1 CA$83.5
-11.95%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.50 CA$53.0
$40.20 CA$56.8
-6.72%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.2 CA$133
$90.8 CA$128
3.79%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$108 CA$153
$109 CA$155
-0.94%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Estevan
Calgary
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,242 CA$1,756
$1,207 CA$1,707
2.88%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,154 CA$1,631
$1,011 CA$1,429
14.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,881 CA$2,659
$1,949 CA$2,756
-3.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,584 CA$2,240
$1,677 CA$2,371
-5.54%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,391 CA$6,208
$3,532 CA$4,993
24.32%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,310 CA$4,680
$3,392 CA$4,795
-2.41%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Estevan
Calgary
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,314 CA$6,099
$3,152 CA$4,456
36.86%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.58
4.51
1.55%

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

Last update for Estevan: October 20, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Estevan
$1.2K
Calgary
$1K 12.4% $142
Groceries & Markets
Estevan
$297
Calgary
$392 31.8% $95
Eating Out
Estevan
$274
Calgary
$270 1.3% $3.6
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Estevan
$235
Calgary
$253 7.9% $18
Clothing & Footwear
Estevan
$131
Calgary
$135 2.5% $3.3
Getting Around
Estevan
$77
Calgary
$112 45.2% $35
Sport & Entertainment
Estevan
$62
Calgary
$82 32.4% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,242 in Estevan and $1,207 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Estevan pays 37% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $66.0 in Estevan vs $69.0 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $392 per month, with Estevan cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Estevan
🇨🇦 Calgary
🕒 Local time
07:27 7:27 AM
07:27 7:27 AM
Same time as Estevan
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
11,054
1,267,344
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Estevan Calgary 820 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Estevan
  • 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
Estevan vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Calgary cheaper than Estevan?
Estevan is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Estevan or Calgary?
Average pay runs 37% higher in Estevan, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Estevan and Calgary?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,242 in Estevan 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 Estevan or in Calgary?
Dining out is cheaper in Estevan – a meal for two runs $66.0 versus $69.0 in Calgary. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
What are total monthly expenses in Estevan and in Calgary?
All in, you'll spend $2,230 per month in Estevan versus $2,255 in Calgary – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $3,000 a realistic budget for living in Estevan or in Calgary?
At $2,230 in Estevan versus $2,255 in Calgary, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Estevan but tight or insufficient in Calgary. The gap between the two cities makes Estevan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Estevan 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 Estevan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Estevan vs other spots: cost of living compared

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