Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gatineau and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Gatineau: $2,132 a month against $2,303 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

103

Cost of Living Index in Gatineau
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Gatineau Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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Gatineau

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,132

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,303

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,132 in Gatineau versus $2,303 in Calgary.

Gatineau $2,132
Calgary $2,303

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,159 in Gatineau versus $3,366 in Calgary.

Gatineau $3,159
Calgary $3,366

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,186 in Gatineau versus $4,428 in Calgary.

Gatineau $4,186
Calgary $4,428

Living in Gatineau costs roughly 7% less than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gatineau 57% above, Calgary 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.03 CA$18.20

$17.55 CA$24.52

-25.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.5 CA$121

$70.4 CA$98.4

22.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.82 CA$15.12

$10.69 CA$14.94

1.22%

Cappuccino

$3.17 CA$4.43

$3.89 CA$5.43

-18.51%

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

$1.37 CA$1.91

$2.04 CA$2.85

-32.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 CA$1.85

$1.88 CA$2.62

-29.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.41 CA$6.16

$4.90 CA$6.84

-10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.45 CA$9.02

$5.78 CA$8.08

11.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 CA$2.67

$1.96 CA$2.74

-2.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.99 CA$4.18

$2.74 CA$3.83

9.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.16 CA$7.21

$5.46 CA$7.63

-5.49%

Eggs

$3.21 CA$4.48

$3.69 CA$5.15

-13.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.63 CA$16.26

$11.24 CA$15.71

3.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.99 CA$13.96

$11.54 CA$16.12

-13.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.08 CA$15.49

$18.38 CA$25.68

-39.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 CA$5.55

$4.90 CA$6.85

-18.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 CA$2.69

$1.42 CA$1.99

35.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.72 CA$6.60

$4.21 CA$5.88

12.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 CA$6.32

$4.02 CA$5.62

12.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 CA$2.93

$2.69 CA$3.77

-21.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 CA$3.45

$2.66 CA$3.72

-7.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 CA$2.91

$2.61 CA$3.65

-20.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 CA$3.74

$1.60 CA$2.23

67.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.94 CA$16.68

$14.00 CA$19.57

-14.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.40 CA$17.33

$15.40 CA$21.52

-19.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 CA$4.09

$2.50 CA$3.49

16.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 CA$4.71

$3.09 CA$4.32

9.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.28 CA$4.59

$2.93 CA$4.09

11.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.3 CA$112

$89.3 CA$125

-10.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 CA$6.87

$3.27 CA$4.57

50.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.28 CA$3.18

$1.35 CA$1.89

68.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.31 CA$46.54

$27.39 CA$38.27

21.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 CA$1.73

$1.17 CA$1.64

5.98%

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

$27.7K CA$38.7K

$27.9K CA$39.0K

-0.76%

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

$20.9K CA$29.3K

$21.0K CA$29.4K

-0.44%

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

$116 CA$162

$167 CA$233

-30.43%

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

$36.45 CA$50.9

$38.27 CA$53.5

-4.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.10 CA$68.6

$50.9 CA$71.2

-3.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.92 CA$65.6

$51.0 CA$71.2

-7.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 CA$41.04

$18.17 CA$25.39

61.64%

Cinema Ticket

$10.78 CA$15.07

$14.44 CA$20.18

-25.35%

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

$552 CA$771

$545 CA$762

1.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$137.5K CA$192.1K

$16.2K CA$22.7K

748.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.9 CA$97.7

$58.9 CA$82.3

18.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.48 CA$60.8

$39.75 CA$55.6

9.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.8 CA$124

$93.4 CA$130

-4.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 CA$168

$110 CA$154

8.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 CA$1,799

$1,254 CA$1,752

2.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 CA$1,420

$1,056 CA$1,476

-3.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,933 CA$2,700

$2,022 CA$2,826

-4.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 CA$2,129

$1,629 CA$2,276

-6.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,162 CA$7,213

$3,600 CA$5,031

43.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,163 CA$8,611

$3,243 CA$4,531

90.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,656 CA$3,712

$3,115 CA$4,353

-14.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.64

4.51

2.88%

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

Last update for Gatineau: October 24, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Gatineau

$1K 47.6%

Calgary

$1.1K 45.9% 4% $41

Groceries & Markets

Gatineau

$371 17.4%

Calgary

$393 17.1% 5.7% $21

Eating Out

Gatineau

$220 10.3%

Calgary

$271 11.8% 22.9% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gatineau

$202 9.5%

Calgary

$256 11.1% 27% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Gatineau

$145 6.8%

Calgary

$136 5.9% 6.2% $9

Getting Around

Gatineau

$110 5.2%

Calgary

$111 4.8% 1.1% $1.3

Sport & Entertainment

Gatineau

$68 3.2%

Calgary

$80 3.5% 16.6% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,287 in Gatineau and $1,254 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays 17% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $87 in Gatineau vs $70 in Calgary. Groceries flip the comparison at $371 vs $393, with Gatineau cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Gatineau

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

04:34 4:34 AM

03:34 3:34 AM

1 h behind Gatineau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

291,041

1,267,344

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Gatineau Calgary 2,870 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Gatineau
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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Gatineau vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gatineau is about 7% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 15% lower in Gatineau. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,287 in Gatineau versus $1,254 in Calgary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Calgary – a meal for two runs $70 versus $87 in Gatineau. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,132 per month in Gatineau versus $2,303 in Calgary – Gatineau is about 7% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Gatineau is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

It comes down to priorities – Gatineau wins on affordability, Calgary on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.