Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Grand Rapids, MI and Edmonton

For one person, living is cheaper in Edmonton: $2,188 a month against $2,440 in Grand Rapids, MI, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Grand Rapids, MI, United States
Edmonton, Canada
Grand Rapids, MI
🇺🇸 United States
$2,440
/mo nomad
Edmonton
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,188
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Grand Rapids, MI and in Edmonton

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

A single person spends $2,440 per month in Grand Rapids, MI vs $2,188 in Edmonton, rent included.

  • Grand Rapids, MI $2,440
  • Edmonton $2,188

A couple spends around $3,757 per month in Grand Rapids, MI vs $3,196 in Edmonton, rent included.

  • Grand Rapids, MI $3,757
  • Edmonton $3,196

A family of three spends $5,074 per month in Grand Rapids, MI vs $4,203 in Edmonton, rent included.

  • Grand Rapids, MI $5,074
  • Edmonton $4,203

Grand Rapids, MI costs about 12% more than Edmonton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Grand Rapids, MI and Edmonton sit above the global median – Grand Rapids, MI by 79%, Edmonton by 61%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Grand Rapids, MI
Edmonton
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.76 $19.76
$19.92 CA$27.99
-0.80%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$74.8 $74.8
$78.2 CA$110
-4.35%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.85 $9.85
$10.14 CA$14.25
-2.86%
Cappuccino
$4.56 $4.56
$3.96 CA$5.57
15.15%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.80 $2.80
$2.34 CA$3.28
19.66%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.69 $1.69
$2.03 CA$2.85
-16.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.97 $5.97
$5.76 CA$8.09
3.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.57 $6.57
$6.34 CA$8.91
3.63%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Grand Rapids, MI
Edmonton
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.84 $0.84
$1.62 CA$2.27
-48.15%
White Bread (500g)
$3.68 $3.68
$2.15 CA$3.02
71.16%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.28 $3.28
$3.03 CA$4.26
8.25%
Eggs
$4.27 $4.27
$3.58 CA$5.04
19.27%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.08 $15.08
$10.77 CA$15.13
40.02%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.70 $13.70
$11.31 CA$15.89
21.13%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.96 $14.96
$18.80 CA$26.42
-20.43%
Apples (1kg)
$5.02 $5.02
$4.13 CA$5.80
21.55%
Banana (1kg)
$1.64 $1.64
$1.40 CA$1.96
17.14%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.67 $5.67
$4.24 CA$5.95
33.73%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.05 $6.05
$3.95 CA$5.55
53.16%
Potato (1kg)
$2.10 $2.10
$2.13 CA$2.99
-1.41%
Onion (1kg)
$3.77 $3.77
$1.79 CA$2.52
110.61%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.79 $2.79
$2.48 CA$3.49
12.50%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.55 $2.55
$1.79 CA$2.51
42.46%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.45 $10.45
$14.32 CA$20.12
-27.03%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.72 $14.72
$11.58 CA$16.27
27.12%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.00 $2.00
$3.45 CA$4.85
-42.03%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.60 $2.60
$2.98 CA$4.19
-12.75%
🚌 Getting Around
Grand Rapids, MI
Edmonton
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.72 $1.72
$2.64 CA$3.71
-34.85%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$47.24 $47.24
$72.9 CA$102
-35.23%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.64 $4.64
$2.87 CA$4.03
61.67%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.03 $2.03
$1.42 CA$2.00
42.96%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$31.67 $31.67
$20.99 CA$29.48
50.88%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.10 $1.10
$1.18 CA$1.66
-6.78%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.1K $27.1K
$27.5K CA$38.6K
-1.48%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.8K $25.8K
$20.7K CA$29.1K
24.25%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Grand Rapids, MI
Edmonton
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$131 $131
$231 CA$324
-43.02%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$49.23 $49.23
$43.33 CA$60.9
13.62%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$72.9 $72.9
$54.8 CA$77.0
32.90%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Grand Rapids, MI
Edmonton
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.54 $41.54
$43.95 CA$61.8
-5.48%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.22 $20.22
$18.43 CA$25.89
9.71%
Cinema Ticket
$13.51 $13.51
$12.60 CA$17.71
7.22%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Grand Rapids, MI
Edmonton
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$899 $899
$626 CA$880
43.49%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$20.8K $20.8K
$9,741 CA$13.7K
113.97%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Grand Rapids, MI
Edmonton
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$63.9 $63.9
$44.27 CA$62.2
44.23%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$77.0 $77.0
$47.59 CA$66.9
61.74%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$100 $100
$87.9 CA$124
14.18%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$118 $118
$97.1 CA$136
21.97%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Grand Rapids, MI
Edmonton
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,732 $1,732
$1,088 CA$1,529
59.15%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,162 $1,162
$913 CA$1,283
27.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,498 $2,498
$1,720 CA$2,416
45.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,154 $2,154
$1,382 CA$1,941
55.90%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,928 $2,928
$2,243 CA$3,151
30.52%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,061 $2,061
$1,946 CA$2,735
5.89%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Grand Rapids, MI
Edmonton
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,906 $3,906
$3,428 CA$4,816
13.95%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.82
4.32
57.87%

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

Last update for Grand Rapids, MI: October 25, 2026

Last update for Edmonton: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Grand Rapids, MI
$1.2K
Edmonton
$913 21.4% $249
Groceries & Markets
Grand Rapids, MI
$422
Edmonton
$363 14% $59
Eating Out
Grand Rapids, MI
$303
Edmonton
$296 2.3% $7.1
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Grand Rapids, MI
$254
Edmonton
$329 29.7% $75
Clothing & Footwear
Grand Rapids, MI
$162
Edmonton
$125 23% $37
Getting Around
Grand Rapids, MI
$69
Edmonton
$93 35.6% $25
Sport & Entertainment
Grand Rapids, MI
$69
Edmonton
$69 0.9% $0.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,732 in Grand Rapids, MI versus $1,088 in Edmonton. 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 14% higher in Grand Rapids, MI. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75 in Grand Rapids, MI versus $78 in Edmonton. Groceries tell a different story – $422 in Grand Rapids, MI vs $363 in Edmonton – so Edmonton wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Grand Rapids, MI
🇨🇦 Edmonton
🕒 Local time
14:41 2:41 PM
12:41 12:41 PM
2 h behind Grand Rapids, MI
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
198,917
1,010,899
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.712 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.639 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Grand Rapids, MI Edmonton 2,350 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Grand Rapids, MI
  • Edmonton

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
Grand Rapids, MI vs Edmonton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Grand Rapids, MI and in Edmonton compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,440 in Grand Rapids, MI, $2,188 in Edmonton – roughly 12% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Grand Rapids, MI compared to Edmonton?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,660 per month in Grand Rapids, MI and $3,282 in Edmonton. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Grand Rapids, MI and Edmonton?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Edmonton, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,088 there versus $1,732 in Grand Rapids, MI.
Which city is more expensive overall: Grand Rapids, MI or Edmonton?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,440 in Grand Rapids, MI and $2,188 in Edmonton. That’s a gap of about 12%.
How do commuting costs compare in Grand Rapids, MI and in Edmonton?
Public transport costs about 35% less in Grand Rapids, MI. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How far does $3,000 go in Grand Rapids, MI compared to Edmonton?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,440 in Grand Rapids, MI and $2,188 in Edmonton, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Where should families live: Grand Rapids, MI or Edmonton?
Families tend to lean toward Edmonton – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How do I decide between Grand Rapids, MI and Edmonton?
If budget matters most, go with Edmonton. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Grand Rapids, MI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Grand Rapids, MI vs other spots: cost of living compared

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