Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Halifax and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,223 a month against $2,477 in Halifax, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

120

Cost of Living Index in Halifax
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Halifax Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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Halifax

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,477

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,477 in Halifax versus $2,223 in Calgary.

Halifax $2,477
Calgary $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,557 in Halifax versus $3,301 in Calgary.

Halifax $3,557
Calgary $3,301

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Halifax versus $4,379 in Calgary.

Halifax $4,638
Calgary $4,379

Living in Halifax is roughly 11% more expensive than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Halifax 83% above, Calgary 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.48 CA$24.71

$17.22 CA$24.34

1.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.1 CA$101

$71.1 CA$100

0.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.55 CA$14.92

$10.53 CA$14.89

0.19%

Cappuccino

$4.41 CA$6.23

$3.66 CA$5.18

20.49%

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

$2.32 CA$3.29

$1.98 CA$2.80

17.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 CA$2.51

$1.94 CA$2.74

-8.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.64 CA$7.98

$4.95 CA$7.00

13.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 CA$8.66

$5.57 CA$7.87

10.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$1.88 CA$2.65

20.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 CA$3.72

$2.67 CA$3.78

-1.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.84 CA$5.43

$5.32 CA$7.52

-27.82%

Eggs

$3.73 CA$5.27

$3.79 CA$5.35

-1.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.82 CA$12.47

$11.09 CA$15.68

-20.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.93 CA$18.28

$11.36 CA$16.05

13.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.25 CA$20.15

$18.40 CA$26.01

-22.55%

Apples (1kg)

$5.26 CA$7.44

$4.56 CA$6.45

15.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 CA$2.52

$1.44 CA$2.04

23.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.19 CA$5.93

$4.08 CA$5.76

2.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.84 CA$6.85

$3.89 CA$5.50

24.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.70 CA$3.82

$2.64 CA$3.73

2.27%

Onion (1kg)

$3.01 CA$4.26

$2.64 CA$3.73

14.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.57 CA$3.64

$2.50 CA$3.54

2.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 CA$2.77

$1.50 CA$2.12

30.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.57 CA$23.43

$14.05 CA$19.86

17.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.57 CA$23.43

$15.70 CA$22.20

5.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.50 CA$6.37

$2.44 CA$3.45

84.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.29 CA$7.48

$3.09 CA$4.37

71.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.08 CA$2.94

$2.82 CA$3.99

-26.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.2 CA$87.9

$88.6 CA$125

-29.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 CA$4.55

$3.12 CA$4.41

3.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 CA$1.71

$1.35 CA$1.91

-10.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.89 CA$29.53

$27.02 CA$38.20

-22.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 CA$1.78

$1.16 CA$1.64

8.62%

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

$27.5K CA$38.9K

$27.9K CA$39.5K

-1.43%

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

$21.0K CA$29.7K

$20.3K CA$28.8K

3.22%

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

$140 CA$198

$161 CA$227

-12.66%

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

$41.34 CA$58.4

$38.13 CA$53.9

8.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.7 CA$92.8

$50.0 CA$70.7

31.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.39 CA$55.7

$51.5 CA$72.8

-23.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.70 CA$25.03

$18.14 CA$25.64

-2.43%

Cinema Ticket

$10.98 CA$15.52

$13.82 CA$19.54

-20.55%

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

$955 CA$1,350

$786 CA$1,111

21.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K CA$21.2K

$15.5K CA$21.8K

-2.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 CA$83.6

$58.3 CA$82.4

1.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.32 CA$45.69

$39.27 CA$55.5

-17.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.8 CA$140

$89.8 CA$127

10.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 CA$159

$110 CA$155

2.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,422 CA$2,010

$1,229 CA$1,737

15.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,265 CA$1,788

$1,001 CA$1,415

26.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,461 CA$3,479

$1,921 CA$2,716

28.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,906 CA$2,694

$1,621 CA$2,292

17.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,182 CA$4,498

$3,549 CA$5,018

-10.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,763 CA$3,906

$3,335 CA$4,715

-17.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,752 CA$3,891

$3,165 CA$4,474

-13.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.95

4.51

9.76%

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

Last update for Halifax: October 11, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Halifax

$1.3K 51.1%

Calgary

$1K 45% 20.9% $264

Groceries & Markets

Halifax

$405 16.4%

Calgary

$385 17.3% 5% $20

Eating Out

Halifax

$281 11.4%

Calgary

$265 11.9% 5.8% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Halifax

$247 10%

Calgary

$249 11.2% 0.6% $1.5

Clothing & Footwear

Halifax

$136 5.5%

Calgary

$134 6% 2% $2.7

Getting Around

Halifax

$80 3.2%

Calgary

$110 4.9% 37.7% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Halifax

$61 2.5%

Calgary

$79 3.6% 29% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,422 in Halifax and $1,229 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays 15% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $71.0 in Halifax vs $71.0 in Calgary. Groceries flip the comparison at $405 vs $385, with Calgary cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Halifax

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

08:32 8:32 AM

05:32 5:32 AM

3 h behind Halifax

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

403,131

1,267,344

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Halifax Calgary 3,760 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Halifax
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

Halifax vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 15% lower in Calgary. 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: $1,422 in Halifax versus $1,229 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 $71.0 versus $71.0 in Halifax. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,477 per month in Halifax versus $2,223 in Calgary – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,223 in Calgary versus $2,477 in Halifax, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Halifax. The gap between the two cities makes Calgary the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Calgary is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Halifax, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Halifax and Calgary are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Calgary gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Halifax. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.