Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Calgary Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Calgary

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,597 in Manchester versus $2,353 in Calgary.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,791 in Manchester versus $3,488 in Calgary.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,985 in Manchester versus $4,622 in Calgary.

Living in Manchester is roughly 10% more expensive than in Calgary, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Manchester 89% above, Calgary 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.25 £15.02

$17.94 CA$24.84

12.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.3 £70.7

$70.5 CA$97.7

35.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.72 £7.95

$10.69 CA$14.80

0.28%

Cappuccino

$4.86 £3.61

$3.79 CA$5.24

28.23%

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

$2.69 £2.00

$2.00 CA$2.77

34.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 £1.30

$1.98 CA$2.73

-11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.08 £6.00

$5.19 CA$7.19

55.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.97 £5.17

$5.86 CA$8.11

18.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 £1.12

$1.95 CA$2.71

-23.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.93 £1.43

$2.82 CA$3.91

-31.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 £1.49

$5.61 CA$7.77

-64.17%

Eggs

$3.84 £2.85

$3.75 CA$5.20

2.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.26 £6.87

$11.50 CA$15.93

-19.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.80 £6.53

$11.46 CA$15.87

-23.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.51 £12.24

$18.95 CA$26.24

-12.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 £2.30

$4.83 CA$6.69

-35.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 £1.14

$1.37 CA$1.90

12.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 £2.24

$4.25 CA$5.88

-28.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.51 £2.60

$4.15 CA$5.75

-15.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 £1.12

$2.70 CA$3.74

-44.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 £0.98

$2.83 CA$3.92

-53.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 £0.96

$2.64 CA$3.65

-50.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 £0.91

$1.51 CA$2.09

-18.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.43 £18.12

$14.60 CA$20.22

67.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.96 £8.13

$15.76 CA$21.82

-30.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 £1.83

$2.60 CA$3.60

-5.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 £2.42

$3.08 CA$4.27

5.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 £1.97

$2.93 CA$4.05

-9.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 £78.9

$89.3 CA$124

19.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 £3.34

$3.32 CA$4.60

35.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 £1.65

$1.43 CA$1.98

55.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.69 £22.76

$27.71 CA$38.36

10.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 £1.55

$1.26 CA$1.74

65.87%

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

$39.8K £29.5K

$28.9K CA$40.1K

37.45%

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

$40.8K £30.2K

$21.3K CA$29.6K

90.98%

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

$304 £225

$183 CA$253

65.91%

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

$16.90 £12.53

$38.31 CA$53.0

-55.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.38 £29.95

$51.7 CA$71.6

-21.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.1 £40.87

$54.9 CA$76.0

0.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.59 £13.79

$18.66 CA$25.84

-0.38%

Cinema Ticket

$13.65 £10.12

$14.26 CA$19.74

-4.28%

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

$1,287 £955

$828 CA$1,147

55.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.5K £15.2K

$15.9K CA$22.0K

28.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.8 £69.6

$59.6 CA$82.5

57.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.08 £31.95

$39.47 CA$54.7

9.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.4 £73.0

$94.3 CA$131

4.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 £80.4

$113 CA$156

-3.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,833 £1,360

$1,265 CA$1,751

44.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 £942

$1,051 CA$1,455

20.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,134 £2,325

$1,934 CA$2,678

62.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 £1,505

$1,700 CA$2,354

19.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,007 £3,713

$3,680 CA$5,096

36.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,739 £3,515

$3,333 CA$4,616

42.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,318 £2,461

$3,276 CA$4,536

1.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.13

4.4

16.59%

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

Last update for Manchester: August 31, 2026

Last update for Calgary: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,833 in Manchester and $1,265 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manchester pays 1% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $95.0 in Manchester vs $71.0 in Calgary. Groceries flip the comparison at $301 vs $397, with Manchester cheaper for home cooking.

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

Manchester vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1% higher in Manchester, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,833 in Manchester versus $1,265 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 $95.0 in Manchester. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,597 per month in Manchester versus $2,353 in Calgary – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,353 in Calgary versus $2,597 in Manchester, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Manchester. 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 Manchester, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Calgary gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Manchester. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.