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: $2,651 in Manchester versus $2,523 in Calgary.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,871 in Manchester versus $3,652 in Calgary.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,091 in Manchester versus $4,780 in Calgary.

Living in Manchester is roughly 5% more expensive than Calgary, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Manchester 98% above, Calgary 88% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.74 £15.45

$18.59 CA$25.83

11.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.5 £70.4

$70.0 CA$97.3

34.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 £8.00

$10.96 CA$15.22

-1.92%

Cappuccino

$4.94 £3.68

$3.73 CA$5.19

32.44%

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

$2.59 £1.93

$1.99 CA$2.76

30.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 £1.26

$1.72 CA$2.39

-1.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.41 £5.52

$5.01 CA$6.97

47.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.52 £5.60

$6.50 CA$9.04

15.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 £1.21

$2.22 CA$3.09

-27.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 £1.34

$2.67 CA$3.71

-32.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 £1.61

$3.26 CA$4.53

-33.74%

Eggs

$4.08 £3.04

$3.35 CA$4.66

21.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.05 £8.97

$14.50 CA$20.14

-16.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.75 £7.26

$12.95 CA$17.99

-24.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.39 £12.95

$16.15 CA$22.44

7.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 £2.46

$4.32 CA$6.00

-23.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 £1.37

$1.35 CA$1.88

36.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.82 £2.84

$3.83 CA$5.32

-0.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.35 £3.24

$4.18 CA$5.81

4.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 £1.56

$2.65 CA$3.68

-20.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 £1.34

$2.74 CA$3.81

-34.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 £0.97

$2.76 CA$3.84

-52.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 £1.10

$1.95 CA$2.71

-24.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.73 £13.95

$14.98 CA$20.81

25.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 £7.92

$14.67 CA$20.38

-27.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 £1.91

$2.84 CA$3.95

-9.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 £2.60

$4.02 CA$5.58

-13.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.75 £2.05

$2.80 CA$3.89

-1.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$121 £90.3

$86.2 CA$120

40.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.49 £4.09

$3.60 CA$5.00

52.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.85 £2.12

$1.32 CA$1.83

115.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.28 £25.53

$29.01 CA$40.31

18.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 £1.46

$1.12 CA$1.56

75.00%

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

$37.8K £28.1K

$24.9K CA$34.5K

51.95%

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

$41.8K £31.1K

$22.0K CA$30.5K

90.19%

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

$295 £220

$217 CA$302

35.85%

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

$22.44 £16.71

$41.55 CA$57.7

-45.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.92 £31.96

$58.1 CA$80.7

-26.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.39 £31.57

$54.7 CA$76.0

-22.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.07 £11.97

$52.8 CA$73.4

-69.58%

Cinema Ticket

$13.72 £10.22

$12.77 CA$17.74

7.44%

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

$1,944 £1,448

$874 CA$1,214

122.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.8K £15.5K

$15.9K CA$22.1K

30.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.6 £67.5

$58.8 CA$81.7

54.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.85 £31.17

$46.47 CA$64.6

-9.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.5 £66.6

$87.2 CA$121

2.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 £79.0

$109 CA$151

-2.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,637 £1,219

$1,414 CA$1,964

15.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 £936

$1,172 CA$1,629

7.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,702 £2,013

$2,319 CA$3,222

16.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,077 £1,547

$1,886 CA$2,621

10.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,107 £3,804

$3,892 CA$5,407

31.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,671 £3,479

$3,503 CA$4,867

33.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,247 £2,418

$3,149 CA$4,375

3.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

5.71

3.68%

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

Last update for Manchester: May 31, 2026

Last update for Calgary: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,637 in Manchester and $1,414 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manchester pays 3% 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: $94.0 in Manchester vs $70.0 in Calgary. Groceries flip the comparison at $335 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, Getting Around, Clothing & Footwear. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Manchester pays 3% more on average, 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: $1,637 in Manchester versus $1,414 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 $70.0 versus $94.0 in Manchester. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,651 per month in Manchester versus $2,523 in Calgary – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Calgary is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 5% less than in Manchester. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.