Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Milton and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,303 a month against $2,718 in Milton, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Milton, Canada
Calgary, Canada
Milton
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,718
/mo nomad
Calgary
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,303
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,718 in Milton versus $2,303 in Calgary.

  • Milton $2,718
  • Calgary $2,303

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,861 in Milton versus $3,366 in Calgary.

  • Milton $3,861
  • Calgary $3,366

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,004 in Milton versus $4,428 in Calgary.

  • Milton $5,004
  • Calgary $4,428

Living in Milton is roughly 18% more expensive than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Milton 100% above, Calgary 69% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Milton
Calgary
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.04 CA$19.61
$17.55 CA$24.52
-20.00%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$71.0 CA$99.2
$70.4 CA$98.3
0.90%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.73 CA$12.20
$10.69 CA$14.93
-18.33%
Cappuccino
$3.72 CA$5.19
$3.89 CA$5.43
-4.37%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.95 CA$4.12
$2.04 CA$2.85
44.61%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.36 CA$3.30
$1.88 CA$2.62
25.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.95 CA$6.91
$4.90 CA$6.84
1.02%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.08 CA$8.50
$5.78 CA$8.08
5.19%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Milton
Calgary
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.02 CA$2.82
$1.96 CA$2.74
3.06%
White Bread (500g)
$2.27 CA$3.16
$2.74 CA$3.83
-17.15%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.56 CA$3.58
$5.46 CA$7.63
-53.11%
Eggs
$3.20 CA$4.47
$3.69 CA$5.15
-13.28%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.04 CA$12.63
$11.24 CA$15.71
-19.57%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$22.57 CA$31.53
$11.54 CA$16.12
95.58%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$22.80 CA$31.85
$18.38 CA$25.67
24.05%
Apples (1kg)
$4.96 CA$6.93
$4.90 CA$6.85
1.22%
Banana (1kg)
$1.09 CA$1.53
$1.42 CA$1.99
-23.24%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.87 CA$4.01
$4.21 CA$5.88
-31.83%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.02 CA$5.61
$4.02 CA$5.62
-
Potato (1kg)
$2.43 CA$3.39
$2.69 CA$3.77
-9.67%
Onion (1kg)
$2.22 CA$3.10
$2.66 CA$3.72
-16.54%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.19 CA$3.06
$2.61 CA$3.65
-16.09%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.93 CA$2.69
$1.60 CA$2.23
20.62%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.43 CA$15.98
$14.00 CA$19.56
-18.36%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.37 CA$18.67
$15.40 CA$21.51
-13.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.09 CA$2.91
$2.50 CA$3.49
-16.40%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.64 CA$3.69
$3.09 CA$4.32
-14.56%
🚌 Getting Around
Milton
Calgary
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.77 CA$3.86
$2.93 CA$4.09
-5.46%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.5 CA$79.0
$89.3 CA$125
-36.68%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.29 CA$4.59
$3.27 CA$4.57
0.61%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.56 CA$2.18
$1.35 CA$1.89
15.56%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$28.41 CA$39.69
$27.39 CA$38.26
3.72%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.08 CA$1.51
$1.17 CA$1.64
-7.69%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.8K CA$33.2K
$27.9K CA$39.0K
-14.92%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.8K CA$26.3K
$21.0K CA$29.4K
-10.42%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Milton
Calgary
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$230 CA$321
$167 CA$233
37.98%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$55.1 CA$77.0
$38.27 CA$53.5
43.98%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.4 CA$74.6
$50.9 CA$71.2
4.77%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Milton
Calgary
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.90 CA$59.9
$51.0 CA$71.2
-15.80%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.76 CA$29.00
$18.17 CA$25.39
14.25%
Cinema Ticket
$14.47 CA$20.22
$14.44 CA$20.18
0.21%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Milton
Calgary
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$401 CA$560
$545 CA$762
-26.54%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.8K CA$15.1K
$16.2K CA$22.6K
-33.48%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Milton
Calgary
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$69.6 CA$97.2
$58.9 CA$82.3
18.21%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.46 CA$64.9
$39.75 CA$55.5
16.88%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.1 CA$127
$93.4 CA$130
-2.44%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$145 CA$202
$110 CA$154
31.52%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Milton
Calgary
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,529 CA$2,136
$1,254 CA$1,752
21.92%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,406 CA$1,965
$1,056 CA$1,476
33.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,549 CA$3,561
$2,022 CA$2,825
26.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,110 CA$2,947
$1,629 CA$2,275
29.52%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,836 CA$6,757
$3,600 CA$5,030
34.33%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,132 CA$5,772
$3,243 CA$4,530
27.41%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Milton
Calgary
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,138 CA$4,384
$3,115 CA$4,352
0.73%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.69
4.51
26.16%

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

Last update for Milton: 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
Milton
$1.4K
Calgary
$1.1K 24.9% $350
Groceries & Markets
Milton
$423
Calgary
$393 7.2% $31
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Milton
$338
Calgary
$256 24.4% $83
Eating Out
Milton
$241
Calgary
$271 12.3% $30
Clothing & Footwear
Milton
$158
Calgary
$136 14.2% $22
Getting Around
Milton
$79
Calgary
$111 41.1% $32
Sport & Entertainment
Milton
$72
Calgary
$80 11.1% $8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,529 in Milton and $1,254 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $71 in Milton vs $70 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $423 vs $393 per month, with Calgary cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Milton
🇨🇦 Calgary
🕒 Local time
05:18 5:18 AM
04:18 4:18 AM
1 h behind Milton
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
110,128
1,267,344
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Milton Calgary 2,680 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Milton
  • 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
Milton vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Calgary cheaper than Milton?
Calgary is about 15% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $4,077 in Milton and $3,454 in Calgary to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Milton and Calgary?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,529 in Milton versus $1,254 in Calgary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $401 in Milton versus $545 in Calgary. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Milton runs roughly 37% less than in Calgary. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Is it better to live in Milton or in Calgary?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Milton vs other spots: cost of living compared

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