Cost of Living Comparison Between Nelson BC and Calgary Cost of Living Comparison Between Nelson BC and Calgary

🙂 Solo nomad: Nelson BC is 3.2% cheaper than Calgary without rent, and 7.6% cheaper with rent.
🙂 Family of 3: Nelson BC is 18.8% cheaper than Calgary without rent, and 12.2% cheaper with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nelson BC
Calgary
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.82 CA$20.31
$18.57 CA$25.44
-20.19%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$65.9 CA$90.3
$70.2 CA$96.1
-6.02%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.35 CA$12.80
$10.98 CA$15.04
-14.85%
Cappuccino
$4.16 CA$5.69
$3.86 CA$5.29
7.77%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.13 CA$2.92
$2.05 CA$2.81
3.90%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 CA$2.43
$1.68 CA$2.30
5.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.09 CA$6.97
$5.07 CA$6.94
0.39%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.84 CA$8.00
$6.55 CA$8.97
-10.84%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nelson BC
Calgary
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.96 CA$2.68
$2.22 CA$3.04
-11.71%
White Bread (500g)
$3.14 CA$4.30
$2.76 CA$3.79
13.77%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.16 CA$4.32
$3.36 CA$4.60
-5.95%
Eggs
$3.85 CA$5.28
$3.36 CA$4.60
14.58%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.02 CA$15.10
$14.46 CA$19.81
-23.79%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.96 CA$20.49
$12.88 CA$17.64
16.15%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.30 CA$27.81
$15.88 CA$21.75
27.83%
Apples (1kg)
$3.79 CA$5.19
$4.26 CA$5.84
-11.03%
Banana (1kg)
$0.68 CA$0.93
$1.30 CA$1.78
-47.69%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.57 CA$2.16
$3.73 CA$5.12
-57.91%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.00 CA$5.48
$4.24 CA$5.81
-5.66%
Potato (1kg)
$2.53 CA$3.47
$2.58 CA$3.54
-1.94%
Onion (1kg)
$2.88 CA$3.94
$2.62 CA$3.58
9.92%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.73 CA$3.74
$2.65 CA$3.63
3.02%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.79 CA$2.45
$1.85 CA$2.54
-3.24%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.63 CA$20.05
$14.61 CA$20.02
0.14%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.88 CA$19.02
$14.51 CA$19.88
-4.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.42 CA$3.32
$2.90 CA$3.97
-16.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.14 CA$4.31
$4.04 CA$5.54
-22.28%
🚌 Getting Around
Nelson BC
Calgary
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.48 CA$2.03
$2.71 CA$3.72
-45.39%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$61.8 CA$84.7
$87.6 CA$120
-29.49%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.97 CA$4.07
$3.60 CA$4.93
-17.50%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.71 CA$2.34
$1.37 CA$1.87
24.82%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.68 CA$48.88
$28.89 CA$39.58
23.50%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.28 CA$1.75
$1.12 CA$1.53
14.29%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.7K CA$33.9K
$24.8K CA$34.0K
-0.43%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.0K CA$27.4K
$21.8K CA$29.8K
-8.23%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nelson BC
Calgary
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$141 CA$194
$215 CA$295
-34.30%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$51.3 CA$70.2
$40.83 CA$55.9
25.52%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$59.5 CA$81.5
$58.1 CA$79.7
2.27%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nelson BC
Calgary
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.02 CA$57.6
$53.5 CA$73.3
-21.49%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$52.7 CA$72.1
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.62 CA$15.92
$12.33 CA$16.89
-5.76%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nelson BC
Calgary
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,061 CA$1,454
$875 CA$1,198
21.34%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.8K CA$23.1K
$16.2K CA$22.2K
3.80%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nelson BC
Calgary
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.9 CA$72.5
$58.4 CA$80.0
-9.35%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.80 CA$54.5
$47.38 CA$64.9
-16.00%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$85.3 CA$117
$86.2 CA$118
-1.07%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$128 CA$175
$107 CA$146
20.03%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nelson BC
Calgary
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,403 CA$1,922
$1,366 CA$1,871
2.72%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,200 CA$1,644
$1,174 CA$1,609
2.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,183 CA$2,990
$2,354 CA$3,225
-7.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,535 CA$2,103
$1,868 CA$2,560
-17.84%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$3,793 CA$5,197
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$3,599 CA$4,931
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nelson BC
Calgary
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,260 CA$4,466
$3,114 CA$4,266
4.68%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.53
5.71
14.36%

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

Last update for Nelson BC: March 2, 2026

Last update for Calgary: March 1, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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