Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New Westminster and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,303 a month against $2,536 in New Westminster, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in New Westminster
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New Westminster Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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New Westminster

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,536

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,303

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,536 in New Westminster versus $2,303 in Calgary.

New Westminster $2,536
Calgary $2,303

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,772 in New Westminster versus $3,366 in Calgary.

New Westminster $3,772
Calgary $3,366

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,008 in New Westminster versus $4,428 in Calgary.

New Westminster $5,008
Calgary $4,428

Living in New Westminster is roughly 10% more expensive than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New Westminster 86% above, Calgary 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.53 CA$27.29

$17.55 CA$24.52

11.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.69 CA$69.4

$70.4 CA$98.4

-29.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.26 CA$14.33

$10.69 CA$14.94

-4.02%

Cappuccino

$3.55 CA$4.96

$3.89 CA$5.43

-8.74%

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

$1.88 CA$2.63

$2.04 CA$2.85

-7.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 CA$2.31

$1.88 CA$2.62

-12.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.14 CA$8.58

$4.90 CA$6.84

25.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 CA$7.77

$5.78 CA$8.08

-3.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 CA$2.50

$1.96 CA$2.74

-8.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 CA$3.32

$2.74 CA$3.83

-13.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.49 CA$4.88

$5.46 CA$7.63

-36.08%

Eggs

$3.23 CA$4.51

$3.69 CA$5.15

-12.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.95 CA$15.30

$11.24 CA$15.71

-2.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.61 CA$21.81

$11.54 CA$16.12

35.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.23 CA$38.05

$18.38 CA$25.68

48.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.46

$4.90 CA$6.85

-20.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 CA$2.07

$1.42 CA$1.99

4.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.78 CA$5.29

$4.21 CA$5.88

-10.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 CA$5.18

$4.02 CA$5.62

-7.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 CA$3.44

$2.69 CA$3.77

-8.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 CA$3.07

$2.66 CA$3.72

-17.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 CA$3.20

$2.61 CA$3.65

-12.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 CA$2.59

$1.60 CA$2.23

15.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.50 CA$21.65

$14.00 CA$19.57

10.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.88 CA$15.21

$15.40 CA$21.52

-29.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 CA$2.85

$2.50 CA$3.49

-18.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 CA$3.93

$3.09 CA$4.32

-9.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 CA$3.44

$2.93 CA$4.09

-16.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.0 CA$127

$89.3 CA$125

1.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 CA$3.04

$3.27 CA$4.57

-33.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 CA$2.52

$1.35 CA$1.89

34.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.72 CA$31.75

$27.39 CA$38.27

-17.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 CA$1.84

$1.17 CA$1.64

12.82%

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

$24.4K CA$34.1K

$27.9K CA$39.0K

-12.77%

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

$20.9K CA$29.2K

$21.0K CA$29.4K

-0.51%

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

$141 CA$196

$167 CA$233

-15.67%

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

$43.47 CA$60.7

$38.27 CA$53.5

13.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.0 CA$90.9

$50.9 CA$71.2

27.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.49 CA$46.80

$51.0 CA$71.2

-34.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.69 CA$24.72

$18.17 CA$25.39

-2.64%

Cinema Ticket

$11.52 CA$16.09

$14.44 CA$20.18

-20.22%

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

$794 CA$1,109

$545 CA$762

45.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,694 CA$12.1K

$16.2K CA$22.7K

-46.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.4 CA$73.2

$58.9 CA$82.3

-11.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.09 CA$57.4

$39.75 CA$55.6

3.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 CA$112

$93.4 CA$130

-14.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 CA$138

$110 CA$154

-10.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,624 CA$2,269

$1,254 CA$1,752

29.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,306 CA$1,824

$1,056 CA$1,476

23.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,668 CA$3,729

$2,022 CA$2,826

31.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,310 CA$3,228

$1,629 CA$2,276

41.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,751 CA$6,639

$3,600 CA$5,031

31.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,037 CA$5,641

$3,243 CA$4,531

24.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,171 CA$4,431

$3,115 CA$4,353

1.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.72

4.51

4.66%

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

Last update for New Westminster: 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

New Westminster

$1.3K 51.5%

Calgary

$1.1K 45.9% 19.1% $249

Groceries & Markets

New Westminster

$404 15.9%

Calgary

$393 17.1% 2.8% $11

Eating Out

New Westminster

$286 11.3%

Calgary

$271 11.8% 5.2% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New Westminster

$249 9.8%

Calgary

$256 11.1% 2.7% $6.8

Clothing & Footwear

New Westminster

$122 4.8%

Calgary

$136 5.9% 11% $13

Getting Around

New Westminster

$112 4.4%

Calgary

$111 4.8% 0.9% $1.1

Sport & Entertainment

New Westminster

$57 2.2%

Calgary

$80 3.5% 41.2% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,624 in New Westminster and $1,254 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $50 in New Westminster vs $70 in Calgary. Groceries flip the comparison at $404 vs $393, with Calgary cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 New Westminster

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

13:31 1:31 PM

14:31 2:31 PM

1 h ahead of New Westminster

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

58,000

1,267,344

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

New Westminster Calgary 660 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

New Westminster
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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

New Westminster vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary is about 9% cheaper overall, especially in utilities, eating out, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $3,803 in New Westminster 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,624 in New Westminster versus $1,254 in Calgary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $794 in New Westminster versus $545 in Calgary. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in New Westminster – a meal for two runs $50 versus $70 in Calgary. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.