Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between North Bay and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in North Bay: $2,162 a month against $2,303 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

North Bay, Canada
Calgary, Canada
North Bay
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,162
/mo nomad
Calgary
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,303
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,162 in North Bay versus $2,303 in Calgary.

  • North Bay $2,162
  • Calgary $2,303

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,060 in North Bay versus $3,366 in Calgary.

  • North Bay $3,060
  • Calgary $3,366

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,957 in North Bay versus $4,428 in Calgary.

  • North Bay $3,957
  • Calgary $4,428

Living in North Bay costs roughly 6% less than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: North Bay 59% above, Calgary 69% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
North Bay
Calgary
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.83 CA$24.91
$17.55 CA$24.52
1.60%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$77.4 CA$108
$70.4 CA$98.4
9.95%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.73 CA$14.99
$10.69 CA$14.94
0.37%
Cappuccino
$3.98 CA$5.57
$3.89 CA$5.43
2.31%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.07 CA$2.90
$2.04 CA$2.85
1.47%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.76 CA$2.45
$1.88 CA$2.62
-6.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.02 CA$7.02
$4.90 CA$6.84
2.45%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.81 CA$9.51
$5.78 CA$8.08
17.82%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
North Bay
Calgary
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.56 CA$3.57
$1.96 CA$2.74
30.61%
White Bread (500g)
$2.72 CA$3.81
$2.74 CA$3.83
-0.73%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.24 CA$3.12
$5.46 CA$7.63
-58.97%
Eggs
$3.53 CA$4.93
$3.69 CA$5.15
-4.34%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.49 CA$13.27
$11.24 CA$15.71
-15.57%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.32 CA$15.82
$11.54 CA$16.12
-1.91%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.37 CA$17.29
$18.38 CA$25.68
-32.70%
Apples (1kg)
$3.67 CA$5.13
$4.90 CA$6.85
-25.10%
Banana (1kg)
$1.22 CA$1.70
$1.42 CA$1.99
-14.08%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.21 CA$4.49
$4.21 CA$5.88
-23.75%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.19 CA$5.86
$4.02 CA$5.62
4.23%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 CA$2.58
$2.69 CA$3.77
-31.23%
Onion (1kg)
$1.68 CA$2.34
$2.66 CA$3.72
-36.84%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.24 CA$3.13
$2.61 CA$3.65
-14.18%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.26 CA$1.76
$1.60 CA$2.23
-21.25%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.46 CA$20.20
$14.00 CA$19.57
3.29%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.26 CA$19.92
$15.40 CA$21.52
-7.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.23 CA$3.12
$2.50 CA$3.49
-10.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.46 CA$3.44
$3.09 CA$4.32
-20.39%
🚌 Getting Around
North Bay
Calgary
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.28 CA$3.18
$2.93 CA$4.09
-22.18%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$67.4 CA$94.1
$89.3 CA$125
-24.54%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.08 CA$4.31
$3.27 CA$4.57
-5.81%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.13 CA$1.58
$1.35 CA$1.89
-16.30%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$22.26 CA$31.11
$27.39 CA$38.27
-18.73%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.25 CA$1.75
$1.17 CA$1.64
6.84%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K CA$37.5K
$27.9K CA$39.0K
-4.03%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.5K CA$30.0K
$21.0K CA$29.4K
2.13%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
North Bay
Calgary
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$124 CA$173
$167 CA$233
-25.79%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$32.74 CA$45.75
$38.27 CA$53.5
-14.45%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$48.00 CA$67.1
$50.9 CA$71.2
-5.75%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
North Bay
Calgary
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$24.94 CA$34.85
$51.0 CA$71.2
-51.05%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$18.17 CA$25.39
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.09 CA$18.29
$14.44 CA$20.18
-9.35%
🧸 Childcare & Education
North Bay
Calgary
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$753 CA$1,052
$545 CA$762
38.07%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.8K CA$33.2K
$16.2K CA$22.7K
46.74%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
North Bay
Calgary
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.70 CA$62.5
$58.9 CA$82.3
-24.08%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$18.18 CA$25.41
$39.75 CA$55.6
-54.26%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 CA$141
$93.4 CA$130
8.34%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.3 CA$125
$110 CA$154
-18.80%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
North Bay
Calgary
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,457 CA$2,036
$1,254 CA$1,752
16.17%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,095 CA$1,530
$1,056 CA$1,476
3.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,852 CA$2,587
$2,022 CA$2,826
-8.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,475 CA$2,061
$1,629 CA$2,276
-9.42%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$3,600 CA$5,031
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$3,243 CA$4,531
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
North Bay
Calgary
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,108 CA$4,343
$3,115 CA$4,353
-0.23%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.45
4.51
-1.33%

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

Last update for North Bay: October 25, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
North Bay
$1.1K
Calgary
$1.1K 3.5% $39
Groceries & Markets
North Bay
$335
Calgary
$393 17.2% $57
Eating Out
North Bay
$277
Calgary
$271 2.1% $5.8
Monthly Utilities & Internet
North Bay
$204
Calgary
$256 25.2% $51
Clothing & Footwear
North Bay
$114
Calgary
$136 19.2% $22
Getting Around
North Bay
$85
Calgary
$111 30.3% $26
Sport & Entertainment
North Bay
$51
Calgary
$80 56.2% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,457 in North Bay and $1,254 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $77 in North Bay vs $70 in Calgary. Groceries flip the comparison at $335 vs $393, with North Bay cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇨🇦 North Bay
🇨🇦 Calgary
🕒 Local time
17:01 5:01 PM
15:01 3:01 PM
2 h behind North Bay
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
51,553
1,267,344
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 31, 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
  • North Bay Calgary 2,570 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • North Bay
  • Calgary

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
North Bay vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is North Bay cheaper than Calgary?
North Bay is about 6% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. 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 $3,243 in North Bay 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 North Bay and Calgary?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,457 in North Bay versus $1,254 in Calgary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Is eating out cheaper in North Bay or in Calgary?
Dining out is cheaper in Calgary – a meal for two runs $70 versus $77 in North Bay. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
What are total monthly expenses in North Bay and in Calgary?
All in, you’ll spend $2,162 per month in North Bay versus $2,303 in Calgary – North Bay is about 6% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Is $2,000 enough to cover costs in North Bay or in Calgary?
Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. North Bay is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Is it better to live in North Bay 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.

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