Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oakville and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,255 a month against $2,641 in Oakville, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Oakville outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Oakville
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,641
/mo nomad
Calgary
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,255
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,641 in Oakville versus $2,255 in Calgary.

  • Oakville $2,641
  • Calgary $2,255

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,848 in Oakville versus $3,361 in Calgary.

  • Oakville $3,848
  • Calgary $3,361

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,054 in Oakville versus $4,468 in Calgary.

  • Oakville $5,054
  • Calgary $4,468

Living in Oakville is roughly 17% more expensive than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oakville 95% above, Calgary 66% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Oakville
Calgary
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.43 CA$20.39
$17.58 CA$24.85
-17.92%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$71.8 CA$102
$69.1 CA$97.6
4.04%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.34 CA$13.20
$10.59 CA$14.97
-11.80%
Cappuccino
$3.84 CA$5.42
$3.84 CA$5.42
-
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.20 CA$3.10
$1.93 CA$2.72
13.99%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 CA$2.45
$1.88 CA$2.66
-7.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.83 CA$8.24
$5.09 CA$7.20
14.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.48 CA$9.17
$5.64 CA$7.97
14.89%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Oakville
Calgary
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.56 CA$3.62
$2.00 CA$2.82
28.00%
White Bread (500g)
$3.30 CA$4.67
$2.78 CA$3.93
18.71%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.50 CA$4.94
$5.59 CA$7.90
-37.39%
Eggs
$4.18 CA$5.91
$3.70 CA$5.23
12.97%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.42 CA$14.74
$11.48 CA$16.23
-9.23%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.95 CA$16.90
$11.20 CA$15.84
6.70%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.22 CA$27.17
$18.59 CA$26.28
3.39%
Apples (1kg)
$3.34 CA$4.72
$4.70 CA$6.64
-28.94%
Banana (1kg)
$1.93 CA$2.72
$1.45 CA$2.05
33.10%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.28 CA$4.64
$4.34 CA$6.13
-24.42%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.93 CA$4.14
$3.79 CA$5.36
-22.69%
Potato (1kg)
$2.34 CA$3.31
$2.69 CA$3.81
-13.01%
Onion (1kg)
$2.60 CA$3.68
$2.75 CA$3.88
-5.45%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.25 CA$3.18
$2.56 CA$3.62
-12.11%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.73 CA$2.45
$1.50 CA$2.12
15.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.25 CA$20.14
$14.39 CA$20.34
-0.97%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.23 CA$18.71
$15.81 CA$22.35
-16.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.20 CA$4.52
$2.47 CA$3.49
29.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.41 CA$3.41
$3.10 CA$4.39
-22.26%
🚌 Getting Around
Oakville
Calgary
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.77 CA$3.92
$2.81 CA$3.97
-1.42%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$97.2 CA$137
$90.6 CA$128
7.35%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
-
$3.28 CA$4.64
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$1.40 CA$1.97
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$26.49 CA$37.45
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.16 CA$1.64
$1.22 CA$1.72
-4.92%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.1K CA$39.7K
$28.4K CA$40.1K
-1.03%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.3K CA$30.1K
$20.8K CA$29.5K
2.17%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Oakville
Calgary
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$91.0 CA$129
$165 CA$233
-44.75%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.41 CA$40.16
$38.24 CA$54.1
-25.71%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$45.95 CA$65.0
$50.1 CA$70.9
-8.34%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Oakville
Calgary
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.03 CA$59.4
$53.8 CA$76.1
-21.88%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$18.04 CA$25.51
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.76 CA$13.80
$14.04 CA$19.84
-30.48%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Oakville
Calgary
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,154 CA$1,632
$797 CA$1,126
44.92%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.6K CA$23.5K
$15.8K CA$22.3K
5.30%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Oakville
Calgary
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$68.2 CA$96.3
$59.1 CA$83.5
15.37%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$93.2 CA$132
$40.20 CA$56.8
131.89%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$128 CA$181
$90.8 CA$128
40.81%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$107 CA$152
$109 CA$155
-1.89%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Oakville
Calgary
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,859 CA$2,628
$1,207 CA$1,707
54.01%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,497 CA$2,116
$1,011 CA$1,429
48.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,590 CA$5,075
$1,949 CA$2,756
84.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,384 CA$3,371
$1,677 CA$2,371
42.13%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,866 CA$6,879
$3,532 CA$4,993
37.77%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,100 CA$8,623
$3,392 CA$4,795
79.83%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Oakville
Calgary
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,090 CA$4,369
$3,152 CA$4,456
-1.96%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.26
4.51
16.63%

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

Last update for Oakville: October 19, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Oakville
$1.5K
Calgary
$1K 32.5% $486
Groceries & Markets
Oakville
$383
Calgary
$392 2.2% $8.3
Eating Out
Oakville
$247
Calgary
$270 9.4% $23
Clothing & Footwear
Oakville
$178
Calgary
$135 24.5% $44
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Oakville
$165
Calgary
$253 53% $88
Getting Around
Oakville
$108 *
Calgary
$112 3.5% $3.8
Sport & Entertainment
Oakville
$62
Calgary
$82 33% $20

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,859 in Oakville and $1,207 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $72.0 in Oakville vs $69.0 in Calgary. Groceries flip the comparison at $383 vs $392, with Oakville cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Oakville
🇨🇦 Calgary
🕒 Local time
09:19 9:19 AM
07:19 7:19 AM
2 h behind Oakville
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
193,832
1,267,344
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Oakville Calgary 2,700 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Oakville
  • 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
Oakville vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Calgary cheaper than Oakville?
Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in clothing. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Oakville or Calgary?
On paper, salaries run 2% lower in Calgary. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Oakville and Calgary?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,859 in Oakville versus $1,207 in Calgary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Is eating out cheaper in Oakville or in Calgary?
Dining out is cheaper in Calgary – a meal for two runs $69.0 versus $72.0 in Oakville. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
What are total monthly expenses in Oakville and in Calgary?
All in, you'll spend $2,641 per month in Oakville versus $2,255 in Calgary – a 17% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Oakville or in Calgary?
At $2,255 in Calgary versus $2,641 in Oakville, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Oakville. The gap between the two cities makes Calgary the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Oakville or Calgary more family-friendly?
For families, Calgary is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Oakville, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Oakville or Calgary?
Safety-wise, Oakville and Calgary are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Calgary gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Oakville. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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