Cost of Living Comparison Between Oshawa and Calgary Cost of Living Comparison Between Oshawa and Calgary

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,584 in Oshawa versus $2,517 in Calgary.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,795 in Oshawa versus $3,646 in Calgary.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,005 in Oshawa versus $4,776 in Calgary.

Living in Oshawa is roughly 3% more expensive than Calgary, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oshawa 92% above, Calgary 87% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.70 CA$26.11

$18.37 CA$25.65

1.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.5 CA$103

$69.7 CA$97.4

5.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.14 CA$14.16

$10.88 CA$15.19

-6.80%

Cappuccino

$3.62 CA$5.05

$3.69 CA$5.16

-1.90%

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

$1.91 CA$2.67

$2.03 CA$2.84

-5.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.16

$1.74 CA$2.43

-10.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.07 CA$7.08

$5.30 CA$7.40

-4.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.31 CA$8.81

$6.74 CA$9.42

-6.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.55 CA$3.56

$2.23 CA$3.12

14.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 CA$3.78

$2.68 CA$3.75

1.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.77 CA$5.27

$3.35 CA$4.68

12.54%

Eggs

$3.44 CA$4.81

$3.33 CA$4.65

3.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.17 CA$16.99

$14.41 CA$20.12

-15.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.42 CA$15.95

$12.50 CA$17.46

-8.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.17 CA$22.58

$16.33 CA$22.81

-0.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 CA$5.02

$4.28 CA$5.98

-15.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 CA$1.63

$1.35 CA$1.89

-13.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 CA$5.48

$3.74 CA$5.22

5.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.87 CA$6.80

$4.17 CA$5.83

16.79%

Potato (1kg)

$4.77 CA$6.66

$2.56 CA$3.58

86.33%

Onion (1kg)

$3.34 CA$4.67

$2.68 CA$3.74

24.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 CA$4.06

$2.66 CA$3.71

9.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 CA$1.78

$1.88 CA$2.62

-32.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.77 CA$20.63

$14.66 CA$20.47

0.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.79 CA$17.85

$14.23 CA$19.87

-10.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.12 CA$4.35

$2.95 CA$4.12

5.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.07

$3.89 CA$5.44

-25.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 CA$3.65

$2.71 CA$3.79

-3.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.0 CA$124

$87.7 CA$122

1.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.72 CA$5.19

$3.46 CA$4.83

7.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.21 CA$3.09

$1.30 CA$1.81

70.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.12 CA$30.89

$28.30 CA$39.52

-21.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 CA$1.58

$1.09 CA$1.52

3.67%

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

$25.5K CA$35.5K

$25.0K CA$34.9K

1.73%

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

$20.8K CA$29.0K

$22.2K CA$31.0K

-6.64%

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

$232 CA$324

$211 CA$295

9.86%

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

$59.4 CA$83.0

$40.40 CA$56.4

47.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.4 CA$104

$58.5 CA$81.7

27.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.70 CA$58.2

$53.8 CA$75.1

-22.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.85 CA$51.5

$53.8 CA$75.2

-31.53%

Cinema Ticket

$12.20 CA$17.04

$12.64 CA$17.66

-3.48%

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

$1,324 CA$1,848

$865 CA$1,208

53.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K CA$16.4K

$16.1K CA$22.4K

-26.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 CA$81.9

$58.1 CA$81.1

1.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.4 CA$80.2

$47.18 CA$65.9

21.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 CA$164

$85.4 CA$119

37.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 CA$217

$106 CA$148

46.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,259 CA$1,759

$1,416 CA$1,977

-11.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,159 CA$1,619

$1,153 CA$1,611

0.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,041 CA$2,850

$2,370 CA$3,309

-13.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,920 CA$2,682

$1,864 CA$2,603

3.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,230 CA$7,304

$3,834 CA$5,354

36.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.4K CA$14.5K

$3,443 CA$4,808

202.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,987 CA$4,171

$3,105 CA$4,337

-3.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.21

5.71

8.76%

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

Last update for Oshawa: June 9, 2026

Last update for Calgary: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,259 in Oshawa and $1,416 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $73.0 in Oshawa vs $70.0 in Calgary. Groceries flip the comparison at $383 vs $393, with Oshawa cheaper for home cooking.

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

Oshawa vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Calgary earns 4% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,259 in Oshawa versus $1,416 in Calgary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Calgary – a meal for two runs $70.0 versus $73.0 in Oshawa. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,584 per month in Oshawa versus $2,517 in Calgary – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,517 in Calgary versus $2,584 in Oshawa, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Oshawa. The gap between the two cities makes Calgary the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Calgary gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Oshawa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.