Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ottawa and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,255 a month against $2,416 in Ottawa, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ottawa outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

117

Cost of Living Index in Ottawa
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Ottawa Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

Jump to prices

Ottawa

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,416

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,255

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,416 in Ottawa versus $2,255 in Calgary.

Ottawa $2,416
Calgary $2,255

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,537 in Ottawa versus $3,361 in Calgary.

Ottawa $3,537
Calgary $3,361

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,658 in Ottawa versus $4,468 in Calgary.

Ottawa $4,658
Calgary $4,468

Living in Ottawa is roughly 7% more expensive than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ottawa 78% above, Calgary 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.62 CA$24.91

$17.58 CA$24.85

0.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.6 CA$111

$69.1 CA$97.6

13.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.61 CA$15.00

$10.59 CA$14.97

0.19%

Cappuccino

$4.04 CA$5.71

$3.84 CA$5.42

5.21%

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

$2.08 CA$2.94

$1.93 CA$2.72

7.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 CA$2.48

$1.88 CA$2.66

-6.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.71 CA$8.08

$5.09 CA$7.20

12.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.47 CA$9.14

$5.64 CA$7.97

14.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.40 CA$3.39

$2.00 CA$2.82

20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.96 CA$4.19

$2.78 CA$3.93

6.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 CA$4.07

$5.59 CA$7.90

-48.48%

Eggs

$3.23 CA$4.57

$3.70 CA$5.23

-12.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.51 CA$16.27

$11.48 CA$16.23

0.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.61 CA$16.41

$11.20 CA$15.84

3.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.02 CA$26.90

$18.59 CA$26.28

2.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.74 CA$5.29

$4.70 CA$6.64

-20.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 CA$1.79

$1.45 CA$2.05

-12.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.90 CA$5.52

$4.34 CA$6.13

-10.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.61 CA$5.10

$3.79 CA$5.36

-4.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 CA$3.64

$2.69 CA$3.81

-4.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 CA$3.38

$2.75 CA$3.88

-13.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CA$3.69

$2.56 CA$3.62

1.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 CA$2.08

$1.50 CA$2.12

-2.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.45 CA$20.43

$14.39 CA$20.34

0.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.47 CA$17.63

$15.81 CA$22.35

-21.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 CA$3.68

$2.47 CA$3.49

5.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 CA$4.50

$3.10 CA$4.39

2.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.93 CA$4.14

$2.81 CA$3.97

4.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.6 CA$134

$90.6 CA$128

4.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 CA$3.79

$3.28 CA$4.64

-18.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 CA$2.16

$1.40 CA$1.97

9.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.08 CA$26.98

$26.49 CA$37.45

-27.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 CA$1.74

$1.22 CA$1.72

0.82%

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

$27.6K CA$39.0K

$28.4K CA$40.1K

-2.83%

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

$22.3K CA$31.5K

$20.8K CA$29.5K

6.92%

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

$139 CA$196

$165 CA$233

-15.58%

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

$37.37 CA$52.8

$38.24 CA$54.1

-2.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.1 CA$72.3

$50.1 CA$70.9

1.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 CA$68.0

$53.8 CA$76.1

-10.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.89 CA$39.43

$18.04 CA$25.51

54.60%

Cinema Ticket

$12.68 CA$17.93

$14.04 CA$19.84

-9.69%

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

$928 CA$1,311

$797 CA$1,126

16.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

$15.8K CA$22.3K

1.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 CA$81.0

$59.1 CA$83.5

-3.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.28 CA$52.7

$40.20 CA$56.8

-7.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 CA$146

$90.8 CA$128

13.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.5 CA$138

$109 CA$155

-10.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,437 CA$2,031

$1,207 CA$1,707

19.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 CA$1,717

$1,011 CA$1,429

20.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,310 CA$3,266

$1,949 CA$2,756

18.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,871 CA$2,645

$1,677 CA$2,371

11.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,326 CA$6,115

$3,532 CA$4,993

22.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,547 CA$6,428

$3,392 CA$4,795

34.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,730 CA$5,274

$3,152 CA$4,456

18.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.16

4.51

-7.76%

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

Last update for Ottawa: October 20, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ottawa

$1.2K 50.3%

Calgary

$1K 44.8% 16.8% $204

Groceries & Markets

Ottawa

$373 15.4%

Calgary

$392 17.4% 5.1% $19

Eating Out

Ottawa

$278 11.5%

Calgary

$270 12% 2.8% $7.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ottawa

$227 9.4%

Calgary

$253 11.2% 11.2% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Ottawa

$133 5.5%

Calgary

$135 6% 1.5% $1.9

Getting Around

Ottawa

$117 4.8%

Calgary

$112 5% 3.9% $4.5

Sport & Entertainment

Ottawa

$73 3%

Calgary

$82 3.6% 11.4% $8.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,437 in Ottawa and $1,207 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ottawa pays 18% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $79.0 in Ottawa vs $69.0 in Calgary. Groceries flip the comparison at $373 vs $392, with Ottawa cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Ottawa

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

12:50 12:50 PM

10:50 10:50 AM

2 h behind Ottawa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,000,000 Capital

1,267,344

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Ottawa Calgary 2,880 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Ottawa
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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Ottawa vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, transport, and utilities. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 18% higher in Ottawa, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,437 in Ottawa versus $1,207 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 $69.0 versus $79.0 in Ottawa. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,416 per month in Ottawa versus $2,255 in Calgary – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,255 in Calgary versus $2,416 in Ottawa, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Ottawa. The gap between the two cities makes Calgary the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Calgary is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ottawa, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ottawa 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.

Expats usually find Calgary gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Ottawa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.