Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pickering, ON and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,303 a month against $2,590 in Pickering, ON, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Pickering, ON outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Pickering, ON, Canada
Calgary, Canada
Pickering, ON
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,590
/mo nomad
Calgary
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,303
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,590 in Pickering, ON versus $2,303 in Calgary.

  • Pickering, ON $2,590
  • Calgary $2,303

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,662 in Pickering, ON versus $3,366 in Calgary.

  • Pickering, ON $3,662
  • Calgary $3,366

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,733 in Pickering, ON versus $4,428 in Calgary.

  • Pickering, ON $4,733
  • Calgary $4,428

Living in Pickering, ON is roughly 12% more expensive than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Pickering, ON 90% above, Calgary 69% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Pickering, ON
Calgary
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.17 CA$19.80
$17.55 CA$24.52
-19.26%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$57.9 CA$80.8
$70.4 CA$98.3
-17.79%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.80 CA$15.09
$10.69 CA$14.93
1.03%
Cappuccino
$1.97 CA$2.75
$3.89 CA$5.43
-49.36%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.69 CA$2.37
$2.04 CA$2.85
-17.16%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.58 CA$2.21
$1.88 CA$2.62
-15.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.72 CA$6.60
$4.90 CA$6.84
-3.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.56 CA$6.38
$5.78 CA$8.08
-21.11%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Pickering, ON
Calgary
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.14 CA$2.99
$1.96 CA$2.74
9.18%
White Bread (500g)
$2.21 CA$3.09
$2.74 CA$3.83
-19.34%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.40 CA$6.15
$5.46 CA$7.63
-19.41%
Eggs
$3.65 CA$5.10
$3.69 CA$5.15
-1.08%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.81 CA$13.71
$11.24 CA$15.71
-12.72%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.38 CA$15.90
$11.54 CA$16.12
-1.39%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.15 CA$19.77
$18.38 CA$25.67
-23.01%
Apples (1kg)
$3.12 CA$4.35
$4.90 CA$6.85
-36.33%
Banana (1kg)
$0.59 CA$0.82
$1.42 CA$1.99
-58.45%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.54 CA$3.56
$4.21 CA$5.88
-39.67%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 CA$2.90
$4.02 CA$5.62
-48.26%
Potato (1kg)
$2.20 CA$3.07
$2.69 CA$3.77
-18.22%
Onion (1kg)
$2.72 CA$3.80
$2.66 CA$3.72
2.26%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.75 CA$3.85
$2.61 CA$3.65
5.36%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.26 CA$1.76
$1.60 CA$2.23
-21.25%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.49 CA$18.84
$14.00 CA$19.56
-3.64%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.98 CA$18.13
$15.40 CA$21.51
-15.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.75 CA$2.45
$2.50 CA$3.49
-30.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.39 CA$3.33
$3.09 CA$4.32
-22.65%
🚌 Getting Around
Pickering, ON
Calgary
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.74 CA$3.83
$2.93 CA$4.09
-6.48%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$161 CA$226
$89.3 CA$125
80.81%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.89 CA$4.04
$3.27 CA$4.57
-11.62%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.25 CA$3.15
$1.35 CA$1.89
66.67%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$22.27 CA$31.12
$27.39 CA$38.26
-18.69%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.11 CA$1.55
$1.17 CA$1.64
-5.13%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$25.0K CA$34.9K
$27.9K CA$39.0K
-10.68%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.2K CA$31.0K
$21.0K CA$29.4K
5.64%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Pickering, ON
Calgary
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$107 CA$149
$167 CA$233
-36.00%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$34.45 CA$48.13
$38.27 CA$53.5
-9.98%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$48.19 CA$67.3
$50.9 CA$71.2
-5.38%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Pickering, ON
Calgary
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$59.9 CA$83.6
$51.0 CA$71.2
17.47%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.56 CA$37.10
$18.17 CA$25.39
46.18%
Cinema Ticket
$11.21 CA$15.66
$14.44 CA$20.18
-22.37%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Pickering, ON
Calgary
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$503 CA$703
$545 CA$762
-7.75%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$28.4K CA$39.7K
$16.2K CA$22.6K
75.36%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Pickering, ON
Calgary
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$74.4 CA$104
$58.9 CA$82.3
26.31%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.1 CA$75.5
$39.75 CA$55.5
35.97%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$82.6 CA$115
$93.4 CA$130
-11.57%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$77.2 CA$108
$110 CA$154
-29.79%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Pickering, ON
Calgary
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,658 CA$2,316
$1,254 CA$1,752
32.17%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,465 CA$2,047
$1,056 CA$1,476
38.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,504 CA$3,499
$2,022 CA$2,825
23.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,194 CA$3,065
$1,629 CA$2,275
34.71%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,334 CA$6,055
$3,600 CA$5,030
20.38%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,903 CA$5,453
$3,243 CA$4,530
20.37%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Pickering, ON
Calgary
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,072 CA$4,292
$3,115 CA$4,352
-1.38%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.22
4.51
-6.43%

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

Last update for Pickering, ON: 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
Pickering, ON
$1.5K
Calgary
$1.1K 27.9% $409
Groceries & Markets
Pickering, ON
$322
Calgary
$393 22% $71
Eating Out
Pickering, ON
$215
Calgary
$271 25.8% $56
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Pickering, ON
$189
Calgary
$256 35.2% $67
Getting Around
Pickering, ON
$187
Calgary
$111 40.5% $76
Clothing & Footwear
Pickering, ON
$130
Calgary
$136 4.8% $6.2
Sport & Entertainment
Pickering, ON
$82
Calgary
$80 3% $2.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,658 in Pickering, ON and $1,254 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $58 in Pickering, ON vs $70 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $393 per month, with Pickering, ON cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Pickering, ON
🇨🇦 Calgary
🕒 Local time
00:02 12:02 AM
23:02 11:02 PM
1 h behind Pickering, ON
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
91,771
1,267,344
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 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
  • Pickering, ON Calgary 2,720 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Pickering, ON
  • 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
Pickering, ON vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Calgary cheaper than Pickering, ON?
Calgary is about 11% cheaper overall, especially in transport and leisure. 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 $3,885 in Pickering, ON 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 Pickering, ON and Calgary?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,658 in Pickering, ON 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 Pickering, ON or in Calgary?
Dining out is cheaper in Pickering, ON – a meal for two runs $58 versus $70 in Calgary. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
What are total monthly expenses in Pickering, ON and in Calgary?
All in, you’ll spend $2,590 per month in Pickering, ON versus $2,303 in Calgary – Calgary is about 11% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Is it better to live in Pickering, ON 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.

Pickering, ON vs other spots: cost of living compared

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