Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Alberni and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Alberni: $1,693 a month against $2,255 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

82

Cost of Living Index in Port Alberni
Learn more

Port Alberni Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
Learn more

Calgary Living Index

Jump to prices

Port Alberni

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,693

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,255

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,693 in Port Alberni versus $2,255 in Calgary.

Port Alberni $1,693
Calgary $2,255

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,834 in Port Alberni versus $3,361 in Calgary.

Port Alberni $2,834
Calgary $3,361

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,976 in Port Alberni versus $4,468 in Calgary.

Port Alberni $3,976
Calgary $4,468

Living in Port Alberni costs roughly 25% less than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Port Alberni 25% above, Calgary 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.06 CA$25.54

$17.58 CA$24.85

2.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 CA$89.4

$69.1 CA$97.6

-8.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 CA$14.86

$10.59 CA$14.97

-0.76%

Cappuccino

$4.00 CA$5.65

$3.84 CA$5.42

4.17%

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

$2.12 CA$2.99

$1.93 CA$2.72

9.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 CA$2.04

$1.88 CA$2.66

-23.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 CA$4.92

$5.09 CA$7.20

-31.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 CA$7.69

$5.64 CA$7.97

-3.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 CA$3.18

$2.00 CA$2.82

12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 CA$3.26

$2.78 CA$3.93

-16.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.90 CA$4.10

$5.59 CA$7.90

-48.12%

Eggs

$3.92 CA$5.54

$3.70 CA$5.23

5.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.02 CA$12.76

$11.48 CA$16.23

-21.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.29 CA$6.06

$11.20 CA$15.84

-61.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.98 CA$28.24

$18.59 CA$26.28

7.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 CA$3.89

$4.70 CA$6.64

-41.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 CA$1.53

$1.45 CA$2.05

-25.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.44 CA$4.86

$4.34 CA$6.13

-20.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.62 CA$5.12

$3.79 CA$5.36

-4.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 CA$3.04

$2.69 CA$3.81

-20.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 CA$2.64

$2.75 CA$3.88

-32.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 CA$3.05

$2.56 CA$3.62

-15.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 CA$1.05

$1.50 CA$2.12

-50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.52 CA$14.87

$14.39 CA$20.34

-26.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.58 CA$14.96

$15.81 CA$22.35

-33.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 CA$3.62

$2.47 CA$3.49

3.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 CA$4.08

$3.10 CA$4.39

-7.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$2.81 CA$3.97

-48.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.08 CA$48.17

$90.6 CA$128

-62.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.71 CA$3.84

$3.28 CA$4.64

-17.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 CA$2.26

$1.40 CA$1.97

14.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.40 CA$44.39

$26.49 CA$37.45

18.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.71

$1.22 CA$1.72

-0.82%

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

$27.3K CA$38.5K

$28.4K CA$40.1K

-3.94%

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

$21.0K CA$29.6K

$20.8K CA$29.5K

0.62%

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

$81.5 CA$115

$165 CA$233

-50.53%

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

$36.54 CA$51.7

$38.24 CA$54.1

-4.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.9 CA$73.4

$50.1 CA$70.9

3.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.88 CA$59.2

$53.8 CA$76.1

-22.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.04 CA$25.51

Cinema Ticket

$12.61 CA$17.83

$14.04 CA$19.84

-10.19%

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

$1,088 CA$1,538

$797 CA$1,126

36.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.3K CA$28.6K

$15.8K CA$22.3K

28.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 CA$83.2

$59.1 CA$83.5

-0.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.95 CA$46.58

$40.20 CA$56.8

-18.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 CA$135

$90.8 CA$128

5.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.4 CA$133

$109 CA$155

-13.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 CA$1,114

$1,207 CA$1,707

-34.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 CA$1,005

$1,011 CA$1,429

-29.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,697 CA$2,399

$1,949 CA$2,756

-12.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,690 CA$2,390

$1,677 CA$2,371

0.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,532 CA$4,993

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,392 CA$4,795

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,103 CA$4,387

$3,152 CA$4,456

-1.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

4.51

-5.10%

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

Last update for Port Alberni: 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

Port Alberni

$711 42%

Calgary

$1K 44.8% 42.2% $300

Groceries & Markets

Port Alberni

$301 17.8%

Calgary

$392 17.4% 30.1% $91

Eating Out

Port Alberni

$267 15.7%

Calgary

$270 12% 1.5% $3.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Alberni

$170 10%

Calgary

$253 11.2% 48.9% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Port Alberni

$127 7.5%

Calgary

$135 6% 6.3% $8

Sport & Entertainment

Port Alberni

$67 4%

Calgary

$82 3.6% 22% $15

Getting Around

Port Alberni

$51 3%

Calgary

$112 5% 122% $61

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Port Alberni and $1,207 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays 2% 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: $63.0 in Port Alberni vs $69.0 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $301 vs $392 per month, with Port Alberni cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Port Alberni

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

15:02 3:02 PM

16:02 4:02 PM

1 h ahead of Port Alberni

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

17,743

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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Port Alberni Calgary 790 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Port Alberni
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

Port Alberni vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Port Alberni is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 33% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

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.

Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Port Alberni 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 Port Alberni – a meal for two runs $63.0 versus $69.0 in Calgary. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,693 per month in Port Alberni versus $2,255 in Calgary – a 33% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,693 in Port Alberni versus $2,255 in Calgary, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Port Alberni but tight or insufficient in Calgary. The gap between the two cities makes Port Alberni 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 Port Alberni gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.