Cost of Living Comparison Between Reading and Edmonton Cost of Living Comparison Between Reading and Edmonton

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,740 per month in Reading vs $2,186 in Edmonton, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,046 per month in Reading vs $3,285 in Edmonton, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,352 per month in Reading vs $4,385 in Edmonton, rent included.

Reading costs about 25% more than Edmonton, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Reading and Edmonton sit above the global median – Reading by 105%, Edmonton by 64%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.64 £20.58

$18.61 CA$26.19

48.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.7 £72.0

$65.9 CA$92.7

46.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.07 £7.50

$11.58 CA$16.29

-13.04%

Cappuccino

$4.72 £3.51

$3.69 CA$5.19

27.91%

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

$3.34 £2.49

$2.18 CA$3.07

53.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 £2.14

$1.78 CA$2.50

61.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.33 £6.20

$5.76 CA$8.10

44.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.61 £4.92

$5.83 CA$8.20

13.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 £1.05

$2.03 CA$2.86

-30.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 £1.02

$2.90 CA$4.08

-52.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.70 £2.01

$3.10 CA$4.36

-12.90%

Eggs

$3.71 £2.77

$3.72 CA$5.23

-0.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.13 £7.54

$12.23 CA$17.20

-17.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.94 £5.91

$12.63 CA$17.78

-37.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.09 £9.75

$16.01 CA$22.52

-18.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 £2.19

$4.65 CA$6.55

-36.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 £1.17

$1.33 CA$1.87

18.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 £2.16

$3.94 CA$5.55

-26.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.28 £2.44

$3.62 CA$5.10

-9.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 £1.11

$2.46 CA$3.46

-39.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 £1.02

$2.21 CA$3.11

-38.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 £0.71

$2.72 CA$3.82

-65.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 £1.12

$1.95 CA$2.74

-23.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.58 £15.32

$14.97 CA$21.06

37.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.61 £10.13

$12.15 CA$17.09

12.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 £1.68

$2.94 CA$4.14

-23.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 £2.46

$3.29 CA$4.63

0.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.65 £1.97

$2.51 CA$3.53

5.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.2 £64.9

$74.5 CA$105

17.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 £4.46

$3.26 CA$4.59

83.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 £1.32

$1.65 CA$2.32

7.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.15 £11.28

$23.15 CA$32.57

-34.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 £1.44

$1.06 CA$1.49

83.02%

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

$39.0K £29.1K

$25.9K CA$36.4K

50.79%

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

$42.3K £31.5K

$21.9K CA$30.9K

92.99%

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

$225 £168

$199 CA$279

13.44%

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

$19.29 £14.36

$44.38 CA$62.5

-56.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.31 £32.99

$66.2 CA$93.1

-33.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.63 £36.20

$48.71 CA$68.5

-0.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.58 £14.58

$21.30 CA$29.97

-8.08%

Cinema Ticket

$13.67 £10.18

$13.02 CA$18.33

4.99%

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

$1,889 £1,406

$701 CA$986

169.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.1K £19.4K

$11.8K CA$16.6K

120.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.9 £62.5

$50.3 CA$70.8

66.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.79 £37.07

$41.94 CA$59.0

18.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 £82.2

$83.5 CA$117

32.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.1 £73.8

$104 CA$146

-4.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,803 £1,342

$1,251 CA$1,761

44.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 £1,035

$931 CA$1,310

49.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,013 £2,243

$1,933 CA$2,721

55.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,343 £1,744

$1,587 CA$2,233

47.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,983 £5,199

$2,303 CA$3,240

203.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,558 £4,138

$2,110 CA$2,969

163.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,531 £2,629

$3,313 CA$4,661

6.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.53

6.08

-9.05%

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

Last update for Reading: July 13, 2026

Last update for Edmonton: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,803 in Reading versus $1,251 in Edmonton. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 7% higher in Reading, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $97.0 in Reading versus $66.0 in Edmonton. Groceries tell a different story – $289 in Reading vs $381 in Edmonton – so Reading wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Reading vs Edmonton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,740 in Reading, $2,186 in Edmonton – roughly 25% apart. Reading costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,110 per month in Reading and $3,278 in Edmonton. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Edmonton, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,740 in Reading and $2,186 in Edmonton. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 17% less in Edmonton. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Edmonton, where all-in costs run around $2,186, than in Reading at $2,740. In Edmonton it covers expenses comfortably, while in Reading it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Reading has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,186 in Edmonton to $2,740 in Reading. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Edmonton. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Reading makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.