Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reading and Edmonton

For one person, living is cheaper in Edmonton: $2,181 a month against $2,799 in Reading, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Reading
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,799
/mo nomad
Edmonton
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,181
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Reading and in Edmonton

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Reading and in Edmonton actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,799 per month in Reading vs $2,181 in Edmonton, rent included.

  • Reading $2,799
  • Edmonton $2,181

A couple spends around $4,080 per month in Reading vs $3,217 in Edmonton, rent included.

  • Reading $4,080
  • Edmonton $3,217

A family of three spends $5,362 per month in Reading vs $4,252 in Edmonton, rent included.

  • Reading $5,362
  • Edmonton $4,252

Reading costs about 28% more than Edmonton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Reading and Edmonton sit above the global median – Reading by 107%, Edmonton by 61%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Reading
Edmonton
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$26.69 £20.02
$20.22 CA$28.58
32.00%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$94.0 £70.5
$76.4 CA$108
22.91%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.14 £7.60
$9.87 CA$13.96
2.74%
Cappuccino
$4.80 £3.60
$3.96 CA$5.60
21.21%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 £2.23
$2.27 CA$3.22
30.84%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.64 £1.98
$2.06 CA$2.91
28.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.77 £6.58
$5.86 CA$8.28
49.66%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.48 £4.86
$6.48 CA$9.16
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Reading
Edmonton
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 £1.06
$1.62 CA$2.29
-12.96%
White Bread (500g)
$1.74 £1.31
$2.12 CA$3.00
-17.92%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.91 £2.18
$3.06 CA$4.32
-4.90%
Eggs
$3.74 £2.81
$3.43 CA$4.85
9.04%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.41 £8.56
$10.74 CA$15.18
6.24%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.66 £6.49
$11.21 CA$15.85
-22.75%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.56 £9.42
$18.92 CA$26.75
-33.62%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 £2.20
$4.15 CA$5.86
-29.40%
Banana (1kg)
$1.53 £1.15
$1.35 CA$1.90
13.33%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.84 £2.13
$4.37 CA$6.18
-35.01%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.29 £2.47
$3.92 CA$5.54
-16.07%
Potato (1kg)
$1.53 £1.15
$2.18 CA$3.09
-29.82%
Onion (1kg)
$1.36 £1.02
$1.84 CA$2.60
-26.09%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.93 £0.70
$2.42 CA$3.43
-61.57%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.47 £1.10
$1.82 CA$2.57
-19.23%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.46 £17.60
$14.23 CA$20.12
64.86%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.88 £10.41
$11.33 CA$16.01
22.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.24 £1.68
$3.54 CA$5.00
-36.72%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.18 £2.39
$2.86 CA$4.05
11.19%
🚌 Getting Around
Reading
Edmonton
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.52 £2.64
$2.69 CA$3.80
30.86%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$84.1 £63.1
$71.4 CA$101
17.77%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.68 £5.01
$2.86 CA$4.04
133.57%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$4.55 £3.42
$1.40 CA$1.98
225.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$13.46 £10.10
$21.46 CA$30.34
-37.28%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.05 £1.54
$1.15 CA$1.63
78.26%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.0K £28.5K
$27.9K CA$39.4K
36.13%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.3K £30.2K
$20.5K CA$29.0K
96.60%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Reading
Edmonton
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$285 £214
$233 CA$330
22.03%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.65 £15.49
$43.26 CA$61.2
-52.27%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$46.43 £34.83
$55.0 CA$77.7
-15.55%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Reading
Edmonton
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.7 £43.29
$46.05 CA$65.1
25.30%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.85 £15.64
$18.11 CA$25.60
15.13%
Cinema Ticket
$13.35 £10.02
$12.46 CA$17.62
7.14%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Reading
Edmonton
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,780 £1,335
$757 CA$1,070
135.10%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$29.7K £22.3K
$9,641 CA$13.6K
207.77%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Reading
Edmonton
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$76.5 £57.4
$43.56 CA$61.6
75.62%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$69.2 £52.0
$47.08 CA$66.6
47.07%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$112 £84.2
$87.3 CA$123
28.62%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106 £79.5
$95.3 CA$135
11.22%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Reading
Edmonton
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,731 £1,299
$1,094 CA$1,546
58.28%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,392 £1,044
$903 CA$1,276
54.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,932 £2,199
$1,706 CA$2,412
71.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,247 £1,686
$1,437 CA$2,031
56.43%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,139 £5,355
$2,205 CA$3,117
223.77%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,648 £4,237
$1,983 CA$2,803
184.85%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Reading
Edmonton
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,440 £2,581
$3,499 CA$4,947
-1.69%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5
4.32
15.74%

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

Last update for Reading: October 17, 2026

Last update for Edmonton: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Reading
$1.4K
Edmonton
$903 35.1% $489
Eating Out
Reading
$381
Edmonton
$299 21.6% $82
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Reading
$352
Edmonton
$332 5.8% $20
Groceries & Markets
Reading
$299
Edmonton
$362 21.1% $63
Clothing & Footwear
Reading
$164
Edmonton
$123 24.9% $41
Getting Around
Reading
$128
Edmonton
$92 27.9% $36
Sport & Entertainment
Reading
$84
Edmonton
$71 15.9% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,731 in Reading versus $1,094 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 2% higher in Edmonton, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $94.0 in Reading versus $76.0 in Edmonton. Groceries tell a different story – $299 in Reading vs $362 in Edmonton – so Reading wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Reading
🇨🇦 Edmonton
🕒 Local time
18:44 6:44 PM
11:44 11:44 AM
7 h behind Reading
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
162,666
1,010,899
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Reading Edmonton 6,760 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Reading
  • Edmonton

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
Reading vs Edmonton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Reading and in Edmonton compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,799 in Reading, $2,181 in Edmonton – roughly 28% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Reading compared to Edmonton?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,198 per month in Reading and $3,271 in Edmonton. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Reading and Edmonton?
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.
Which city is more expensive overall: Reading or Edmonton?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,799 in Reading and $2,181 in Edmonton. That's a gap of about 28%.
How do commuting costs compare in Reading and in Edmonton?
Public transport costs about 18% less in Edmonton. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Edmonton, where all-in costs run around $2,181, than in Reading at $2,799. In Edmonton it covers expenses comfortably, while in Reading it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Reading and Edmonton?
It depends on your priorities. Reading has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,181 in Edmonton to $2,799 in Reading. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Reading or Edmonton safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Reading and Edmonton?
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.

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