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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,848 per month in Reading vs $2,173 in Edmonton, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,199 per month in Reading vs $3,239 in Edmonton, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,549 per month in Reading vs $4,304 in Edmonton, rent included.

Reading costs about 31% more than Edmonton, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Reading and Edmonton sit above the global median – Reading by 107%, Edmonton by 58%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.99 £19.96

$18.07 CA$25.00

49.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.6 £71.5

$78.0 CA$108

23.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 £7.86

$10.23 CA$14.16

3.91%

Cappuccino

$4.95 £3.66

$3.89 CA$5.38

27.25%

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

$3.00 £2.22

$2.33 CA$3.22

28.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 £2.07

$1.97 CA$2.73

42.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.56 £6.33

$5.87 CA$8.12

45.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.96 £5.15

$6.57 CA$9.09

5.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 £1.08

$1.66 CA$2.30

-12.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 £1.31

$2.23 CA$3.08

-20.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.04 £2.25

$2.96 CA$4.09

2.70%

Eggs

$3.67 £2.72

$3.60 CA$4.98

1.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.35 £8.40

$11.13 CA$15.40

1.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.85 £6.55

$11.39 CA$15.75

-22.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.00 £9.61

$18.61 CA$25.74

-30.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 £2.26

$4.44 CA$6.15

-31.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 £1.15

$1.37 CA$1.90

13.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.88 £2.13

$4.27 CA$5.91

-32.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.21 £2.37

$4.07 CA$5.63

-21.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 £1.16

$2.24 CA$3.10

-30.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 £1.07

$1.97 CA$2.73

-26.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 £0.70

$2.45 CA$3.39

-61.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 £1.12

$1.84 CA$2.54

-17.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.08 £17.81

$14.71 CA$20.35

63.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.63 £10.08

$11.61 CA$16.07

17.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 £1.70

$3.51 CA$4.86

-34.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 £2.39

$2.91 CA$4.03

10.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.54 £2.62

$2.76 CA$3.82

28.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.2 £63.7

$73.6 CA$102

17.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.65 £4.92

$2.92 CA$4.05

127.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.71 £3.49

$1.40 CA$1.94

236.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.32 £9.86

$21.29 CA$29.46

-37.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 £1.45

$1.18 CA$1.64

66.10%

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

$39.8K £29.4K

$29.0K CA$40.1K

37.42%

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

$40.7K £30.1K

$20.3K CA$28.1K

100.57%

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

$285 £211

$229 CA$317

24.63%

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

$21.29 £15.75

$40.12 CA$55.5

-46.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.93 £35.46

$55.9 CA$77.4

-14.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.3 £43.90

$47.17 CA$65.3

25.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.34 £15.79

$18.45 CA$25.53

15.66%

Cinema Ticket

$13.70 £10.14

$12.93 CA$17.89

5.96%

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

$1,777 £1,315

$782 CA$1,082

127.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K £22.4K

$9,665 CA$13.4K

212.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.7 £56.8

$45.40 CA$62.8

68.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.2 £52.0

$46.92 CA$64.9

49.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 £85.1

$84.2 CA$117

36.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 £77.0

$97.2 CA$134

7.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,765 £1,305

$1,126 CA$1,558

56.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,420 £1,050

$919 CA$1,271

54.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,906 £2,150

$1,733 CA$2,397

67.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,342 £1,732

$1,437 CA$1,989

62.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,109 £5,259

$2,294 CA$3,174

209.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,840 £4,321

$2,128 CA$2,945

174.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,502 £2,591

$3,730 CA$5,161

-6.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.32

15.74%

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

Last update for Reading: August 31, 2026

Last update for Edmonton: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,765 in Reading versus $1,126 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 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 $97.0 in Reading versus $78.0 in Edmonton. Groceries tell a different story – $303 in Reading vs $368 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: $2,848 in Reading, $2,173 in Edmonton – roughly 31% apart. Reading costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,272 per month in Reading and $3,259 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 $2,848 in Reading and $2,173 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 $2,173, than in Reading at $2,848. 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 $2,173 in Edmonton to $2,848 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.