Cost of Living Comparison Between Richmond Hill and Calgary Cost of Living Comparison Between Richmond Hill and Calgary

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,028 in Richmond Hill versus $2,433 in Calgary.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,193 in Richmond Hill versus $3,642 in Calgary.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,358 in Richmond Hill versus $4,850 in Calgary.

Living in Richmond Hill is roughly 24% more expensive than Calgary, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Richmond Hill 125% above, Calgary 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.33 CA$25.11

$18.20 CA$24.93

0.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.5 CA$113

$70.0 CA$95.9

17.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.94 CA$12.25

$11.01 CA$15.09

-18.80%

Cappuccino

$3.25 CA$4.45

$3.73 CA$5.11

-12.87%

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

$2.08 CA$2.85

$1.98 CA$2.71

5.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 CA$2.02

$1.65 CA$2.26

-10.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.75 CA$7.87

$5.27 CA$7.22

9.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.34 CA$10.05

$6.65 CA$9.11

10.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.16

$2.15 CA$2.94

7.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 CA$3.53

$2.68 CA$3.67

-3.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 CA$2.99

$3.40 CA$4.66

-35.59%

Eggs

$3.79 CA$5.19

$3.28 CA$4.49

15.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.77 CA$18.86

$14.65 CA$20.07

-6.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.31 CA$15.49

$12.61 CA$17.28

-10.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.75 CA$20.20

$16.13 CA$22.10

-8.56%

Apples (1kg)

$4.56 CA$6.25

$4.46 CA$6.11

2.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 CA$1.75

$1.34 CA$1.84

-5.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.97 CA$4.07

$3.73 CA$5.11

-20.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.56 CA$4.88

$4.29 CA$5.88

-17.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.49 CA$3.41

$2.67 CA$3.65

-6.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 CA$2.96

$2.61 CA$3.57

-17.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.89 CA$2.59

$2.74 CA$3.76

-31.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 CA$1.20

$1.90 CA$2.60

-53.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.98 CA$16.41

$14.98 CA$20.52

-20.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.12 CA$17.97

$14.30 CA$19.59

-8.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 CA$2.72

$2.90 CA$3.97

-31.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 CA$3.27

$3.97 CA$5.44

-39.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.75 CA$3.76

$2.68 CA$3.67

2.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$114 CA$156

$87.9 CA$120

29.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 CA$4.39

$3.57 CA$4.88

-10.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 CA$1.52

$1.34 CA$1.84

-17.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.79 CA$29.85

$29.30 CA$40.15

-25.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 CA$1.58

$1.13 CA$1.55

1.77%

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

$24.6K CA$33.7K

$25.1K CA$34.4K

-2.19%

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

$20.1K CA$27.5K

$22.2K CA$30.4K

-9.52%

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

$179 CA$245

$218 CA$299

-17.96%

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

$42.14 CA$57.7

$41.44 CA$56.8

1.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.4 CA$79.9

$58.2 CA$79.7

0.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.99 CA$60.3

$53.7 CA$73.6

-18.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$52.4 CA$71.8

Cinema Ticket

$12.68 CA$17.37

$12.66 CA$17.34

0.16%

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

$422 CA$577

$885 CA$1,212

-52.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.4K CA$21.1K

$16.1K CA$22.0K

-4.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.67 CA$63.9

$58.1 CA$79.6

-19.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.89 CA$58.8

$48.22 CA$66.1

-11.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.7 CA$84.6

$88.4 CA$121

-30.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 CA$123

$106 CA$146

-15.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,786 CA$2,447

$1,396 CA$1,913

27.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,826 CA$2,501

$1,186 CA$1,625

53.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,072 CA$4,208

$2,293 CA$3,142

33.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,553 CA$3,498

$1,859 CA$2,547

37.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,681 CA$9,153

$3,779 CA$5,178

76.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,493 CA$7,525

$3,509 CA$4,808

56.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,052 CA$4,181

$3,117 CA$4,271

-2.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

5.71

15.41%

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

Last update for Richmond Hill: April 12, 2026

Last update for Calgary: April 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,786 in Richmond Hill and $1,396 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $82 in Richmond Hill vs $70 in Calgary. Groceries flip the comparison at $346 vs $395, with Richmond Hill cheaper for home cooking.

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

Richmond Hill vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 24% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Calgary earns 2% less. 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: $1,786 in Richmond Hill versus $1,396 in Calgary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Calgary – a meal for two runs $70.0 versus $82.0 in Richmond Hill. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,028 per month in Richmond Hill versus $2,433 in Calgary – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,433 in Calgary versus $3,028 in Richmond Hill, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Richmond Hill. The gap between the two cities makes Calgary 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 Calgary gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Richmond Hill. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.