Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saanich and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,303 a month against $2,592 in Saanich, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Saanich, Canada
Calgary, Canada
Saanich
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,592
/mo nomad
Calgary
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,303
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,592 in Saanich versus $2,303 in Calgary.

  • Saanich $2,592
  • Calgary $2,303

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,650 in Saanich versus $3,366 in Calgary.

  • Saanich $3,650
  • Calgary $3,366

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,707 in Saanich versus $4,428 in Calgary.

  • Saanich $4,707
  • Calgary $4,428

Living in Saanich is roughly 13% more expensive than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Saanich 90% above, Calgary 69% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Saanich
Calgary
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.77 CA$24.83
$17.55 CA$24.52
1.25%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$71.0 CA$99.2
$70.4 CA$98.3
0.84%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.26 CA$15.73
$10.69 CA$14.93
5.33%
Cappuccino
$4.25 CA$5.93
$3.89 CA$5.43
9.25%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.34 CA$3.27
$2.04 CA$2.85
14.71%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73 CA$2.42
$1.88 CA$2.62
-7.98%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.58 CA$7.80
$4.90 CA$6.84
13.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.59 CA$9.21
$5.78 CA$8.08
14.01%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Saanich
Calgary
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.93 CA$2.70
$1.96 CA$2.74
-1.53%
White Bread (500g)
$3.04 CA$4.24
$2.74 CA$3.83
10.95%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.12 CA$4.36
$5.46 CA$7.63
-42.86%
Eggs
$4.08 CA$5.70
$3.69 CA$5.15
10.57%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.36 CA$15.87
$11.24 CA$15.71
1.07%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.69 CA$17.74
$11.54 CA$16.12
9.97%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.34 CA$24.23
$18.38 CA$25.67
-5.66%
Apples (1kg)
$4.62 CA$6.46
$4.90 CA$6.85
-5.71%
Banana (1kg)
$1.44 CA$2.02
$1.42 CA$1.99
1.41%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.23 CA$5.91
$4.21 CA$5.88
0.48%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.78 CA$8.07
$4.02 CA$5.62
43.78%
Potato (1kg)
$3.45 CA$4.82
$2.69 CA$3.77
28.25%
Onion (1kg)
$2.89 CA$4.04
$2.66 CA$3.72
8.65%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.26 CA$4.56
$2.61 CA$3.65
24.90%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 CA$3.10
$1.60 CA$2.23
38.75%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.46 CA$20.20
$14.00 CA$19.56
3.29%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.63 CA$21.84
$15.40 CA$21.51
1.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.67 CA$3.73
$2.50 CA$3.49
6.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.64 CA$5.09
$3.09 CA$4.32
17.80%
🚌 Getting Around
Saanich
Calgary
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.29 CA$3.19
$2.93 CA$4.09
-21.84%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$80.0 CA$112
$89.3 CA$125
-10.43%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.83 CA$3.95
$3.27 CA$4.57
-13.46%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.57 CA$2.19
$1.35 CA$1.89
16.30%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$28.10 CA$39.26
$27.39 CA$38.26
2.59%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.39 CA$1.94
$1.17 CA$1.64
18.80%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.4K CA$39.7K
$27.9K CA$39.0K
1.75%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.0K CA$29.4K
$21.0K CA$29.4K
0.01%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Saanich
Calgary
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$119 CA$166
$167 CA$233
-28.67%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$41.27 CA$57.7
$38.27 CA$53.5
7.84%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$66.2 CA$92.5
$50.9 CA$71.2
29.94%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Saanich
Calgary
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$69.6 CA$97.2
$51.0 CA$71.2
36.58%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$18.17 CA$25.39
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.22 CA$15.67
$14.44 CA$20.18
-22.30%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Saanich
Calgary
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$877 CA$1,225
$545 CA$762
60.69%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.3K CA$18.6K
$16.2K CA$22.6K
-17.72%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Saanich
Calgary
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.3 CA$75.8
$58.9 CA$82.3
-7.85%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.53 CA$49.64
$39.75 CA$55.5
-10.62%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.4 CA$126
$93.4 CA$130
-3.21%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$107 CA$150
$110 CA$154
-2.42%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Saanich
Calgary
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,470 CA$2,053
$1,254 CA$1,752
17.18%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,347 CA$1,882
$1,056 CA$1,476
27.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,039 CA$2,848
$2,022 CA$2,825
0.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,890 CA$2,641
$1,629 CA$2,275
16.06%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$3,600 CA$5,030
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,819 CA$5,335
$3,243 CA$4,530
17.77%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Saanich
Calgary
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,903 CA$4,056
$3,115 CA$4,352
-6.80%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.72
4.51
4.66%

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

Last update for Saanich: October 24, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Saanich
$1.3K
Calgary
$1.1K 21.6% $290
Groceries & Markets
Saanich
$413
Calgary
$393 5% $21
Eating Out
Saanich
$284
Calgary
$271 4.7% $13
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Saanich
$226
Calgary
$256 13.1% $30
Clothing & Footwear
Saanich
$129
Calgary
$136 5% $6.5
Getting Around
Saanich
$100
Calgary
$111 11.3% $11
Sport & Entertainment
Saanich
$92
Calgary
$80 13.3% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,470 in Saanich and $1,254 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $71 in Saanich vs $70 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $413 vs $393 per month, with Calgary cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Saanich
🇨🇦 Calgary
🕒 Local time
05:12 5:12 AM
06:12 6:12 AM
1 h ahead of Saanich
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
117,735
1,267,344
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Saanich Calgary 730 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Saanich
  • 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
Saanich vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Calgary cheaper than Saanich?
Calgary is about 11% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Saanich or Calgary?
On paper, salaries run 7% lower in Saanich. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Saanich and Calgary?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,470 in Saanich versus $1,254 in Calgary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $877 in Saanich versus $545 in Calgary. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Saanich runs roughly 10% less than in Calgary. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Is Saanich or Calgary more family-friendly?
For families, Calgary is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Saanich, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Saanich vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?