Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saguenay and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Saguenay: $1,427 a month against $2,303 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Saguenay
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Saguenay Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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Saguenay

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,427

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,303

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,427 in Saguenay versus $2,303 in Calgary.

Saguenay $1,427
Calgary $2,303

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,280 in Saguenay versus $3,366 in Calgary.

Saguenay $2,280
Calgary $3,366

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,132 in Saguenay versus $4,428 in Calgary.

Saguenay $3,132
Calgary $4,428

Living in Saguenay costs roughly 38% less than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Saguenay 5% above, Calgary 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.39 CA$21.59

$17.55 CA$24.63

-12.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.46 CA$61.0

$70.4 CA$98.8

-38.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.53 CA$14.78

$10.69 CA$15.00

-1.50%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.38

$3.89 CA$5.46

-1.29%

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

$1.53 CA$2.15

$2.04 CA$2.86

-25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 CA$1.72

$1.88 CA$2.64

-34.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.45 CA$7.64

$4.90 CA$6.87

11.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.30 CA$7.43

$5.78 CA$8.11

-8.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 CA$3.00

$1.96 CA$2.75

9.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 CA$4.04

$2.74 CA$3.84

5.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.29 CA$6.03

$5.46 CA$7.67

-21.43%

Eggs

$2.79 CA$3.91

$3.69 CA$5.17

-24.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.63 CA$12.12

$11.24 CA$15.78

-23.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.17 CA$10.06

$11.54 CA$16.19

-37.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.63 CA$14.92

$18.38 CA$25.79

-42.17%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 CA$5.75

$4.90 CA$6.88

-16.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 CA$1.98

$1.42 CA$2.00

-0.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.87 CA$5.43

$4.21 CA$5.91

-8.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 CA$5.81

$4.02 CA$5.65

2.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.91 CA$4.08

$2.69 CA$3.78

8.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.80 CA$3.94

$2.66 CA$3.74

5.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.45 CA$3.44

$2.61 CA$3.67

-6.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 CA$1.06

$1.60 CA$2.24

-52.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.22 CA$17.15

$14.00 CA$19.65

-12.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.61 CA$16.29

$15.40 CA$21.61

-24.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.20 CA$4.48

$2.50 CA$3.50

28.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 CA$4.77

$3.09 CA$4.34

10.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.66

$2.93 CA$4.11

-10.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.5 CA$79.3

$89.3 CA$125

-36.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 CA$4.13

$3.27 CA$4.59

-9.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 CA$2.01

$1.35 CA$1.89

5.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.38 CA$39.83

$27.39 CA$38.43

3.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.70

$1.17 CA$1.65

3.42%

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

$27.8K CA$39.1K

$27.9K CA$39.2K

-0.36%

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

$19.6K CA$27.5K

$21.0K CA$29.5K

-6.76%

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

$64.4 CA$90.4

$167 CA$234

-61.36%

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

$32.29 CA$45.31

$38.27 CA$53.7

-15.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.01 CA$63.2

$50.9 CA$71.5

-11.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.03 CA$35.12

$51.0 CA$71.5

-50.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.54 CA$27.42

$18.17 CA$25.50

7.54%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 CA$13.37

$14.44 CA$20.27

-34.07%

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

$702 CA$985

$545 CA$766

28.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,123 CA$12.8K

$16.2K CA$22.7K

-43.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 CA$78.9

$58.9 CA$82.6

-4.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.19 CA$50.8

$39.75 CA$55.8

-8.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.9 CA$118

$93.4 CA$131

-10.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 CA$151

$110 CA$154

-2.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 CA$868

$1,254 CA$1,760

-50.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 CA$660

$1,056 CA$1,483

-55.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 CA$1,671

$2,022 CA$2,838

-41.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$970 CA$1,361

$1,629 CA$2,286

-40.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,670 CA$7,957

$3,600 CA$5,053

57.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,522 CA$4,943

$3,243 CA$4,551

8.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,554 CA$3,584

$3,115 CA$4,372

-18.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.44

4.51

-1.55%

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

Last update for Saguenay: October 27, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Saguenay

$470 33%

Calgary

$1.1K 45.9% 125% $586

Groceries & Markets

Saguenay

$317 22.2%

Calgary

$393 17.1% 24.1% $76

Eating Out

Saguenay

$250 17.5%

Calgary

$271 11.8% 8.5% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saguenay

$142 9.9%

Calgary

$256 11.1% 80.6% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Saguenay

$128 9%

Calgary

$136 5.9% 6.4% $8.1

Getting Around

Saguenay

$77 5.4%

Calgary

$111 4.8% 44.1% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Saguenay

$44 3.1%

Calgary

$80 3.5% 81.1% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $618 in Saguenay and $1,254 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays 22% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $43 in Saguenay vs $70 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $317 vs $393 per month, with Saguenay cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Saguenay

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

13:43 1:43 PM

11:43 11:43 AM

2 h behind Saguenay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

144,723

1,267,344

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Saguenay Calgary 3,060 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Saguenay
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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

Saguenay vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saguenay is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. The 61% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 18% lower in Saguenay. 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: $618 in Saguenay versus $1,254 in Calgary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Saguenay – a meal for two runs $43 versus $70 in Calgary. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,427 per month in Saguenay versus $2,303 in Calgary – a 61% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,427 in Saguenay versus $2,303 in Calgary, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Saguenay but tight or insufficient in Calgary. The gap between the two cities makes Saguenay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Expats usually find Saguenay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.