Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Smithers and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,223 a month against $2,340 in Smithers, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Smithers outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

108

Cost of Living Index in Smithers
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Smithers Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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Smithers

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,340

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,340 in Smithers versus $2,223 in Calgary.

Smithers $2,340
Calgary $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,213 in Smithers versus $3,301 in Calgary.

Smithers $3,213
Calgary $3,301

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,086 in Smithers versus $4,379 in Calgary.

Smithers $4,086
Calgary $4,379

Living in Smithers is roughly 5% more expensive than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Smithers 73% above, Calgary 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.65 CA$24.95

$17.22 CA$24.34

2.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.1 CA$90.7

$71.1 CA$100

-9.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.80 CA$15.27

$10.53 CA$14.89

2.56%

Cappuccino

$3.57 CA$5.05

$3.66 CA$5.18

-2.46%

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

$1.97 CA$2.79

$1.98 CA$2.80

-0.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 CA$2.21

$1.94 CA$2.74

-19.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.40 CA$7.63

$4.95 CA$7.00

9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 CA$7.51

$5.57 CA$7.87

-4.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 CA$2.91

$1.88 CA$2.65

9.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 CA$3.57

$2.67 CA$3.78

-5.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 CA$4.72

$5.32 CA$7.52

-37.22%

Eggs

$3.36 CA$4.75

$3.79 CA$5.35

-11.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.57 CA$13.54

$11.09 CA$15.68

-13.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.02 CA$15.58

$11.36 CA$16.05

-2.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.76 CA$20.87

$18.40 CA$26.01

-19.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.77 CA$5.33

$4.56 CA$6.45

-17.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 CA$1.78

$1.44 CA$2.04

-12.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.56 CA$5.03

$4.08 CA$5.76

-12.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.73 CA$5.27

$3.89 CA$5.50

-4.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.41 CA$3.41

$2.64 CA$3.73

-8.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 CA$3.11

$2.64 CA$3.73

-16.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 CA$3.47

$2.50 CA$3.54

-1.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.20

$1.50 CA$2.12

3.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.79 CA$18.08

$14.05 CA$19.86

-8.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.64 CA$17.86

$15.70 CA$22.20

-19.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 CA$3.75

$2.44 CA$3.45

8.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 CA$3.77

$3.09 CA$4.37

-13.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 CA$3.26

$2.82 CA$3.99

-18.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 CA$92.0

$88.6 CA$125

-26.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 CA$4.15

$3.12 CA$4.41

-6.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 CA$1.73

$1.35 CA$1.91

-8.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.08 CA$28.38

$27.02 CA$38.20

-25.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 CA$1.61

$1.16 CA$1.64

-1.72%

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

$30.4K CA$43.0K

$27.9K CA$39.5K

8.88%

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

$20.1K CA$28.4K

$20.3K CA$28.8K

-1.14%

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

$119 CA$168

$161 CA$227

-26.13%

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

$36.58 CA$51.7

$38.13 CA$53.9

-4.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.68 CA$64.6

$50.0 CA$70.7

-8.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.18 CA$52.6

$51.5 CA$72.8

-27.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.51 CA$26.17

$18.14 CA$25.64

2.04%

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 CA$15.28

$13.82 CA$19.54

-21.78%

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

$642 CA$908

$786 CA$1,111

-18.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K CA$16.4K

$15.5K CA$21.8K

-24.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 CA$76.0

$58.3 CA$82.4

-7.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.56 CA$54.5

$39.27 CA$55.5

-1.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.7 CA$121

$89.8 CA$127

-4.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.8 CA$134

$110 CA$155

-13.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 CA$1,753

$1,229 CA$1,737

0.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,262 CA$1,784

$1,001 CA$1,415

26.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 CA$2,781

$1,921 CA$2,716

2.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,619 CA$2,288

$1,621 CA$2,292

-0.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,672 CA$5,192

$3,549 CA$5,018

3.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,113 CA$4,400

$3,335 CA$4,715

-6.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,165 CA$4,474

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.66

4.51

3.33%

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

Last update for Smithers: October 12, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Smithers

$1.3K 53.9%

Calgary

$1K 45% 20.6% $261

Groceries & Markets

Smithers

$344 14.7%

Calgary

$385 17.3% 12% $41

Eating Out

Smithers

$268 11.5%

Calgary

$265 11.9% 1.2% $3.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Smithers

$201 8.6%

Calgary

$249 11.2% 23.8% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Smithers

$123 5.3%

Calgary

$134 6% 8.9% $11

Getting Around

Smithers

$83 3.6%

Calgary

$110 4.9% 31.7% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Smithers

$59 2.5%

Calgary

$79 3.6% 34.6% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,240 in Smithers and $1,229 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $64.0 in Smithers vs $71.0 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $344 vs $385 per month, with Smithers cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Smithers

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

12:24 12:24 PM

13:24 1:24 PM

1 h ahead of Smithers

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,400

1,267,344

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Smithers Calgary 970 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Smithers
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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

Smithers vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in eating out. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,510 in Smithers and $3,335 in Calgary to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,240 in Smithers versus $1,229 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 $71.0 versus $64.0 in Smithers. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,340 per month in Smithers versus $2,223 in Calgary – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,223 in Calgary versus $2,340 in Smithers, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Smithers. 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 5% less than in Smithers. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.