Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Squamish, BC and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,303 a month against $2,633 in Squamish, BC, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Squamish, BC outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

128

Cost of Living Index in Squamish, BC
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Squamish, BC Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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Squamish, BC

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,633

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,303

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,633 in Squamish, BC versus $2,303 in Calgary.

Squamish, BC $2,633
Calgary $2,303

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,977 in Squamish, BC versus $3,366 in Calgary.

Squamish, BC $3,977
Calgary $3,366

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,322 in Squamish, BC versus $4,428 in Calgary.

Squamish, BC $5,322
Calgary $4,428

Living in Squamish, BC is roughly 14% more expensive than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Squamish, BC 93% above, Calgary 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.13 CA$22.54

$17.55 CA$24.52

-8.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.9 CA$71.1

$70.4 CA$98.4

-27.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 CA$14.47

$10.69 CA$14.94

-3.18%

Cappuccino

$3.87 CA$5.40

$3.89 CA$5.43

-0.51%

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

$1.83 CA$2.56

$2.04 CA$2.85

-10.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 CA$2.17

$1.88 CA$2.62

-17.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.76 CA$8.05

$4.90 CA$6.84

17.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 CA$8.06

$5.78 CA$8.08

-0.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 CA$2.41

$1.96 CA$2.74

-12.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 CA$3.01

$2.74 CA$3.83

-21.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.51 CA$4.91

$5.46 CA$7.63

-35.71%

Eggs

$3.13 CA$4.37

$3.69 CA$5.15

-15.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.63 CA$17.65

$11.24 CA$15.71

12.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.42 CA$21.55

$11.54 CA$16.12

33.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.49 CA$27.23

$18.38 CA$25.68

6.04%

Apples (1kg)

$5.33 CA$7.45

$4.90 CA$6.85

8.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 CA$1.65

$1.42 CA$1.99

-16.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.85 CA$6.77

$4.21 CA$5.88

15.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.69 CA$5.15

$4.02 CA$5.62

-8.21%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 CA$5.90

$2.69 CA$3.77

56.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 CA$3.57

$2.66 CA$3.72

-3.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CA$3.65

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 CA$2.54

$1.60 CA$2.23

13.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.69 CA$20.53

$14.00 CA$19.57

4.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.85 CA$15.16

$15.40 CA$21.52

-29.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 CA$4.04

$2.50 CA$3.49

15.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 CA$5.04

$3.09 CA$4.32

16.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.46 CA$2.04

$2.93 CA$4.09

-50.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.22 CA$43.62

$89.3 CA$125

-65.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.62 CA$5.05

$3.27 CA$4.57

10.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 CA$2.02

$1.35 CA$1.89

6.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.78 CA$34.63

$27.39 CA$38.27

-9.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 CA$1.67

$1.17 CA$1.64

2.56%

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

$26.6K CA$37.1K

$27.9K CA$39.0K

-4.94%

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

$19.0K CA$26.5K

$21.0K CA$29.4K

-9.81%

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

$116 CA$162

$167 CA$233

-30.48%

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

$44.40 CA$62.0

$38.27 CA$53.5

16.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.0 CA$89.5

$50.9 CA$71.2

25.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 CA$71.9

$51.0 CA$71.2

1.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.17 CA$25.39

Cinema Ticket

$11.29 CA$15.77

$14.44 CA$20.18

-21.81%

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

$1,088 CA$1,521

$545 CA$762

99.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,575 CA$12.0K

$16.2K CA$22.7K

-47.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 CA$73.0

$58.9 CA$82.3

-11.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.74 CA$59.7

$39.75 CA$55.6

7.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.4 CA$111

$93.4 CA$130

-14.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.4 CA$139

$110 CA$154

-9.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,639 CA$2,291

$1,254 CA$1,752

30.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,499 CA$2,095

$1,056 CA$1,476

41.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,153 CA$4,406

$2,022 CA$2,826

55.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,821 CA$3,941

$1,629 CA$2,276

73.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,834 CA$8,153

$3,600 CA$5,031

62.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,243 CA$4,531

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,121 CA$4,360

$3,115 CA$4,353

0.17%

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 Squamish, BC: October 26, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Squamish, BC

$1.5K 56.9%

Calgary

$1.1K 45.9% 29.5% $443

Groceries & Markets

Squamish, BC

$404 15.3%

Calgary

$393 17.1% 2.8% $11

Eating Out

Squamish, BC

$260 9.9%

Calgary

$271 11.8% 4% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Squamish, BC

$224 8.5%

Calgary

$256 11.1% 14.1% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Squamish, BC

$123 4.7%

Calgary

$136 5.9% 10.3% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Squamish, BC

$74 2.8%

Calgary

$80 3.5% 7.8% $5.8

Getting Around

Squamish, BC

$48 1.8%

Calgary

$111 4.8% 132% $63

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,639 in Squamish, BC and $1,254 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $51 in Squamish, BC vs $70 in Calgary. Groceries flip the comparison at $404 vs $393, with Calgary cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Squamish, BC

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

13:22 1:22 PM

14:22 2:22 PM

1 h ahead of Squamish, BC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,512

1,267,344

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Squamish, BC Calgary 660 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Squamish, BC vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary is about 13% cheaper overall, especially in utilities and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $3,949 in Squamish, BC and $3,454 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: $1,639 in Squamish, BC 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 Squamish, BC – a meal for two runs $51 versus $70 in Calgary. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,633 per month in Squamish, BC versus $2,303 in Calgary – Calgary is about 13% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

For families, Calgary is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Squamish, BC, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.