Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador: $2,128 a month against $2,303 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Calgary outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

102

Cost of Living Index in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
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St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,128

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,303

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,128 in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador versus $2,303 in Calgary.

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador $2,128
Calgary $2,303

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,149 in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador versus $3,366 in Calgary.

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador $3,149
Calgary $3,366

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,170 in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador versus $4,428 in Calgary.

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador $4,170
Calgary $4,428

Living in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador costs roughly 8% less than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador 56% above, Calgary 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.60 CA$24.70

$17.55 CA$24.63

0.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.0 CA$101

$70.4 CA$98.8

2.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.73 CA$16.46

$10.69 CA$15.00

9.73%

Cappuccino

$4.03 CA$5.66

$3.89 CA$5.46

3.60%

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

$2.59 CA$3.63

$2.04 CA$2.86

26.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 CA$3.09

$1.88 CA$2.64

17.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.87 CA$6.84

$4.90 CA$6.87

-0.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.43 CA$7.62

$5.78 CA$8.11

-6.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.77 CA$3.89

$1.96 CA$2.75

41.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 CA$4.31

$2.74 CA$3.84

12.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.28 CA$6.01

$5.46 CA$7.67

-21.61%

Eggs

$3.87 CA$5.44

$3.69 CA$5.17

4.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.53 CA$16.18

$11.24 CA$15.78

2.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.32 CA$18.70

$11.54 CA$16.19

15.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.81 CA$16.58

$18.38 CA$25.79

-35.75%

Apples (1kg)

$4.85 CA$6.81

$4.90 CA$6.88

-1.02%

Banana (1kg)

$3.09 CA$4.34

$1.42 CA$2.00

117.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 CA$6.73

$4.21 CA$5.91

14.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.08 CA$4.32

$4.02 CA$5.65

-23.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.65 CA$3.71

$2.69 CA$3.78

-1.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 CA$3.24

$2.66 CA$3.74

-13.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.86 CA$4.01

$2.61 CA$3.67

9.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 CA$2.83

$1.60 CA$2.24

26.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.80 CA$19.37

$14.00 CA$19.65

-1.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 CA$22.59

$15.40 CA$21.61

4.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 CA$5.89

$2.50 CA$3.50

67.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 CA$6.08

$3.09 CA$4.34

40.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.83 CA$2.57

$2.93 CA$4.11

-37.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.7 CA$78.1

$89.3 CA$125

-37.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 CA$4.52

$3.27 CA$4.59

-1.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 CA$2.45

$1.35 CA$1.89

29.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.39 CA$39.84

$27.39 CA$38.43

3.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 CA$1.95

$1.17 CA$1.65

18.80%

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

$28.6K CA$40.2K

$27.9K CA$39.2K

2.53%

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

$23.8K CA$33.5K

$21.0K CA$29.5K

13.37%

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

$182 CA$256

$167 CA$234

9.24%

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

$41.72 CA$58.6

$38.27 CA$53.7

9.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.6 CA$107

$50.9 CA$71.5

50.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.1 CA$95.6

$51.0 CA$71.5

33.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 CA$26.86

$18.17 CA$25.50

5.34%

Cinema Ticket

$10.63 CA$14.92

$14.44 CA$20.27

-26.39%

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

$535 CA$751

$545 CA$766

-1.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,862 CA$13.8K

$16.2K CA$22.7K

-39.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.9 CA$93.9

$58.9 CA$82.6

13.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.5 CA$72.2

$39.75 CA$55.8

29.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.7 CA$115

$93.4 CA$131

-12.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.2 CA$135

$110 CA$154

-12.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,041 CA$1,462

$1,254 CA$1,760

-16.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$836 CA$1,173

$1,056 CA$1,483

-20.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,540 CA$2,161

$2,022 CA$2,838

-23.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,322 CA$1,855

$1,629 CA$2,286

-18.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,435 CA$3,417

$3,600 CA$5,053

-32.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,776 CA$2,492

$3,243 CA$4,551

-45.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,823 CA$3,962

$3,115 CA$4,372

-9.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.57

4.51

1.33%

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

Last update for St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador: 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

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$836 39.3%

Calgary

$1.1K 45.9% 26.4% $221

Groceries & Markets

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$415 19.5%

Calgary

$393 17.1% 5.4% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$300 14.1%

Calgary

$256 11.1% 14.8% $45

Eating Out

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$279 13.1%

Calgary

$271 11.8% 2.8% $7.9

Clothing & Footwear

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$133 6.3%

Calgary

$136 5.9% 1.9% $2.6

Sport & Entertainment

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$89 4.2%

Calgary

$80 3.5% 10.7% $9.6

Getting Around

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$75 3.5%

Calgary

$111 4.8% 48.1% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,041 in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador and $1,254 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays 10% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $72 in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador vs $70 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $415 vs $393 per month, with Calgary cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

19:41 7:41 PM

16:11 4:11 PM

3 h 30 min behind St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,525

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

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador Calgary 4,330 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
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

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador is about 8% cheaper overall, especially in transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 9% lower in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. 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: $1,041 in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador 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 Calgary – a meal for two runs $70 versus $72 in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,128 per month in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador versus $2,303 in Calgary – St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador is about 8% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

It comes down to priorities – St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador wins on affordability, Calgary on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.