Cost of Living Comparison Between St. Thomas and Calgary Cost of Living Comparison Between St. Thomas and Calgary

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,344 in St. Thomas versus $2,353 in Calgary.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,407 in St. Thomas versus $3,488 in Calgary.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,471 in St. Thomas versus $4,622 in Calgary.

Monthly costs are close between St. Thomas and Calgary; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: St. Thomas 71% above, Calgary 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.89 CA$30.19

$17.94 CA$24.74

22.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.2 CA$88.6

$70.5 CA$97.3

-8.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 CA$15.71

$10.69 CA$14.74

6.55%

Cappuccino

$3.39 CA$4.68

$3.79 CA$5.22

-10.55%

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

$2.22 CA$3.06

$2.00 CA$2.76

11.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 CA$2.15

$1.98 CA$2.72

-21.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.13 CA$7.07

$5.19 CA$7.16

-1.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.18 CA$8.53

$5.86 CA$8.08

5.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 CA$3.01

$1.95 CA$2.69

11.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 CA$3.67

$2.82 CA$3.89

-5.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.86 CA$5.32

$5.61 CA$7.74

-31.19%

Eggs

$3.30 CA$4.55

$3.75 CA$5.17

-12.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.52 CA$13.13

$11.50 CA$15.86

-17.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.10 CA$22.20

$11.46 CA$15.81

40.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.55 CA$26.96

$18.95 CA$26.14

3.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.92 CA$5.41

$4.83 CA$6.66

-18.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 CA$1.83

$1.37 CA$1.89

-2.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.68 CA$5.08

$4.25 CA$5.86

-13.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.00 CA$5.52

$4.15 CA$5.72

-3.61%

Potato (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.68

$2.70 CA$3.73

25.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 CA$4.05

$2.83 CA$3.90

3.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.98 CA$4.11

$2.64 CA$3.64

12.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 CA$2.16

$1.51 CA$2.08

3.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.06 CA$15.25

$14.60 CA$20.14

-24.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.58 CA$17.35

$15.76 CA$21.73

-20.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 CA$3.46

$2.60 CA$3.58

-3.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 CA$3.92

$3.08 CA$4.25

-7.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.50 CA$3.45

$2.93 CA$4.04

-14.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.3 CA$98.4

$89.3 CA$123

-20.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.49 CA$3.43

$3.32 CA$4.58

-25.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 CA$2.36

$1.43 CA$1.97

19.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.91 CA$31.59

$27.71 CA$38.21

-17.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 CA$1.58

$1.26 CA$1.74

-8.73%

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

$28.1K CA$38.7K

$28.9K CA$39.9K

-2.98%

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

$20.8K CA$28.7K

$21.3K CA$29.4K

-2.45%

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

$125 CA$173

$183 CA$252

-31.61%

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

$44.17 CA$60.9

$38.31 CA$52.8

15.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.4 CA$77.8

$51.7 CA$71.3

9.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.00 CA$49.65

$54.9 CA$75.7

-34.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.70 CA$25.78

$18.66 CA$25.73

0.21%

Cinema Ticket

$10.95 CA$15.10

$14.26 CA$19.66

-23.21%

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

$424 CA$585

$828 CA$1,142

-48.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K CA$24.1K

$15.9K CA$21.9K

10.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 CA$73.8

$59.6 CA$82.1

-10.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.33 CA$51.5

$39.47 CA$54.4

-5.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.5 CA$114

$94.3 CA$130

-12.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.2 CA$126

$113 CA$156

-19.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 CA$1,637

$1,265 CA$1,744

-6.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,084 CA$1,494

$1,051 CA$1,450

3.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 CA$2,785

$1,934 CA$2,667

4.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,980 CA$2,731

$1,700 CA$2,344

16.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,287 CA$5,912

$3,680 CA$5,075

16.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,655 CA$5,041

$3,333 CA$4,597

9.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,073 CA$4,237

$3,276 CA$4,518

-6.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.99

4.4

13.41%

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

Last update for St. Thomas: August 30, 2026

Last update for Calgary: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,187 in St. Thomas and $1,265 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays 7% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $64.0 in St. Thomas vs $71.0 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $397 vs $397 per month, with St. Thomas cheaper across the board.

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. Thomas vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, salaries run 7% lower in Calgary. 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: $1,187 in St. Thomas versus $1,265 in Calgary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $424 in St. Thomas versus $828 in Calgary. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in St. Thomas – a meal for two runs $64.0 versus $71.0 in Calgary. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,344 in St. Thomas versus $2,353 in Calgary, a $3,000 budget is realistic in St. Thomas but tight or insufficient in Calgary. The gap between the two cities makes St. Thomas 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.

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