Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Thompson and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Thompson: $1,804 a month against $2,255 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Thompson
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Thompson Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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Thompson

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,804

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,255

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,804 in Thompson versus $2,255 in Calgary.

Thompson $1,804
Calgary $2,255

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,733 in Thompson versus $3,361 in Calgary.

Thompson $2,733
Calgary $3,361

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,661 in Thompson versus $4,468 in Calgary.

Thompson $3,661
Calgary $4,468

Living in Thompson costs roughly 20% less than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Thompson 33% above, Calgary 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.00 CA$25.44

$17.58 CA$24.85

2.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.7 CA$92.8

$69.1 CA$97.6

-4.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.50 CA$14.84

$10.59 CA$14.97

-0.85%

Cappuccino

$3.66 CA$5.17

$3.84 CA$5.42

-4.69%

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

$2.02 CA$2.85

$1.93 CA$2.72

4.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 CA$2.26

$1.88 CA$2.66

-14.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.32 CA$7.53

$5.09 CA$7.20

4.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 CA$8.16

$5.64 CA$7.97

2.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 CA$3.06

$2.00 CA$2.82

8.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.50 CA$3.54

$2.78 CA$3.93

-10.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.24 CA$4.58

$5.59 CA$7.90

-42.04%

Eggs

$3.45 CA$4.87

$3.70 CA$5.23

-6.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.01 CA$14.15

$11.48 CA$16.23

-12.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.42 CA$16.15

$11.20 CA$15.84

1.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.17 CA$21.45

$18.59 CA$26.28

-18.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.79 CA$5.36

$4.70 CA$6.64

-19.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.12 CA$1.59

$1.45 CA$2.05

-22.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 CA$5.65

$4.34 CA$6.13

-7.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.89 CA$5.50

$3.79 CA$5.36

2.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 CA$3.44

$2.69 CA$3.81

-9.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 CA$3.08

$2.75 CA$3.88

-20.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.45 CA$3.46

$2.56 CA$3.62

-4.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 CA$2.30

$1.50 CA$2.12

8.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.01 CA$19.81

$14.39 CA$20.34

-2.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.52 CA$17.70

$15.81 CA$22.35

-20.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 CA$3.81

$2.47 CA$3.49

8.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 CA$4.33

$3.10 CA$4.39

-1.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 CA$2.91

$2.81 CA$3.97

-26.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.4 CA$99.5

$90.6 CA$128

-22.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 CA$4.16

$3.28 CA$4.64

-10.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 CA$1.79

$1.40 CA$1.97

-9.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.59 CA$33.35

$26.49 CA$37.45

-10.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 CA$1.63

$1.22 CA$1.72

-5.74%

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

$27.4K CA$38.7K

$28.4K CA$40.1K

-3.49%

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

$23.0K CA$32.4K

$20.8K CA$29.5K

10.18%

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

$139 CA$196

$165 CA$233

-15.71%

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

$39.15 CA$55.4

$38.24 CA$54.1

2.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.4 CA$76.9

$50.1 CA$70.9

8.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.84 CA$57.7

$53.8 CA$76.1

-24.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 CA$26.19

$18.04 CA$25.51

2.72%

Cinema Ticket

$11.26 CA$15.91

$14.04 CA$19.84

-19.80%

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

$619 CA$875

$797 CA$1,126

-22.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K CA$21.1K

$15.8K CA$22.3K

-5.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 CA$75.7

$59.1 CA$83.5

-9.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.57 CA$54.5

$40.20 CA$56.8

-4.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.1 CA$123

$90.8 CA$128

-4.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 CA$144

$109 CA$155

-6.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 CA$959

$1,207 CA$1,707

-43.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$669 CA$946

$1,011 CA$1,429

-33.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,129 CA$1,596

$1,949 CA$2,756

-42.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,097 CA$1,551

$1,677 CA$2,371

-34.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,047 CA$5,721

$3,532 CA$4,993

14.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,185 CA$4,502

$3,392 CA$4,795

-6.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,554 CA$2,197

$3,152 CA$4,456

-50.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.67

4.51

3.55%

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

Last update for Thompson: October 19, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Thompson

$669 37.1%

Calgary

$1K 44.8% 51.1% $342

Groceries & Markets

Thompson

$353 19.6%

Calgary

$392 17.4% 11% $39

Eating Out

Thompson

$272 15.1%

Calgary

$270 12% 0.6% $1.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Thompson

$232 12.9%

Calgary

$253 11.2% 8.9% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Thompson

$127 7%

Calgary

$135 6% 6.5% $8.2

Getting Around

Thompson

$88 4.9%

Calgary

$112 5% 27.5% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Thompson

$63 3.5%

Calgary

$82 3.6% 29.2% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $678 in Thompson and $1,207 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays 103% 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: $66.0 in Thompson vs $69.0 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $353 vs $392 per month, with Thompson cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Thompson

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

08:27 8:27 AM

07:27 7:27 AM

1 h behind Thompson

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,829

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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Between locations

Thompson Calgary 1,190 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Thompson
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

Thompson vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thompson is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 103% 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: $678 in Thompson versus $1,207 in Calgary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Thompson – a meal for two runs $66.0 versus $69.0 in Calgary. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,804 per month in Thompson versus $2,255 in Calgary – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,804 in Thompson versus $2,255 in Calgary, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Thompson but tight or insufficient in Calgary. The gap between the two cities makes Thompson 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 Thompson gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.