Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,255 a month against $2,662 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Vancouver outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

129

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,662

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,255

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,662 in Vancouver versus $2,255 in Calgary.

Vancouver $2,662
Calgary $2,255

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,916 in Vancouver versus $3,361 in Calgary.

Vancouver $3,916
Calgary $3,361

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,170 in Vancouver versus $4,468 in Calgary.

Vancouver $5,170
Calgary $4,468

Living in Vancouver is roughly 18% more expensive than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 96% above, Calgary 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.01 CA$25.46

$17.58 CA$24.85

2.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.0 CA$100

$69.1 CA$97.6

2.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.83 CA$15.31

$10.59 CA$14.97

2.27%

Cappuccino

$3.94 CA$5.56

$3.84 CA$5.42

2.60%

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

$2.13 CA$3.01

$1.93 CA$2.72

10.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 CA$2.34

$1.88 CA$2.66

-11.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.73 CA$8.10

$5.09 CA$7.20

12.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.40 CA$9.04

$5.64 CA$7.97

13.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 CA$3.04

$2.00 CA$2.82

7.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 CA$3.61

$2.78 CA$3.93

-8.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.56 CA$6.45

$5.59 CA$7.90

-18.43%

Eggs

$4.06 CA$5.74

$3.70 CA$5.23

9.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.14 CA$17.17

$11.48 CA$16.23

5.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.23 CA$18.71

$11.20 CA$15.84

18.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.24 CA$28.62

$18.59 CA$26.28

8.88%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 CA$5.73

$4.70 CA$6.64

-13.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$2.00

$1.45 CA$2.05

-2.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.97 CA$5.62

$4.34 CA$6.13

-8.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.53

$3.79 CA$5.36

3.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.74

$2.69 CA$3.81

-1.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 CA$3.98

$2.75 CA$3.88

2.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 CA$3.51

$2.56 CA$3.62

-3.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CA$2.24

$1.50 CA$2.12

6.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.30 CA$21.64

$14.39 CA$20.34

6.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.32 CA$20.24

$15.81 CA$22.35

-9.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 CA$3.63

$2.47 CA$3.49

4.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.12

$3.10 CA$4.39

-6.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.60

$2.81 CA$3.97

-9.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.6 CA$120

$90.6 CA$128

-6.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 CA$3.73

$3.28 CA$4.64

-19.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 CA$2.31

$1.40 CA$1.97

16.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.77 CA$44.91

$26.49 CA$37.45

19.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 CA$2.01

$1.22 CA$1.72

16.39%

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

$27.1K CA$38.3K

$28.4K CA$40.1K

-4.47%

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

$21.6K CA$30.5K

$20.8K CA$29.5K

3.71%

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

$81.3 CA$115

$165 CA$233

-50.60%

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

$37.20 CA$52.6

$38.24 CA$54.1

-2.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.6 CA$74.4

$50.1 CA$70.9

4.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.34 CA$62.7

$53.8 CA$76.1

-17.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.37 CA$17.49

$18.04 CA$25.51

-31.43%

Cinema Ticket

$12.62 CA$17.85

$14.04 CA$19.84

-10.11%

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

$1,093 CA$1,544

$797 CA$1,126

37.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.0K CA$28.2K

$15.8K CA$22.3K

26.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$82.7

$59.1 CA$83.5

-1.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.35 CA$47.14

$40.20 CA$56.8

-17.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.3 CA$136

$90.8 CA$128

6.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.6 CA$135

$109 CA$155

-12.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,765 CA$2,495

$1,207 CA$1,707

46.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 CA$2,132

$1,011 CA$1,429

49.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,122 CA$4,414

$1,949 CA$2,756

60.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,469 CA$3,490

$1,677 CA$2,371

47.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,173 CA$11.6K

$3,532 CA$4,993

131.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,354 CA$8,982

$3,392 CA$4,795

87.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,592 CA$5,078

$3,152 CA$4,456

13.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

4.51

-5.10%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 17, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.5K 56.7%

Calgary

$1K 44.8% 33% $497

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$399 15%

Calgary

$392 17.4% 1.8% $7.3

Eating Out

Vancouver

$280 10.5%

Calgary

$270 12% 3.6% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$171 6.4%

Calgary

$253 11.2% 47.8% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$128 4.8%

Calgary

$135 6% 5.6% $7.1

Getting Around

Vancouver

$106 4%

Calgary

$112 5% 6.2% $6.5

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$70 2.6%

Calgary

$82 3.6% 17.7% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,765 in Vancouver and $1,207 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 14% 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: $71.0 in Vancouver vs $69.0 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $399 vs $392 per month, with Calgary cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

13:04 1:04 PM

14:04 2:04 PM

1 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

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

Vancouver Calgary 670 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Vancouver
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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

Vancouver vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 14% higher in Vancouver, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,765 in Vancouver 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 Calgary – a meal for two runs $69.0 versus $71.0 in Vancouver. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,662 per month in Vancouver versus $2,255 in Calgary – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,255 in Calgary versus $2,662 in Vancouver, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Vancouver. 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 18% less than in Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.