Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Waterloo, Canada and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Waterloo: $2,234 a month against $2,303 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $830 less a year. The total is higher in Calgary despite lower rent and utilities.

107

Cost of Living Index in Waterloo
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Waterloo Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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Waterloo

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,234

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,303

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,234 in Waterloo versus $2,303 in Calgary.

Waterloo $2,234
Calgary $2,303

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,295 in Waterloo versus $3,366 in Calgary.

Waterloo $3,295
Calgary $3,366

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,356 in Waterloo versus $4,428 in Calgary.

Waterloo $4,356
Calgary $4,428

Living in Waterloo costs roughly 3% less than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Waterloo 64% above, Calgary 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 CA$24.52

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.2 CA$79.9

$70.4 CA$98.4

-18.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.71 CA$14.97

$10.69 CA$14.94

0.19%

Cappuccino

$3.18 CA$4.45

$3.89 CA$5.43

-18.25%

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

$1.95 CA$2.73

$2.04 CA$2.85

-4.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.24 CA$1.73

$1.88 CA$2.62

-34.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.13 CA$7.17

$4.90 CA$6.84

4.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.76 CA$8.05

$5.78 CA$8.08

-0.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 CA$2.85

$1.96 CA$2.74

4.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 CA$3.48

$2.74 CA$3.83

-9.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.47 CA$3.44

$5.46 CA$7.63

-54.76%

Eggs

$2.92 CA$4.08

$3.69 CA$5.15

-20.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.35 CA$15.86

$11.24 CA$15.71

0.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.00 CA$20.96

$11.54 CA$16.12

29.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.02 CA$22.39

$18.38 CA$25.68

-12.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 CA$4.83

$4.90 CA$6.85

-29.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 CA$1.81

$1.42 CA$1.99

-9.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.19 CA$4.46

$4.21 CA$5.88

-24.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.42 CA$4.78

$4.02 CA$5.62

-14.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 CA$1.94

$2.69 CA$3.77

-48.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 CA$2.68

$2.66 CA$3.72

-27.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.66 CA$2.32

$2.61 CA$3.65

-36.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 CA$1.71

$1.60 CA$2.23

-23.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.80 CA$17.88

$14.00 CA$19.57

-8.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.80 CA$13.69

$15.40 CA$21.52

-36.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 CA$3.64

$2.50 CA$3.49

4.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 CA$3.76

$3.09 CA$4.32

-12.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 CA$4.03

$2.93 CA$4.09

-1.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.6 CA$106

$89.3 CA$125

-15.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.47 CA$3.45

$3.27 CA$4.57

-24.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 CA$2.54

$1.35 CA$1.89

34.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.17 CA$39.37

$27.39 CA$38.27

2.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 CA$1.67

$1.17 CA$1.64

1.71%

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

$26.9K CA$37.6K

$27.9K CA$39.0K

-3.71%

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

$20.6K CA$28.7K

$21.0K CA$29.4K

-2.20%

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

$147 CA$205

$167 CA$233

-12.11%

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

$27.82 CA$38.87

$38.27 CA$53.5

-27.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.76 CA$59.8

$50.9 CA$71.2

-16.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.77 CA$47.19

$51.0 CA$71.2

-33.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.23 CA$26.87

$18.17 CA$25.39

5.83%

Cinema Ticket

$10.90 CA$15.23

$14.44 CA$20.18

-24.52%

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

$444 CA$620

$545 CA$762

-18.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K CA$21.9K

$16.2K CA$22.7K

-3.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.4 CA$90.0

$58.9 CA$82.3

9.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.79 CA$45.82

$39.75 CA$55.6

-17.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.9 CA$114

$93.4 CA$130

-12.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.6 CA$107

$110 CA$154

-30.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,443 CA$2,016

$1,254 CA$1,752

15.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,141 CA$1,594

$1,056 CA$1,476

8.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,161 CA$3,019

$2,022 CA$2,826

6.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,905 CA$2,661

$1,629 CA$2,276

16.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,280 CA$7,378

$3,600 CA$5,031

46.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,609 CA$6,441

$3,243 CA$4,531

42.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,129 CA$4,372

$3,115 CA$4,353

0.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.22

4.51

15.74%

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

Last update for Waterloo: October 27, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Waterloo

$1.1K 51.1%

Calgary

$1.1K 45.9% 7.4% $85

Groceries & Markets

Waterloo

$346 15.5%

Calgary

$393 17.1% 13.4% $46

Eating Out

Waterloo

$261 11.7%

Calgary

$271 11.8% 3.9% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Waterloo

$217 9.7%

Calgary

$256 11.1% 17.9% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Waterloo

$115 5.2%

Calgary

$136 5.9% 18.1% $21

Getting Around

Waterloo

$99 4.4%

Calgary

$111 4.8% 12.5% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Waterloo

$56 2.5%

Calgary

$80 3.5% 43.7% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,443 in Waterloo and $1,254 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $57 in Waterloo vs $70 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $346 vs $393 per month, with Waterloo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Waterloo

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

09:13 9:13 AM

08:13 8:13 AM

1 h behind Waterloo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

121,436

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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Between locations

Waterloo Calgary 2,640 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Waterloo
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

Waterloo vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Waterloo is about 3% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $3,352 in Waterloo 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: $1,443 in Waterloo 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 Waterloo – a meal for two runs $57 versus $70 in Calgary. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,234 per month in Waterloo versus $2,303 in Calgary – Waterloo is about 3% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.