Calgary at a glance
- Calgary ranks 5th of 10 priced cities in Canada on cost: $2,006 a month in essentials, 32% above Quebec City, the cheapest.
- The average net salary of $2,991 covers that 1.5×.
- 99.3 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at census subdivision level.
- PM2.5 averages 9 µg/m³ a year, 2× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 10 Canada cities we track, so every row says whether Calgary is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $2,006 | $2,054 | $48 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $1,084 | $1,164 | $80 |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $1,343 | $1,412 | $70 |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $207 | $204 | $4 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $399 | $374 | $24 |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $227 | $185 | $42 |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $89 | $78 | $11 |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $2,991 | $3,036 | $45 |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $1,714 | $1,816 | $102 |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $2,000 | $2,242 | $242 |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Calgary, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $19.52 | $17.74 | $1.78 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $70.97 | $71.97 | $1.00 |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $10.64 | $10.64 | same |
| Cappuccino, regular | $3.84 | $3.96 | $0.12 |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $4.97 | $5.68 | $0.71 |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $5.68 | $6.39 | $0.71 |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $2.01 | $2.12 | $0.11 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $1.88 | $1.71 | $0.17 |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.82 | $2.20 | $0.38 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $2.52 | $2.87 | $0.35 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $4.84 | $3.67 | 1.32× as much |
| Eggs, 12 | $3.51 | $3.54 | $0.04 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $11.86 | $10.65 | $1.21 |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $10.89 | $11.43 | $0.54 |
| Apples, 1 kg | $4.27 | $4.05 | $0.22 |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $1.39 | $1.40 | $0.01 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $4.33 | $3.96 | $0.37 |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $2.49 | $2.49 | same |
| Onions, 1 kg | $2.73 | $2.75 | $0.02 |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $1.56 | $1.59 | $0.03 |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $2.84 | $2.57 | $0.27 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $89.42 | $77.88 | $11.54 |
| Taxi start | $3.37 | $2.91 | $0.46 |
| Taxi, 1 km | $1.36 | $1.41 | $0.05 |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.19 | $1.23 | $0.04 |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $172.52 | $134.80 | 1.28× as much |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $54.29 | $53.62 | $0.67 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $39.20 | $38.20 | $1.00 |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $52.56 | $42.95 | $9.61 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $12.77 | $11.61 | $1.16 |
Dating-age sex ratio
Calgary has 99.3 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (census subdivision level). That is the 6th-highest of 10 Canada cities we track. Canada's national figure is 104.8, so Calgary runs 6 below the country as a whole.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Calgary ranks against every city we track
Calgary sits ahead of 76% of the 545 cities we track on local salary. On salary against local costs it is ahead of 66% of 534. Its weakest measure is cost of living, ahead of only 19% of 542.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Calgary sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
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Photo: AceYYC, CC BY-SA 4.0.
