Cost of living comparison
compared to
Calgary vs. Montreal Cost of Living Summary
Calgary is 25.9% more expensive than Montreal.
- Restaurants
-
pay 5.6% more in Calgary
- Groceries
-
pay 2.8% less in Calgary
- Transportation
-
pay 2.0% less in Calgary
- Housing
-
pay 60.4% more in Calgary
- Childcare
-
pay 2.2 times more in Calgary
- Entertainment and Sports
-
pay 10.1% more in Calgary
- Clothing
-
pay 7.1% less in Calgary
The cost of childcare, housing, entertainment and sports, and restaurants in Calgary are more expensive than in Montreal. Expenses including clothing, groceries, and transportation are lower in Calgary. Notably, childcare is significantly more expensive in Calgary.
Calgary vs. Montreal Cost Breakdown
If you lived in Calgary instead of Montreal, you would:
pay 5.6% more for restaurants
|
Montreal
|
Calgary
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic meal with drink at inexpensive restaurant |
$17.93
CA$24.80
|
$17.93
CA$24.80
|
|
|
Fast food combo meal
McDonalds, or similar
|
$11.48
CA$15.87
|
$10.76
CA$14.88
|
|
| Bottle of Coca-Cola (11 fl. oz) |
$1.97
CA$2.72
|
$2.00
CA$2.77
|
|
| Bottle of water (11 fl. oz) |
$1.49
CA$2.06
|
$1.81
CA$2.50
|
|
Montreal vs. Calgary - Cost of restaurants
pay 2.8% less for groceries
|
Montreal
|
Calgary
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Bread
1 loaf
|
$2.92
CA$4.04
|
$2.59
CA$3.58
|
|
| Local cheese (8 oz) |
$7.37
CA$10.19
|
$6.65
CA$9.20
|
|
| Milk (1 gallon) |
$8.70
CA$12.03
|
$7.48
CA$10.35
|
|
|
Eggs
1 dozen
|
$3.24
CA$4.48
|
$3.32
CA$4.59
|
|
| Boneless chicken breast (1 lb) |
$5.11
CA$7.07
|
$5.49
CA$7.59
|
|
| Apples (1 lb) |
$1.73
CA$2.40
|
$1.96
CA$2.71
|
|
| Bananas (1 lb) |
$0.75
CA$1.04
|
$0.59
CA$0.82
|
|
| Oranges (1 lb) |
$1.68
CA$2.32
|
$1.68
CA$2.32
|
|
| Tomatoes (1 lb) |
$1.76
CA$2.44
|
$1.93
CA$2.67
|
|
| Potatoes (1 lb) |
$1.32
CA$1.83
|
$1.11
CA$1.54
|
|
| Onions (1 lb) |
$1.08
CA$1.49
|
$1.17
CA$1.61
|
|
Montreal vs. Calgary - Cost of groceries
pay 2.0% less for transportation
|
Montreal
|
Calgary
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline (1 gallon) |
$4.27
CA$5.91
|
$3.86
CA$5.33
|
|
| Monthly public transit pass |
$74.95
CA$103.64
|
$84.63
CA$117.03
|
|
| New Volkswagen Golf 1.4 (standard edition) |
$24,369.83
CA$33,699.82
|
$24,377.72
CA$33,710.73
|
|
| Taxi trip in downtown area (5 miles) |
$16.55
CA$22.88
|
$15.06
CA$20.83
|
|
Montreal vs. Calgary - Cost of transportation
pay 60.4% more for housing
|
Montreal
|
Calgary
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Internet connection
50 mbps or faster, cable/dsl
|
$41.37
CA$57.21
|
$60.12
CA$83.14
|
|
| 1-Bedroom apartment in downtown area |
$1,201.35
CA$1,661.29
|
$1,357.18
CA$1,876.78
|
|
| 1-Bedroom apartment outside city center |
$961.99
CA$1,330.28
|
$1,117.74
CA$1,545.67
|
|
|
Utilities for two
(700 sq ft apartment)
including electric, gas, water, heating
|
$57.08
CA$78.93
|
$152.41
CA$210.76
|
|
Montreal vs. Calgary - Cost of housing
pay 2.2 times more for childcare
|
Montreal
|
Calgary
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Private preschool for 1 child, monthly |
$518.92
CA$717.59
|
$841.37
CA$1,163.49
|
|
| Middle school for 1 child, two semesters |
$5,750.83
CA$7,952.54
|
$15,659.39
CA$21,654.58
|
|
Montreal vs. Calgary - Cost of childcare
pay 10.1% more for entertainment and sports
|
Montreal
|
Calgary
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic/local beer (1 pint) |
$5.74
CA$7.93
|
$5.74
CA$7.93
|
|
| Cappuccino in mid-range area |
$3.76
CA$5.20
|
$3.71
CA$5.14
|
|
|
Pack of cigarettes
Marlboro or similar
|
$12.19
CA$16.86
|
$14.34
CA$19.84
|
|
| Monthly membership at local gym |
$44.06
CA$60.93
|
$50.34
CA$69.62
|
|
| Movie ticket to theater/cinema |
$11.12
CA$15.37
|
$12.19
CA$16.86
|
|
Montreal vs. Calgary - Cost of entertainment and sports
pay 7.1% less for clothing
|
Montreal
|
Calgary
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Regular jeans
Levi's brand
|
$58.20
CA$80.48
|
$56.07
CA$77.54
|
|
|
Regular dress
from H&M or similar store
|
$43.37
CA$59.97
|
$44.74
CA$61.87
|
|
|
Running shoes
Nike or Adidas
|
$102.59
CA$141.87
|
$87.53
CA$121.04
|
|
| Men's business shoes (leather) |
$119.45
CA$165.18
|
$103.71
CA$143.42
|
|
Montreal vs. Calgary - Cost of clothing
The statistics used to build this comparison are calculated using data from users just like you.
We average the price of thousands of data points entered by users across the world.
Learn more about our data sources. Page last updated: December 2025
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