What is the estimated monthly cost of living in Calgary?

The latest single-person Market Basket Measure is about CAD 2,464.75 per month. Advertised rent is shown separately when published.

What salary is typically needed in Calgary?

A balanced planning estimate is around CAD 48,000 gross per year.

Are these exact prices?

No. These are planning baselines and should be adjusted to your neighborhood and lifestyle.

City snapshot

Cost of living in Calgary

Calgary offers affordable housing, high salaries, and easy access to the Rocky Mountains.

Planning baseline refreshed: May 2026Calgary CMA

3-category planning baseline

$2,098

Total annual: $25,176

Balanced salary needed

$48,000

Balanced

Population

1,836,012

2025 · Calgary (CMA), Alberta · Statistics Canada

Crime Severity Index

62.3

Calgary CMA

Official Basic-Needs Budgets

1 person$2,465

2 people$3,486

Family of 4$4,929

Market Basket Measure totals and advertised rent answer different questions. Rent is not added to the budget total because the MBM already includes a shelter component.

Data coverage: 100% (A) · 2025

Advertised Rent

Bachelor apartment$1,370

2026-01 · Calgary, Census metropolitan area (CMA)

1-bedroom apartment$1,550

2026-01 · Calgary, Census metropolitan area (CMA)

2-bedroom apartment$1,900

2026-01 · Calgary, Census metropolitan area (CMA)

3+ bedroom apartment$2,130

2026-01 · Calgary, Census metropolitan area (CMA)

Full-time centre-based childcare$451

2025 · Alberta

Local Indicators

Employed people991,900

Median after-tax income$88,900

Crime Severity Index62.3

Calgary, Census metropolitan area (CMA)

3-category planning baseline

Planning rent estimate (1bd)$1,581

Groceries$397

Transport$120

Total monthly$2,098

Compact estimated baseline for cross-city planning. The observed advertised rent above is the canonical market-rent value.

Move-in costs

First month of rent$1,550

Generic deposit assumption (1x rent)$1,550

Furniture for a 1-bedroom$2,500

Basic household setup$600

Estimated setup total$6,200

Generic planning assumption only. Provincial rules and your lease may permit a different deposit.

Plan the next step

Run income calculator See salary needed Rent affordability Mortgage affordability Compare cities Car costs Province tax calculator After-tax income guide

City profile

GeographyCalgary CMA

Common languagesEnglish, Punjabi, Tagalog

Community contextSouth Asian, Chinese, Filipino

Housing and rent

Lower rent than Toronto and Vancouver, with strong suburban supply.

Planning rent estimate (1bd): $1,581 · Total monthly: $2,098

Commute and daily life

CTrain, bus and car-oriented suburban commuting

Safety context

Calgary's safety snapshot uses the Crime Severity Index for Calgary CMA. CSI compares police-reported crime volume and seriousness; it is not a neighbourhood-level risk score.

Crime Severity Index: 62.3
Violent CSI: 76.5
Non-violent CSI: 57.2

How this city compares

Calgary ranks #27 of 47 tracked cities by the 3-category planning baseline and is -$66 versus the cross-city average.

Average city baseline$2,164

Largest cost driverPlanning rent estimate (1bd)

Salary guide for this city

Use these gross salary ranges as planning targets before running a detailed after-tax scenario for Calgary.

Essentials$37,600

Balanced$48,000

Comfortable$59,200

Best for

Calgary is strongest for no provincial sales tax (only 5% gst) and a lower baseline than the tracked-city average.

Watch out for

Planning rent estimate (1bd) is the largest cost driver in the baseline. Plan around $2,098 per month before discretionary spending, plus about $6,200 for a basic move-in setup.

Local reality check

Rent represents about 75% of the baseline essentials shown here. Compared with the tracked-city average, this city is -$66.

Living in Calgary: what to budget for

Use this page as a starting point for Calgary: monthly essentials, move-in cash, salary targets, local population context, housing notes and safety data are shown together so you can move from research to a concrete budget.

Calgary is Alberta's largest city, known for its young population and highest household incomes in Canada.

The city combines urban amenities with unparalleled access to Banff National Park and the Rocky Mountains.

Housing costs in Calgary are significantly lower than Toronto or Vancouver, making it attractive for families.

The energy sector dominates the economy, though tech and finance are growing rapidly.

Highlights

No provincial sales tax (only 5% GST)
Highest average incomes in Canada
1-hour drive to Rocky Mountains
Affordable housing market
Sunny climate with Chinook winds

Common questions

What is included in Calgary's monthly baseline?: The baseline includes a 1-bedroom rent estimate, groceries and transport for one adult. It is a planning baseline, not a quote.
Why do some metrics use a CMA or province?: National public datasets often publish city data by census metropolitan area, census agglomeration, province or territory. The geography is shown beside each metric.
How should I use the Calgary salary estimate?: Use it as a gross-income target, then run the income calculator with your province, city and real costs.

Sources and methodology

Population: Statistics Canada table 17-10-0148-01, latest annual estimate; Census Profile fallback when noted.
Crime Severity Index: Statistics Canada table 35-10-0026-01, latest published year.
Basic-needs budgets: MBM tables 11-10-0066-01 and 11-10-0104-01. Advertised rent: Quarterly Rent Statistics table 46-10-0092-01.

Sources and methodology

Cost transparency

Data used on this page

Advertised rent, basic-needs budgets, and local indicators each retain their own period, geography, and method.

Advertised rent

January 2026 · Calgary, Census metropolitan area (CMA)

Planning baseline

Estimated rent + groceries + local transport

Not used

Tax rules and mortgage rates do not determine these costs

Advertised rent and the MBM answer different questions and are not added together.

Sources and methodology