Cost of Living in Calgary 2024 (rent, groceries, utilities, entertainment, full breakdown!)

[@Dunkster23]

Thanks Brittany. Much appreciated. Your situation and mine are almost identical. I moved there in 2015 from the UK. I’ve always rented one bedroom apts in Sunnyside or the Beltline. Loved it up until 2020. Then cost of living spiralled and I went back to the UK at the end of 2023. Now looking to go back in January. But I’m honestly feeling pretty put off. Will have to look into salaries. For reference I’m from the south east of the UK which is comparable in terms of costs. But lower salaries.

[@brittanymorgan09]

@@Dunkster23 yeah the cost of living has really made Calgary not that appealing anymore. I still love it and consider it home but there are places with much nicer weather and social services in other parts of the world.

[@GeneT2323]

Alberta is no longer affordable sadly (for the jobs available). At least with BC, there is rent control with rent that can’t go up more than 3% annually… u could pay $1700/mo in Alberta, but the next year there is no stopping these real estate management companies increasing it to $1900/mo, which happened to many of my close friends.

[@brittanymorgan09]

@@GeneT2323 that's such a great point. The things landlords can get away with in AB is a bit nuts! I have heard Edmonton is still affordable though I'm not sure how long that will last.

[@mikestrenja2966]

Rent control is proven not to work in Bc and Ontario. Sounds good if you don’t move, but people generally move frequently. Landlords can reset the rental to market rates anytime a renter moves out. Also, as soon as a home is not viable to rent, the landlord will sell taking a home off the market and pushing prices higher. The only solution is more available stock. The hat is the only thing that will keep rents low.

[@GeneT2323]

@@mikestrenja2966 fair point… I’m still enjoying $1600/month (with 3% annual rent increase) in Coquitlam, BC… glad I secured that rent when I did 😁

[@linhchu4922]

However, rent in Calgary also decreases quickly in response to market demand and supply. My friend rented a 2 bed 2 bath for 2400 last year but their rent went down to 2100 this year for a brand new place downtown. I'd rather let the market regulate the rent than have rent control in place. Many other bureaucracies go with rent control so be skeptical when the deal is too good to be true.

[@Hhaha888]

You are so correct about it not being affordable in Calgary anymore! The transit system is very dangerous off rush hours, so if you want to be imprisoned in your apt, transit only will work...cars don't save time and all the crazy drivers moving here who don't know the road rules are different here from Ontario and slow down many roads unnecessarily...sigh..I miss Calgary before they started paying people to move here, wages have not gone up , minum wage jobs are plentiful but there is no way to afford to live here on minum wage, even eith roommates

[@karenlowes7802]

@@Hhaha888 Why are you mentioning Ontario? I used to live here and returned from Ontario as my family are all here but honestly I don't know why!

[@Astrologyt2343]

I’m over in upper Mount Royal area paying $1500 for a 2 bedroom after my rental increase last year. I’m so glad I found this diamond in the rough building a few years ago. Average 2 bedroom is nearing $2400 these days. It’s unbelievable

[@brittanymorgan09]

@@Astrologyt2343 wow you are definitely lucky!! That's a steal 👌

[@George-sy]

Thanks for the helpful video! I am moving from Dubai to Calgary as an immigrant with my wife and my little cat, and I was searching for a rental apartment for the past couple months in Calgary. What bothers me most is that almost no one replies on my emails and applications, and this is a little bit odd for someone advertising his property to be rented but he doesn’t care if someone is interested! I never found a rental 1 bed in good condition with heat and water under CAD $1700 / no parking spot. The average monthly rent here in Dubai which is a very expensive city is around CAD $ 1500 in a decent condition + residential gym and swimming pool, and average monthly salary is AED 10000= CAD $ 3700. Tax free. I really don’t know why I am moving to Calgary! hopefully the people there have better mind set and behavior than here, otherwise it’s not worth it.

[@brittanymorgan09]

I definitely found the same thing with not getting replies on a lot of properties. I imagine it's because so many people are searching for apartments and they're overwhelmed with applicants?? Either way, they should respond. It is definitely expensive here and the winters can be harsh. I love this city, but the appeal is dwindling with the cost of living. I wish you the best of luck with your move! If you really don't like it here, you can always move somewhere else too!

[@George-sy]

@@brittanymorgan09 🙏❤️

[@Hhaha888]

Your place now sounds much better than Calgary, and that's before the difference in weather !!

[@Hhaha888]

Your place now sounds much better than Calgary, and that's before the difference in weather !!

[@indianfyre]

My tip scale has now gone down to 8 (meh service) -10 (good) -15 (great) now, and 0 when I have to go up to place the order, I hope more people start going down, cause it really is outta hand

[@brittanymorgan09]

Absolutely! I have a new rule, if I don't sit, I don't tip. So counter service anyways is not getting tips from me. Table service for sure but yeah, it's nuts! I avoid going out because of it.

[@mbeckford]

A 2 bed 2 bath with underground parking, modern apartment, in suite laundry, in south west Edmonton (one of if not the nicest area in Edmonton), close to every single amenity you can think of (you might have to drive downtown for work) cheaper than what you are paying for a 1 bedroom! You can get a solid 2 bed/2 bath as low as $1600 and as high as $1700 in SW Edmonton. I know Edmonton is not as cool as Calgary, but it does have over a million people and folks are moving here from BC and Ontario like crazy. The city is changing rapidly

[@brittanymorgan09]

Yeah I've been looking at buying a condo in Edmonton actually, it's still so affordable!! It's definitely not where I personally want to live but I see the appeal with the low cost of housing there for sure.

[@Master-ng9uj]

I really enjoyed this video. Just straight up useful info without the fluff some others put into their videos. For someone looking to move to Canada (from NZ) in a decade or so, and work in the IT sector, could you recommend say 3-5 other cities that would be worth considering other than Calgary? I know Vancouver and Toronto would be at the top of that list, excluding the cost of living/rent etc., but that's obviously a big factor to consider too. Halifax looks nice, but maybe too small. Not really keen on learning French, so that excludes some options as well. Maybe you could do a video comparing a bunch of other cities to Calgary for potential immigrants like me :D?

[@brittanymorgan09]

@@Master-ng9uj hey there, thanks so much! I think with moving to Canada, the biggest factor is where you can get a job. Calgary is a growing city for IT. If the job thing doesn't concern you, I think smaller cities like Victoria (BC), Kelowna (BC), Kingston (Ontario) or Guelph (Ontario) would be nice. If you like big cities you're pretty limited to the ones you already mentioned and no french eliminates Montreal and probably Ottawa too. I would love to make a video like that but in reality I haven't lived in many places in Canada, just Ottawa and Calgary so I don't have the expertise to do that justice 😅

[@farmecologist3395]

Great video! I have always wondered if the cost of housing is as bad in Canada as it is in the states. Appears just as bad, if not worse! As for the winters, we are in Minnesota, sometimes referred to as "little Canada". 🤣

[@brittanymorgan09]

Oh yes!!! Haha I hear Minnesota is very much like Canada. I actually enjoy winter (for about 2 months then I'm over it lol). Yes, the cost of living is making it really difficult for a lot of folks to get by here which is really heartbreaking.

[@usermaguirejaxon]

Thanks Brittany for this amazing update on Calgary cost of living

[@brittanymorgan09]

@@usermaguirejaxon thank you for the comment 😊

[@trudimclaren4301]

Thanks Brittany, another great video, and I'd love to see a Farmer's Market one!

[@brittanymorgan09]

@@trudimclaren4301 thanks Trudi!! I'll have to include some farmers markets in the next vlog 😊

[@annesage6619]

Thank you for this Brittany - Moving to Calgary from London, ON to be closer to my daughter. Yes, rent is much higher but believe it or not, London is just as expensive for an updated 1-bedroom, as are other things like food. Rent control here if building is pre-2018 construction (2.5% on average per year) but otherwise no control and I’m hearing from neighbours living in newer buildings that rent increases are through the roof like $300 a month more! Still cheaper than TO which is why a lot of people are moving to London with better transportation options. I appreciate your recommendations which I’ll check out. Also, sales tax of 5% is much better than 13% in Ontario!

[@brittanymorgan09]

@@annesage6619 ouch!! Sorry to hear it's that crazy for rent prices in London too. I definitely don't miss living in Ontario with the higher tax and lower paying jobs!

[@terryevp4084]

Many Thanks, Brittany, for keeping us updated with the current cost of living in Calgary. You should consider getting a Rogers Red MasterCard, and it gives 2% cash back on everything. If you are a Rogers Customer, Cash back goes up to 3% and USD purchases 3% cash back. Just wanted to keep you informed. The BRIM card is useless now...LOL.. Have a great week.

[@brittanymorgan09]

Thanks for the CC tip!! Yeah I'm so bummed about the BRIM card! I use the PC Financial Card & WestJet World Elite MC but I've been wanting to add another card to my wallet for travel and such. Cheers!

[@terryevp4084]

@@brittanymorgan09 I think then you should go with Roger's Red World Elite Mastercard, which has travel insurance too. The only catch is that you need $ 80,000 annual income to qualify fo rit. Good luck

[@LanceBryantGrigg]

My wife and I spend almost 1200/month on food but this is costco and we have some clothing in there also. we additionally spend about 250/month on relatively regular trips to tim hortons and other things. Calgary is pretty insane, but so is the rest of Canada for the most part. Most of the world for that matter. We as canadians have always had a very low total spending capacity, our high skilled professions make on average 1/2 the amount of our american counter parts. Inflation put it over the edge. Our total budget doesn't fit in on less then 4500/month and we don't have a high mortgage price either which we got very lucky with holding a 5 cent energy lock in from 2020 and a mortgage renewed in january of 2021. Without these things our expense are over 6k most likely. I can remember 10 to 15 years ago surviving for a month on about 1/2 that and feeling pampered when rents were 600-700/month for a 2 bedroom shared with a roomie.

[@brittanymorgan09]

@@LanceBryantGrigg yeah it's wild how expensive it is to just survive anywhere these days. Rent is the craziest thing to me in Calgary, it was so much cheaper just a couple of years ago. I'm really lucky I bought when I did too though I'm dreading the mortgage renewal 😭

[@miguelidcomm]

Hello, Brittany. Right now, I’m in the early process of getting a work permit to work in Canada. After much deliberation, I chose Calgary. I just think it’s an interesting/beautiful city. I used to not pay too much attention to those, “apocalyptic” videos about Canada, until I learned about the rent control issue taking place in Alberta. That rang the bell. I’m really concerned, as I am afraid, that, if I can get my permanent residence (which I really look forward to) I might eventually need to move to a different city, or even, to another province. We’ll see. All the same. I really want to thank you for this video. It gave me a lot of necessary info, shall I finally make it to beautiful Canada. 👋🍁

[@brittanymorgan09]

Thank you for the comment!! The rent is just crazy here but I'm starting to see signs of it coming down which is good. Edmonton is a good backup option if you want to stay in Alberta but yeah, a lot needs to change here to make it more affordable for the average person. I wish you the best with the move!!

[@EddieLook-i8l]

I really like your contents. I lived in a one bedroom apartment downtown Ottawa 10+ years ago when the rent was $790 hydro included. And I am moving to Christchurch NZ in a couple of weeks. I was wondering if you could make a comparison video about cost of living in both of the countries please?Many thanks.

[@brittanymorgan09]

Hi there! That's a great idea, I'll definitely have to work in a comparison video. Thanks! ☺️

[@Master-ng9uj]

Eddie - make sure to do your grocery shopping at a Pak N Save (it's much cheaper than others), and avoid the real estate firm Whittle Knight (big Christchurch player, absolute scummy morons). If you're renting a room you're probably looking around $200 (NZD) per week for a reasonably central suburb, or maybe $300-$400 for a central 1bdrm. Also make sure to get a MetroCard for the buses, it'll save you a lot of money to get around, and the buses are pretty good here. If you're looking to stay in a hostel while you find a place, I'd recommend The Jailhouse or Urbanz Accommodation. I just realised you're probably here by now. If you have any questions about Christchurch or NZ, feel free to plop them here and I'll do my best to help.

[@traviswhite771]

Have lived in t.o last couple of years and both units have been 1 bed w utilities for 2250 -2350. Waterfront right infront of the cn tower. Mind you im a master negotiater and managed to knock prices off the original price. Looking forward to saving some $ on all costs of living compared to T.o

[@datractor]

I wondered if you guys would get a shock moving back. I just spent a month in the states and it's so expensive now, especially Vegas.

[@brittanymorgan09]

@@datractor I kind of knew the rent thing was coming but definitely the grocery prices were a shock! Wow I had always heard Vegas was quite affordable 🤔

[@datractor]

@@brittanymorgan09 it used to be, but is crazy now. The most I paid was $18 for a beer, so $30 NZD. I didn't use cash the whole trip so all the eftpos terminals already have 18% as the minimum and up to 30% tip. Highly recommend the wise card if you don't use it already for traveling and moving money around.

[@JessLuke]

Hi, really enjoyed this video and looking forward to more! Just subscribed😊

[@brittanymorgan09]

@@JessLuke thanks so much!! Welcome 🤗

[@renatamortazavi2450]

It is so nice to hear you talking and see your beautiful face, Brittany. 💖 Thanks for the great vlog, as always😘. I'm glad that you have your budget under control. 👍Of course, you are a financially savvy gal😘👌👏. The cost of living is going up everywhere, and we can't do much to avoid it. Proper planning is the key.👍 Don't you want to move back to Ottawa?😜 Lots of love💖. Enjoy being back in Canada.❤️

[@brittanymorgan09]

Thank you for the kind words again friend!! 😊❤️ Ottawa too is so expensive and higher tax!! So I will probably stay here 😜

[@renatamortazavi2450]

😢😘

[@bittersweet340]

Just check the cost of living per country (15) CANADA 68.4 (16) NZ 68.2 (13) Australia 72.8, however, I don't know what your minimum wage is in CANADA or the country's unemployment rate these can also be contributing factors concerning inflation and supply and demand.

[@dr.kalyanpokuri1079]

Wonderful ear rings Brit , looking fantastic and great .

[@brittanymorgan09]

Thank you friend!! ☺️❤️

[@dennbash]

Thanks for the video Brittany. Could you please share your opinion about New Zealand if you were looking for where to move to. Thanks

[@renatamortazavi2450]

There is nice vlogs and interviews wt expats to NZ. Check: It's a Drama series.

[@brittanymorgan09]

Thanks! Personally I would be torn between Wellington and Christchurch. It would depend on the job offers though. Nelson would be a great spot to live again but I think I prefer city life long term.

[@FULLYTAKEN]

Hi brittany great video, i wanted to move to canada a year ago but ended up coming to new zealand instead cos of winter in canada mainly. now you,ve lived in both countries which one you will think is better if you have citizwnship of either one for quality of life and beauty thanks

[@brittanymorgan09]

@@FULLYTAKEN hello!! I think if I had citizenship and my family/friends were in NZ, I would pick it over Canada. Canada is really fantastic but the winters can be really tough!

[@martinsamuels2897]

Hi Brittany on the plus size it's all cheaper then nz 😂hope yourself and your partner are doing well but I'm pleased that you enjoyed New Zealands scenery

[@brittanymorgan09]

@@martinsamuels2897 thank you! I'm finding now the only thing that is more expensive in NZ than here is buying a house lol 😂 everything else was the same or cheaper!!

[@martinsamuels2897]

@@brittanymorgan09 well yea that's true I'm nearly 40 and I don't think I will ever beable to own a house and I will be paying it off most likely for the next 25 + years which would make me nearly 70 however what I did think of is buying a Ford transit van and building it into a motor home at a later date but I wish you both all the very best on your future plans and endeavours nice to hear from you take care kind regards Martin 😊🙂✌️

[@LearningAndGrowingInLife]

I live in Edmonton and a friend moved from here to Calgary, certainly more expensive housing. Edmonton is still more affordable though that's changing. Have you considered Edmonton? I know it's not close to mountains, etc but certainly more affordable than Calgary especially for housing.

[@brittanymorgan09]

Edmonton is really not my kind of city so I haven't considered it but yeah the housing market is much more affordable! I'm lucky that I bought property in Calgary before the boom

[@LearningAndGrowingInLife]

@@brittanymorgan09 Thanks for your reply! I appreciate your perspective on Calgary. I’m curious-what makes Calgary more desirable for you compared to Edmonton? I haven’t lived in Calgary myself, but I’d love to hear your thoughts on what you enjoy about it and what makes Edmonton less desirable.

[@bobthekobb]

Edmonton too, its bad this way. Our economy is bad right now mainly from gouging.

[@georgea6047]

Downtown Vancouver 1 bedroom is around $2700 - $3200 right now

[@brittanymorgan09]

@@georgea6047 yeah there's a few places we looked at in Calgary in that price range too. Got really lucky to get one under $2K. Depends on the type of building & amenities. There's so many luxury rentals here now over $2,500/mo. I'm sure Vancouver is more, but Calgary seems to be catching up. Yikes!

[@georgea6047]

@@brittanymorgan09 100% When I lived there (2018) $1500 a month would get you a very nice apartment, but also for $1500 a month you could just buy it since they are so cheap in Calgary. Now things are changing for you guys there. However, 1 bed in Vancouver (I live here) starts at 600-650k and it is almost impossible to find a decent 2 bedroom 2 bathroom for under 1mil :(

[@georgea6047]

@@brittanymorgan09 btw looking forward to a future video comparing Canada and NZ/Australia after you guys got back home! Especially things like cost of living, price increases, etc.

[@brittanymorgan09]

@@georgea6047 oh totally!! Buying property is still much cheaper here which I hope lasts. The price of rent all over the country is absolutely absurd considering wages haven't gone up much to keep up. Scary times!

[@brittanymorgan09]

@@georgea6047 awesome!! It's definitely a video I'll be working on 😊 seems like a few people are interested in that comparison for sure.

[@carolynek1875]

Britney , it's not much better in the united states.. One Bedroom goes for about 1500 to 1700 hundred a month.. Food prices are horrible. A thirty two ounce jar of hellman's mayonnaise , three years ago was $2.99..it is now $7.49.. You can't get a loaf of bread under $2.50..meat prices are so high ..people live on pasta dishes with no meat ..or buy from are dollar tree stores which actually are 1.25 but still cheaper than other grocery stores..gas is ridiculous i drive unreal ...car insurance is through the roof no pun intended lol.. I live in a condo I can't say that my electric bill is high.I only pay for electric.Like 30 during the winter and 45 during the summer cause I have Central air. My h.o.a is $ 256 a month it includes heat gas and water and taking care of property... I guess I was blessed because I bought my condo.During the pandemic..the interest rate was only 3.% now its 7%...my mortgage is so low even qith condo insurance..taxes for my condo are very low because all the exemptions i am allowed Nowadays, people can't live. Interest rates. Are crazy foods crazy People live at the dollar store.its heart breaking ... I blame corrupt politicians everywhere... Thanks for the. Great video .

[@brittanymorgan09]

Thank you for sharing all this great info!! That is wild that the US is experiencing the same crazy inflation and high cost of living. A very sad and difficult time for many indeed. I hope something happens soon to drop prices so we can all breathe a bit!

[@carolynek1875]

@brittanymorgan09 me to Brittany people are homeless all over here and it's sad there priced out here with rent and food I live in the suburbs ..keep up the good videos !!

[@losiele90]

I think Alberta needs some regulation on the rising rent rates. Rent seems to be the biggest problem, while groceries are still affordable. And Alberta is a cold area, I don't think utility fees would be too bad. For example, during the winter in South Korea, I usually spent $200-300 for a 74m² one-bedroom, including gas, electricity, and water, even my region is around 0 celcius during winter😂 I only set the room temperature between 20-22 c°

[@brittanymorgan09]

@@losiele90 Alberta definitely needs some kind of rent control. So many greedy landlords making absolute bank right now!

[@shaungordon9737]

Have you had any reverse culture shock in canada? Maybe an idea for a video

[@brittanymorgan09]

@@shaungordon9737 a bit for sure!! That's a great video idea, thank you. I have a lot of thoughts on Canada now that I'm back and it's a topic I want to discuss for sure 😊

[@TiborPolgar-e5x]

How many people would live on a bowl of pop-corn for dinner, a snack for lunch and no breakfast?

[@neilwadden1749]

I’m a non resident. Bitcoin investor. As a contrarian investor, I’m betting on a Calgary market crash based on the boom/bust history. Jobs are scarce, stupid money real estate investors are buying from Toronto and Vancouver for rental income. Rents are coming down based on this fact. I’m waiting for a busy market, then I’ll buy a house for cash and fix it up. Don’t believe what you read about housing prices going up and up. It won’t happen based on the Calgary job market.

[@LisaSmith-i9c]

If the average rental or home to purchase is more than 30% of the average Canadians wage, it’s technically not affordable…doesn’t matter how you spin it by saying it’s cheaper than Vancouver or Toronto…it’s still unaffordable…the vast majority of Canada houses and rentals are unaffordable for Canadians…we cannot win…

[@darcytiahur2996]

Would love to hear cons

[@Clkeatonjr-Carebear55]

Might I suggest a Lyft or Uber

[@aleksandrsynyavskyy6262]

Hi. Sure affordable. If you alone do 2 jobs if a couple do three

[@stephenn88]

do you really think stuffs from farmer marker are from farmers?

[@brittanymorgan09]

@@stephenn88 some vendors, no. A lot of them are though and cite the farms they work with. You just have to be careful who you are buying from as with every business.

[@gems.studio]

$1750/mo is far from close to the Downtown Vancouver number - here in Vancouver, a 400ish sqft 1 bedroom (?) is $2400. A normal 600 sqft 1 bedroom costs $2700~$3000.

[@gems.studio]

2 bedrooms are $3600~$3800 easily

[@brittanymorgan09]

@@gems.studio $1,750 is a rare find in Calgary now too. I also looked at a verrrry tiny 1 bedroom for $2700/mo. My point was that it's climbing quickly and Alberta has no limit to how much a landlord can increase rent on tenants outside of a fixed term lease. Thankfully it seems to be cooling a bit now though.