Alberta’s most populated and cosmopolitan city – Calgary – falls into the middle ground when the topic of discussion is the cost of living. Mainly when compared to its major Canadian counterparts. In brief, when it comes to calculating living costs you should be prepared to pay more than you would in most other Canadian cities but less if you were in Toronto or Vancouver. But what are the exact numbers? Let’s have a closer look at them in this article on ‘Cost of Living in Calgary’ and help you analyze them well.
Accommodation and Utilities
Needless to say that housing or rental prices are the first aspects that we look for while considering shifting to a new city. Calgary’s cost of living – particularly housing – tends to fluctuate in accordance with the performance of the economy. This in turn depends on the oil and gas industry.
The rents here are usually high due to the short supply of good properties. Rent will be even higher if you’re looking for accommodation in the popular Southwest and Northwest areas.
Two-Bedroom Rentals – For this dwelling, you can expect to pay from $800 to $2,000 per month depending on the type, size and location.
Three-Bedroom Rentals – A three-bed rental property will cost you anything from $1,200 to $2,800 per month.
There is the common policy of paying a security/damage deposit of one month’s rent. You may have to pay a slightly higher deposit if the property is furnished. Most properties are unfurnished but include necessities such as carpets, main kitchen appliances (furnace/heating, dishwasher, waste disposal, oven/stove, microwave, fridge) and heating(air conditioning and central vacuum).
There are few other things to note when calculating living expenses in Calgary. For parking, you’ll be required to pay an extra fee that may range from $10 to $100 a month. Bills are fairly reasonable. You can expect to shell out $200-250 per month in a three or four-bed property for heating and electricity, even in winter.
If you are looking to buy and own a property then the prices are extremely fluctuating. It is highly subjective to the locality, age of the house, type and size. The average housing price as of March 2021 was $505,452. The prime aspect of your cost of living in Calgary will involve just housing.
Transportation
We hope we aren’t wrong when we guess that the next financial concern would be traveling mode. Well, having a car is a great asset here. Reason for this being that there isn’t an underground rail system here. You can get a monthly travel pass made which can be used on both buses as well as trains, though it isn’t way too much pocket friendly.
The cost of living in Calgary, Canada when it comes to driving a car is relatively cheap. Most people find the cost of gas very affordable. You can however also choose Uber and taxi services. The city also has a Car2Go option if you don’t wish to buy a car.
Dining and Nightlife
Calgary has countless cafes, pubs and restaurants. It provides too many good steak options. 17th Avenue and ‘Berta Beef’ are the two most popular areas you must check out. The prices of most dining places are reasonable.
Bonus Tip: The restaurants here have daily specials so that you can treat yourself every day of the week. Make sure to look out for them as they will fetch you great deals.
You may end up spending $200–300 if you have an average diet and lifestyle. A pint of beer will cost you between $6-9 before tip, which happens to be mandatory here. Keep a track of your outings because this place is quite expensive.
Fun Fact: Unlike normal situations where dining outside goes hard on your pocket, the case here in Calgary is different. Groceries, specifically meat and dairy product happen to be very expensive than what you might be used to. Thus, dining out isn’t as much of a luxury; instead is a wise way to work on your cost of living in Calgary.
Healthcare
Fortunately, even international residents with work visas are immediately eligible to apply for Alberta healthcare coverage. Just provide your identification, proof of residence and proof that you are an eligible worker at any of Calgary’s registry agencies. Trust us, this will substantially bring down your cost of living in Calgary.
The Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan (AHCIP) covers a wide range of medical services including visits to the doctor. Otherwise, a short appointment with a doctor may end up costing up to $100. Acquiring this healthcare coverage offers peace of mind, and the healthcare card arrives in the post only a few weeks after applying.
Miscellaneous
Talking about entertainment costs; you can relax. Most of the entertainment options are outdoor-based. Situated close to the Rockies you can choose amongst skiing, biking, swimming and other activities. These come at pretty much reasonable rates and it is way better to spend your hard-earned money this way rather than at a shopping mall.
On a final note, the average cost of living in Calgary can be roughly around $1500 per month. We hope we helped you get the entire picture of finance in Calgary through this blog on – ‘Cost of Living in Calgary- 2021.
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