Life can be expensive. But in Calgary – one of the top 5 most livable cities in the world – you and your family can build the life you’ve always wanted to live.
Earn and save more in Calgary
Workers are paid more in Calgary than elsewhere in Canada, and Alberta has the lowest provincial tax rate nationally. Here, you and your family can spend more on what life has to offer, and save for your future.
Calgarians have one of the highest after-tax incomes nationally
At $107,400, Calgary has the highest median household after-tax income in Canada*, higher than Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal. This higher income isn’t a one-time occurrence – as a province, Alberta had the top median after-tax income for the last ten years of all Canadian provinces.
Paired with a low provincial income tax, no PST and no land transfer tax, you can build the life of your dreams in Calgary.
*According to the StatsCan 2021 Census. Median after-tax income is a better indicator than average income, as the low frequency of extremely high incomes disproportionally elevates the mean when looking at average incomes.
Alberta has lower taxes than other provinces
No PST. Alberta does not have a Provincial Sales Tax (PST). In other provinces with a provincial sales tax, the total rate can be as high as 15 per cent on the sale of all goods and services, making every-day purchase more expensive.
No Land Transfer Tax. Calgarians also experience relief when purchasing new homes with no municipal or provincial land transfer tax (LTT). While Alberta has a small land transfer fee, LTT can add thousands of dollars to the process of purchasing a home in other provinces and territories.
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Low cost of living
Calgary has the lowest cost of living of the five Canadian cities – Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver – included in Mercer’s 2024 Cost of Living Index.
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More affordable housing
Calgary has the second most affordable housing market – behind Edmonton – of all major Canadian cities (Demographia International Housing Affordability, 2024 Edition).
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Top 40 globally
Calgary is among the world’s top 40 most affordable cities for housing, compared to 94 cities in Australia, Canada, China, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States (Demographia International Housing Affordability, 2024 Edition).
Calgary has one of the lowest rental rates in Canada
Compared to other major cities in Canada, Calgary has one of the most affordable rental markets in Canada. Calgary remains more affordable than Vancouver or Toronto, with the average monthly rental price of $1,600 for a one-bedroom in Calgary, as of January 2025.
Looking to rent a home in Calgary? Learn more on our Finding a Home in Calgary page.
Buying a home is more affordable in Calgary
Calgary has the third most affordable housing market of all major Canadian cities. Your money goes further in Calgary, which means you and your family can buy the home of your dreams here.
As of January 2025, the benchmark home purchase price in Calgary was $584,600, which is $135,000 less than the average purchase price in Canada. To put this into perspective, the benchmark home price in Toronto and Vancouver is more than double the price of a home in Calgary.
Also keeping the cost of home ownership low – Alberta does not have a land transfer tax, unlike most other provinces in Canada.
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Life in Calgary
