Calgary's cost of living
Statistics Canada's Consumer Price Index (CPI) provides a broad measure of the cost of living in Canada. While there are other ways to measure price changes, the CPI is the most important indicator because of its widespread use, for example, to calculate changes in government payments such as the Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security.
Through the monthly and annual CPI, Statistics Canada tracks the retail price of a representative shopping basket of about 600 goods and services from an average household's expenditure: food, housing, transportation, furniture, clothing and recreation.
Calculating the CPI
Prices are measured against a base year. The base year is currently 2002, and the basket for that year is given the value of 100. For example, in 2011, the Consumer Price Index for Calgary had reached 125.4, which means that what you could buy for $100 in 2002 cost $125.40 in 2011.
Annual CPI for Calgary and other Canadian Cities
Monthly CPI for Calgary and other Canadian Cities
Alberta Economic Development's Place-to-Place Price Comparison Survey for Selected Alberta Communities is produced in order to meet the needs of individuals, businesses and other organizations looking for "cost-of-living" information. The report measures and compares price levels for a basket of goods and services in 35 communities in Alberta.
Calgary's tax advantage
Calgarians enjoy a low tax regime: the province of Alberta has no municipal sales tax, provincial sales tax or provincial general capital tax. The province also boasts the lowest provincial corporate tax rate in Canada. To learn more about Calgary's business tax environment, visit the Cost of Business section.
Property tax rates for major Canadian cities
| Property Type | Calgary | Edmonton | Montreal | Ottawa | Toronto | Vancouver |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residential | 0.31380 | 0.47308 | 1.01260 | 0.569744 | 0.5895702 | 0.214861 |
| Non-Residential | 0.99087 | 1.24654 | 4.02580 | |||
| Commercial General | 1.9367482 | 0.978076 | ||||
| Commercial Office | 1.311218 | |||||
| Industrial | 1.510839 | 1.9900160 | ||||
| Industrial (Major/Large) | 1.297423 | 3.064936 | ||||
| Industrial (Light) | 0.978076 | |||||
| Farmland | 1.27139 | 0.47308 | 0.113949 | 0.1473925 | 0.215381 |
| Property type | Calgary | Edmonton | Montreal | Ottawa | Toronto | Vancouver |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residential | 0.58734 | 0.73487 | 1.01260 | 1.090539 | 0.8305702 | 0.421377 |
| Non-Residential | 1.37937 | 1.55588 | 4.02580 | |||
| Commercial General | 3.5983042 | 1.863635 | ||||
| Commercial Office | 3.798249 | |||||
| Industrial | 4.267089 | 3.6940190 | ||||
| Industrial (Major/ Large) | 3.726214 | 4.048062 | ||||
| Industrial (Light) | 1.898748 | |||||
| Farmland | 1.54493 | 0.73487 | 0.230158 | 0.2076425 | 0.944100 |
The municipal tax rate is established by City Council, while the total tax rate is the sum of the municipal tax rate and all other tax rates imposed at the discretion of its respective city (i.e. education tax rate, urban transit tax). The property types listed here were found to be the most commonly used across Canada's largest centres, however, detailed tables for each city included in the above table can be found at the following links: Calgary, Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal. Though Edmonton's tax rates are not available online, the city has property tax information online.
