Compared with major metropolitan centres across North America, Calgary’s cost of living is bar none! Calgary offers an affordable lifestyle for households of all sizes.

Alberta Economic Development’s 2003 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, in June 2003.

Economic Research Institute provides compensation, benefits, and Human Resource research for private and public organizations in the form of published reports. The tables below are excerpts from a National Post news article dated, June 24th, 2004 by Tim Cestnick, in which the ERI tables were used to illustrate the cost of living burdens across North America.

Consider a couple living in Toronto earning $100,000 annually. They will have available $72,688 after taxes (see line C of the table). They can use these after-tax dollars to buy goods and services. If a particular basket of goods and services costs $1 in Toronto, then the couple could purchase 72,688 "baskets" in Toronto (the "relative purchasing power" in Toronto). A couple living in Calgary will pay just 85.18 cents (line D) for that same basket of goods and services in Calgary. With a disposable income of $72,129 in Calgary, the couple could buy 84,678 "baskets" in that city.

The table shows that the relative purchasing power in Calgary, after taxes, is higher than in both San Francisco and New York. Phoenix is way ahead of the pack since that same basket costs just 57.05 cents, allowing a couple in that city to buy a whopping 133,250 baskets.

Looked at another way, if a couple wants to purchase 72,688 baskets of goods and services, they'll need to earn $100,000 (Canadian) in Toronto; $90,422 in Vancouver and $84,648 in Calgary

Cost of Living Burdens Across North America
Calgary Income: $100,000 Federal Tax: $16,012 Provincial Tax: $7,296 CPP/QPP: $3,114 EI/ Medicare: $1,449 TOTAL TAXES: $27,871 Effective Tax Rate: 27.87% Disposable Income (A-B): $72,129 Cost of Living Factor: 0.8518 Relative Purchasing Power (C-D): 84,678	Vancouver Income: $100,000 Federal Tax: $16,012 Provincial Tax: $6,404 CPP/QPP: $3,114 EI/ Medicare: $1,449 TOTAL TAXES: $26,979 Effective Tax Rate: 26.98% Disposable Income (A-B): $73,021 Cost of Living Factor: 0.9193 Relative Purchasing Power (C-D): 79,431
Montreal Income: $100,000 Federal Tax: $13,371 Provincial Tax: $14,876 CPP/QPP: $3,114 EI/ Medicare: $1,449 TOTAL TAXES: $32,810 Effective Tax Rate: 32.81% Disposable Income (A-B): $67,190 Cost of Living Factor: 0.9120 Relative Purchasing Power (C-D): 73,673	San Francisco Income: $100,000 Federal Tax: $13,164 Provincial Tax: $4,234 CPP/QPP: $6,200 EI/ Medicare: $1,450 TOTAL TAXES: $25,048 Effective Tax Rate: 25.05% Disposable Income (A-B): $74,952 Cost of Living Factor: 0.9358 Relative Purchasing Power (C-D): 80,094
New York Income: $100,000 Federal Tax: $12,201 Provincial Tax: $8,090 CPP/QPP: $6,200 EI/ Medicare: $1,450 TOTAL TAXES: $27,941 Effective Tax Rate: 27.94% Disposable Income (A-B): $72,059 Cost of Living Factor: 1.2300 Relative Purchasing Power (C-D): 58,585	Toronto Income: $100,000 Federal Tax: $16,012 Provincial Tax: $6,737 CPP/QPP: $3,114 EI/ Medicare: $1,449 TOTAL TAXES: $27,312 Effective Tax Rate: 27.31% Disposable Income (A-B): $72,688 Cost of Living Factor: 1.0000 Relative Purchasing Power (C-D): 72,688