Here's What I Spend Monthly In Calgary & How It Compares To When I Was Living In London

When I moved to Alberta from London almost 18 months ago, a huge part of the decision was the cost.

As much as I loved living in London, it was pretty damn expensive. Most of the time, I couldn't afford to go out to eat or head to the pub because basically all my money went to the necessities.

While I knew rent in Calgary was going to be a lot cheaper, there are some areas where Canada proved to be way more expensive that really took me by surprise.

Here's how much my basic costs varied in both cities, and it might make Londoners want to cry a little bit:

Rent

$1,380 in Calgary vs. £1,485 in London ($2457.45) in London, per month

One of the biggest draws in moving to Calgary was how cheap it is to rent while still getting that city lifestyle. Rent here is pretty affordable, and I was even offered an incentive when I signed my contract, which brought my rent for a one-bedroom condo down by almost $100 a month. My rent also includes water and heat (which is very much needed in Calgary) as well as a ton of amenities in the building.

Rent in London was over $1,000 a month more expensive including council tax (which is extortionate, btw), and it was literally just for the roof over my head. I was sharing a one-bed apartment at this time, so while my share was slightly cheaper than the amount I pay now, I also had way less space.

Utilities

$56.81 in Calgary vs. £126.50 ($208.72) in London per month

While heat and water are included in my rent in Calgary, I pay for electricity on top. It's actually pretty affordable, and in the height of winter, it cost me a reasonable $56.81. There have also been rebates in place in Alberta for the last few months, so my bills have been pretty low.

Looking at how much I paid on top of rent in London now makes me want to cry a bit. Electricity (including heating) came to around £63.73 a month (about $104.85), and water was roughly £62.77 ($103.87). Yes, I was sharing bills too at this point, but it's still a hefty price tag.

Internet

$94.50 in Calgary vs. £26 ($43.03) in London per month

Though rent and utilities, for the most part, were a lot cheaper, one of the biggest differences I found since moving was the cost of the internet. In the U.K., a basic internet plan is less than half the cost of what I pay now in Canada.

Sadly, it's a price I'll have to pay to watch Netflix all evening.

Phone Bill

$74.50 in Calgary vs. £23 ($38.06) in London per month

Another huge plus in the U.K.'s favour is how cheap phone plans are compared to Calgary. I now pay almost twice the amount, and I have way less data (10GB, whereas I used to have 25GB). It's not a deal breaker, as a lot of other living costs are more affordable, but it is kind of wild just how expensive it is.

Gym

$0 in Calgary vs. £45 ($74.47) in London per month

Remember I mentioned those building amenities? One of those is a huge gym just a floor above my apartment. No more paying for a very lightly used gym membership!

In London, I paid almost $75 for a very tiny gym in the basement of a block of flats that was basically always full, and it was a struggle to find equipment free to use.

Transport

$0 in Calgary vs. £130 ($215.13) in London per month

When I moved to Calgary, I ended up working remotely, which meant I didn't need to pay for transit anymore. I live downtown, so most places I want to visit are within walking distance. Even if I did need to use transit regularly, in Calgary, it's only $112 a month, including buses and the C-Train, and I could use that pass anytime.

In comparison, I used to pay the equivalent of over $200 for a monthly pass for public transport when I lived in London. What's worse is that would let me use busses or travel on very specific routes from Zone 3 outwards. But if I wanted to head into central London, I'd have to pay even more.

Groceries

$300 in Calgary vs. £150 ($248.23) in London per month

Obviously, groceries do vary quite a bit on a weekly basis, but if I were going to eat almost every meal at home for a month, it would usually add up to around $300 in Calgary. Things like a lot of fruits and vegetables and cheese can be kind of pricey when compared to supermarkets in the U.K.

All of those basic expenses brought my total to: $1905.81 in Calgary vs. £1,985.50 ($3285.71) in London.