Is Alberta actually more affordable than B.C. and Ontario?

The Alberta is Calling campaign did a great job of attracting newcomers with promises of a lower cost of living, but is the province actually cheaper than elsewhere in Canada once you look beyond the low housing costs?

To find out, we used data from Numbeo, a self-reported cost of living database that calculates the average costs for each city, as well as data from BrokerLink, Rentals.ca, the Canadian Real Estate Association, and Statistics Canada.

Since the Alberta is Calling campaign was mainly directed at British Columbia and Ontario residents, we’ll be comparing the cost of living in Alberta to those two provinces.

Rent

The average overall monthly rent for apartments and condos as of September 2025:

Alberta: $1,734
British Columbia: $2,430
Ontario: $2,316

Winner: Alberta

House prices

The average home price in each province as of September 2025:

Alberta: $499,278
British Columbia: $948,072
Ontario: $853,222

Winner: Alberta

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Utilities (heat, water, power, garbage)

The basic utility costs for an 85-square-metre apartment. We’re using the average between the two largest metro areas in each province since Numbeo doesn’t provide province-wide data.

Alberta: $279.56
B.C.: $145.35
Ontario: $199.18

Winner: B.C.

Phone and internet bills

The monthly average price for telecom (phone and internet) plans in each province. We used the average of the two largest metro areas in each province for these numbers as well.

Alberta: $142.56
B.C.: $150.89
Ontario: $125.77

Winner: Ontario

Car Insurance

The average monthly cost for car insurance in each province, using May 2025 data from BrokerLink.

Alberta: $262.58
B.C.: $147.92
Ontario: $191.58

Winner: B.C.

Gas prices

Beyond the cost of insurance, we calculated the average monthly price of gas per litre in each province, based on the most recent data from Statistics Canada and using the average between the two largest metro regions.

Alberta: $1.31 per litre
B.C.: $1.60 per litre
Ontario: $1.36 per litre

Winner: Alberta

Monthly food and dining costs

We based this on four weekly grocery trips for a small household, including staples such as milk, eggs, bread, rice, fresh produce, chicken, and beef, along with a few treats like beer and wine, using data from Numbeo. It also includes treating yourself to a mid-range, three-course meal for two people twice a month.

Alberta: $697.18
British Columbia: $803.52
Ontario: $728.24

Winner: Alberta

So, while Alberta is the cheapest among the three in terms of housing, food, and trips to the gas station, the high insurance and utility costs definitely eat into those savings!

Have you moved to Alberta recently? What’s been cheaper or pricier than you expected? Let us know in the comments.