Calgary

THE ULTIMATE CITY GUIDE

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We prepare this guide to help you answer some basic questions about Calgary. Where is it? How's the cost of living? What's the weather like? How's the public transportation?

Overview

Province : Alberta
Population : City -> 1,2 million / Metropolitan area -> 1,4 million (2016)
Climate : Humid continental climate
Demonym : Calgarian
Time zone : Mountain Standard Time MST (GMT -7 hours)
Area phone code : beginning with 403, 587, or 825
Postal code : beginning with T1Y, T2A to T3S

Location

East of the Rocky Mountains, Calgary is the largest city in the province of Alberta, bordering the U.S. (Montana)in the south, the province of British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east and the Northwest Territories to the north.

Cost of Living

Living costs are lower than in Vancouver or Toronto. This is due in part to Alberta having no sales tax and a lower price of gasoline and natural gas. Renting a standard two-bedroom condo in the downtown area would cost $1,200 to $1,800 per month. A monthly public transportation pass would cost around $100.
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​Overall, living costs in Calgary are quite reasonable compared to other big cities, but still above national average, but this can be offset by slightly higher wages and lower taxes.

Check here for detailed prices of the cost of living in Calgary. You can choose your currency for more ease of comparison.

Weather

Calgary is a sunny city, with just over an average of 332 days of sun. In summer, daytime temperatures can exceed 30 °C an average of 5.1 days anytime in June, July and August, and occasionally as late as September or as early as May.

Winters are cold and the air temperature can drop to or below −20 °C on average of 22 days of the year and −30 °C on average of 3.7 days of the year. Cold winters are often broken up by warm, dry Chinook winds that can rise temperatures by 20 °C in just a few hours, and may last for days.

Transportation

Calgary, like many Canadian cities, has a good public transport system. The system features light rail transit (the C-Train), regular and low-floor buses, and community shuttles.

Within downtown, you can travel free on the C-Train, powered by electricity generated on windfarms. However, the C-Train stations are not underground and heated, but outside and can be very cold in winter. 

For more information in Calgary Transit fares, check out this page.

Using a car in Calgary is advantageous, with one of the lowest gasoline prices in Canada and a public transportation system that can be chilly in winter and not as efficient and big as Toronto's or Vancouver's.

Pros and cons

Negatives :

• The long, cold winter.
• The short summer.
• A lack of history, historical buildings, and culture.

Positives :

• Lower taxes.
• Lower house prices compared to Vancouver and Toronto.
• Low crime rate.
• Salaries above the Canadian average.
• The Rocky Mountains are easily accessible by car from Calgary.
• Clean air.
• A sunny climate with low rainfall.
• Chinook winds bringing mild days in winter.

For more information on how to get a Alberta Healthcare Card, click here.

To learn more about driving and getting a driver's licence in Alberta, click here.