Which place is cheaper, Vancouver or Calgary?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Calgary or Vancouver?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Calgary and Vancouver can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Where Should I go: Calgary or Vancouver?
Calgary
Calgary is the largest city in Alberta and, located at the edge of the prairie and foothills, it is a gateway to the Rocky Mountains. If you're headed to Banff or Jasper, this is likely to be your first stop. It's also Canada's fourth largest city and worth a few days visit. Calgary's economy is diverse, but includes energy, financial services, film and television, transportation, technology, manufacturing, and much more.
Vancouver
Vancouver is a beautiful and cosmopolitan city in Western Canada. It is also the largest city in British Columbia, and is dramatically positioned between the coast and mountains. It's a very international city, with a high level of energy and countless activites that you can enjoy while you're in town. In addition to offering all of the activities and entertainment of a modern city, it is also in jumping off distance to any number of outdoor activities.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Canada, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Canada, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Canada, and Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Canada.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayCalgary $154Vancouver $141
The average daily cost (per person) in Calgary is $154, while the average daily cost in Vancouver is $141. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Calgary and Vancouver in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personCalgary $73Vancouver $87
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomCalgary $146Vancouver $174
Compare Hotels in Calgary and Vancouver
Looking for a hotel in Calgary or Vancouver? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Calgary Hotel Prices and Vancouver Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Calgary $12Vancouver $12
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Calgary
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Calgary:
- From Icefields Parkway Route Tour w/Hotel Transfers: $726
- Private Transfer to Banff or Canmore: $617
- From Private Transfer to Lake Louise: $581
- From Calgary Airport: One-Way Private Transfer to Banff: $508
- Lake Louise: Calgary to Lake Louise Private Transfer 1 Way: $472
- From Calgary Airport: Private Transfer to Banff by Tesla: $363
- Banff To Calgary Airport - Private Transfer: $363
- Private Calgary to Banff One-way Transfer in Luxury Car: $298
- Calgary Air to Fairmont/Radium Hot Springs Round-Trip Transfer: $295
- Calgary Airport (YYC) to Banff Thermal Round-Trip Transfer: $277
- Calgary International Airport (YYC) to Field - Roundtrip Transfer: $251
- Roundtrip Transfer Private Minivan Calgary Airport (YYC) -Calgary: $181
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Vancouver
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Vancouver are as follows:
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SkyTrain from Airport$6.35
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Taxi from Airport to Downtown$21
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15 min Taxi Ride$8.71
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SkyTrain DayPass$6.53
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Vancouver
Also for Vancouver, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Airport Transfer: $157
- Arrival Private Transfer Vancouver YVR or Cruise Port to Vancouver by Minibus: $164
- Arrival Private Transfer from Vancouver YVR or Cruise Port to Vancouver by SUV: $120
- Arrival Private Transfer from Vancouver YVR or Port to Vancouver by Business Car: $108
- Arrival Private Transfer: Vancouver Airport YVR to Vancouver in Business Car: $120
- Arrival Private Transfer: Vancouver Airport YVR to Vancouver in Luxury Car: $162
- Arrival Private Transfer: Vancouver Airport YVR to Vancouver in Luxury SUV: $133
- Canada Place Cruise Port to Vancouver Airport (YVR) - Departure Private Transfer: $93
- Canada Place Cruise Port to Vancouver Arrival Private Transfer: $54
- Canada Place Cruise Port to Vancouver hotels - Arrival Private Transfer: $93
- Canada Place Cruise Port to Vancouver hotels - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $185
- Canada Place Cruise Port: Transfer to Vancouver hotels: $423
Is it cheaper to fly into Calgary or Vancouver?
Prices for flights to both Vancouver and Calgary change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
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Food Meals for one dayCalgary $31Vancouver $31
Typical Food Prices in Calgary
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Calgary:
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Bread, Chips, Cheese$8.10
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Calgary
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Calgary.
- Light Brunch & Food Tour at Calgary Farmers' Market WEST: $81
Typical Food Prices in Vancouver
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Vancouver:
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All You Can Eat Sushi Lunch$8.80
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Vancouver
For Vancouver, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- A Wok Around Food Tour of the Granville Island Public Market: $83
- The Gastown Experience Walking Food Tour: $84
- Experience Gastown Vancouver's Elite Walking Food Tour: $93
- Gastown Historic Walking Food Tour: $96
- Private Historical Food Tour of Gastown : $107
- North Vancouver Shipyards Food Tour: $108
- VIP Granville Island Market Vancouver - Walking Food Tour: $111
- Vancouver Authentic Chinese Food Tour: $134
- Downtown Vancouver Asian Eats - Walking Food Tour: $138
- Authentic Asian Eats Walking Food Tour: $141
- 3-Hour Bowen Island Boat Cruise with Dinner: $152
- Vancouver Evening Dinner Cruise: $158
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Calgary $15Vancouver $36
Typical Entertainment Prices in Calgary
Here are a few typical costs in Calgary for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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Stampede Admission (for 2)$22
Tours and Activities in Calgary
Here are a few actual costs in Calgary for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Classic Banff DayTour: Banff, Bow Falls, Johnston Canyon : $135
- 1 Day Tour in Rocky Mountain Banff National Park: $156
- 1 Day Tour in Rocky Mountain Yoho National Park: $156
- 2 Day Scenic Tour in Calgary Banff Lake Louise Moraine Lake: $223
- 2-Hour Private Walking Tour of Calgary's Highlights: $239
- 2-Hour Scooter Tour of Calgary's City Highlights: $69
- 3-Hour Bike Tour of Calgary, E-Bike Upgrade Options Available: $102
- 3-Hour Street Art Tour of Calgary with Craft Beer Tastings: $101
- Banff Area & Johnston Canyon 1-Day Tour from Calgary or Banff: $115
- Banff Deep 1 Day Tour in Banff National Park: $172
- Banff Hot Springs - Gondola - Wildlife Tour from Calgary/Banff: $116
- Banff Tour with Gondola & Lake Cruise - roundtrip from Calgary: $241
Tours and Activities in Vancouver
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Vancouver.
- Vancouver self-guided tour App - multilingual AudioGuide: $4.27
- Self-Guided Smartphone Walking Tour of Gastown: $4.72
- Self-Guided Smartphone Walking Tour of Gastown: $4.81
- Discover Stanley Park with a Smartphone Audio Walking Tour: $5.08
- Fort Langley: a Film & Television Smartphone Audio Walking Tour: $5.18
- Cycling the Seawall: A Self-Guided Audio Tour Along the Stanley Park Seawall: $5.46
- Walking Tour Along Stanley Park's Seawall: $6.66
- Vancouver Downtown: Espionage Adventure Outdoor Escape Game: $6.92
- Self-Guided Smartphone Tour of Stanley Park: $7.26
- Self-Guided Smartphone Walking Tours of Stanley Park: $7.40
- VanDusen Botanical Garden Admission Ticket: $7.62
- Scavenger Hunt Adventure in North Vancouver by Operation City Quest: $10
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayCalgary $11Vancouver $16
Sample the Local Flavors in Calgary
Also in Calgary, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Calgary Brewery and Wine Tours at Award Winning Venues: $83
Sample the Local Flavors in Vancouver
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Vancouver:
- Gastown Pub Crawl: $22
- Vancouver - Granville Pub Crawl: $25
- 3.5-Hour Craft Brewery Tour: $84
- Vancouver Craft Brewery Tour Led by a Local: $90
- Vancouver Craft Brewery Tour: $90
- Vancouver Behind-the-Scenes Brewery Tour: $93
- Fraser Valley Wine Tour: $134
- Fraser Valley Wine Tour with a light Lunch from Vancouver: $134
- Vancouver Wine Tour (Fraser Valley): $134
- From Half-Day Fraser Valley Wine Tour: $137
- Stawamus Chief Hike and Local Brewery Tasting: $164
- Stawamus Chief Hike & Local Brewery Tasting : $167
When comparing the travel costs between Calgary and Vancouver, we can see that Calgary is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in North America, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Calgary Expensive? and Is Vancouver Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Calgary or Vancouver?
Vancouver has a larger population, and is about 80% larger than the population of Calgary. When comparing the sizes of Calgary and Vancouver, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.