Which place is cheaper, Calgary or London?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit London or Calgary?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between London and Calgary can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: London or Calgary?
London
The capital of the United Kingdom is a thriving multicultural metropolis. Steeped in iconic landmarks, world-class museums and royal parks, London is energetic, majestic, ambitious and one of the world's greatest cities. London is a cultural and fashion capital, a great place to go out, an amazing place to eat and one of those cities that is constantly changing with new and exciting things sprouting up almost every day. History and tradition greet you at every turn in the UK's capital. London is also a city with an edgy underbelly, delighting in neon pink dive bars, cheeky graffiti and mind-blowing street food. When you need a break from the action, pop into a pub or relax in one of the city's many parks. Blow through the city on a double-decker bus, and take a pinch-me-I'm-in-London walk through the West End. As one of the most visited cities in the world, London is busy, vibrant and very tourist friendly. The only problem with London is that it's very expensive; it can eat away at your budget if you aren't careful. Luckily, there are also tons of free or cheap things to do in London that can fill your time.
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.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in United Kingdom, The Best 3-Day Tours in United Kingdom, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Canada, and The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Canada.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayLondon £190Calgary £124
The average daily cost (per person) in London is £190, while the average daily cost in Calgary is £124. 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 London and Calgary in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personLondon £123Calgary £59
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomLondon £246Calgary £118
Compare Hotels in London and Calgary
Looking for a hotel in London or Calgary? 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: London Hotel Prices and Calgary Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.London £26Calgary £10
Typical Local Transportation Prices in London
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in London:
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Taxi Ride£15
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Heathrow Express£18
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Luggage Storage£8.00
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London Map£1.29
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Oyster Card£36
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Train to Gatwick Airport (2)£22
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Oyster Card£27
Hired Cars and Shuttles in London
Also for London, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Chauffeur Car Transfer Services from London To Gatwick Airport: $292
- Chauffeur Limo Transfer Services from Heathrow Airport To London: $229
- "Private Group Transfer: Heathrow Airport to City of London": $173
- "Private Transfer: Heathrow Airport to Central London Hotel": $70
- "Private Transfer: Heathrow Airport to Dover Cruise Port": $147
- "Private Transfer: London Heathrow Airport to Bath".: $163
- "Private Transfer: London Heathrow Airport to Bournemouth".: $153
- "Private Transfer: London Heathrow Airport to Cambridge.": $107
- "Private Transfer: London Heathrow Airport to Crawley.": $94
- "Private Transfer: London Heathrow Airport to Dorking.": $83
- "Private Transfer: London Heathrow Airport to Dorking.": $82
- "Private Transfer: London Heathrow Airport to Guildford.": $78
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Calgary
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Calgary:
- From Icefields Parkway Route Tour w/Hotel Transfers: $731
- Private Transfer to Banff or Canmore: $621
- From Private Transfer to Lake Louise: $584
- From Calgary Airport: One-Way Private Transfer to Banff: $511
- Lake Louise: Calgary to Lake Louise Private Transfer 1 Way: $475
- Banff To Calgary Airport - Private Transfer: $365
- From Calgary Airport: Private Transfer to Banff by Tesla: $365
- Private Calgary to Banff One-way Transfer in Luxury Car: $297
- Calgary Air to Fairmont/Radium Hot Springs Round-Trip Transfer: $296
- Calgary Airport to Lake Louise | Private Transfer: $282
- Calgary International Airport (YYC) to Field - Roundtrip Transfer: $252
- Calgary Airport (YYC) to Lake Louise | Private Transfer: $235
Is it cheaper to fly into London or Calgary?
Prices for flights to both Calgary and London 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 dayLondon £34Calgary £25
Typical Food Prices in London
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to London:
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Lunch at Starbucks£13
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Tea£6.00
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Afternoon Tea at Fortnum & Mason£39
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Morning Tea£6.35
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Pastry£5.00
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Sushi Dinner for One£18
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in London
For London, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Borough Market Self-guided food tour: $5.76
- Hard Rock Cafe with Set Menu for Lunch or Dinner: $35
- Picadilly Circus: Hard Rock Cafe Set Menu Lunch or Dinner: $36
- Hard Rock Cafe Piccadilly Circus with Set Menu for Lunch or Dinner: $38
- Traveling Spoon Nepalese Momos Private Online Cooking Class: $40
- Pizza Making Cookery Class: $53
- No Diet Club - Best food Tour in East London: $68
- African & Caribbean Food Tour in Multi-Cultural Brixton: $74
- Borough Bites, The London Food Tour: $74
- Borough Market Flavors of London Food Tour: $74
- Plant Power - Vegan Food Tour: $88
- Traditional English Walking Food Tour With London Food Tours: $95
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£6.52
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
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.London £33Calgary £12
Typical Entertainment Prices in London
For London, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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Two Tickets to a Concert£83
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London Symphony Orchestra£34
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London Pass£47
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Comedy Show£8.00
Tours and Activities in London
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for London.
- London's Hidden Gems Self Guided City Tour: $3.26
- London Scavenger Hunt and Best Landmarks Self-Guided Tour: $3.28
- Harry Potter Movie Locations Self Walking Tour: $3.77
- Jack the Ripper Self Guided Audio Tour in London: $4.91
- Private Audio Guided Walking Tour in London: $5.45
- Soho's Contribution to Health Care History Walking Audio Tour: $5.48
- Bloomsbury's Contribution to Health Care History: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.48
- Covent Garden: A Self-Guided Photography Tour : $5.54
- Brick Lane: A self-guided audio tour of East London's vibrant jewel: $5.54
- Camden Town's Quirky Characters: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.54
- London Lights: A Self-Guided Audio Tour of the Cultural Capital of the World: $5.54
- Secret An audio tour about the heritage of the city's Russian immigrants: $5.54
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)£18
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 Yoho Tour | Moraine Lake | Johnston Canyon | From Calgary: $118
- 2 Days Jasper and Banff Tour from Calgary: $163
- 2-Hour Private Walking Tour of Calgary's Highlights: $238
- 2-Hour Scooter Tour of Calgary's City Highlights: $68
- 3-Hour Bike Tour of Calgary, E-Bike Upgrade Options Available: $101
- 3-Hour Street Art Tour of Calgary with Craft Beer Tastings: $101
- 3-Hour Tips Based Walking Tour of Calgary: $5.47
- Afternoon tour to Banff from Calgary: $244
- Banff Area & Johnston Canyon 1-Day Tour from Calgary or Banff: $119
- Banff Deep 1 Day Tour in Banff National Park: $172
- Banff Hot Springs - Gondola - Wildlife Tour from Calgary/Banff: $115
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayLondon £15Calgary £8.83
Sample the Local Flavors in London
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in London:
- Self Guided Audio Tour in London Old Pub Crawl: $7.63
- Fun London Pub Crawl Treasure Hunt with 20% off ALL drinks!: $13
- 2-Hour Haunted Pub Walking Tour: $20
- Haunted London Pub Walking Tour: $20
- 1 Big Night Out Weekday Pub Crawl: $24
- Craft Brewery Tour with Tasting of 4 Beers: $25
- Shoreditch Pub Crawl in London: $25
- Guided Historic Pub Tour (London): $27
- Pub Crawl of Central London: $29
- Camden Pub Crawl & Bar Tour London: $31
- Pub Crawl and Nightlife Tour: $31
- Burlesque Cabaret Show in Covent Garden: $31
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
- Calgary Brewery Tour: $89
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between London and Calgary, we can see that London is more expensive. And not only is Calgary much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since London is in Europe and Calgary is in North America, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Calgary would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Calgary and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in London would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in London than you might in Calgary.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is London Expensive? and Is Calgary Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, London or Calgary?
London has a larger population, and is about 7 times larger than the population of Calgary. When comparing the sizes of London and Calgary, 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.