Calgary vs Ottawa
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Ottawa edges it, 62 to 58, winning 5 of the 9 factors. Calgary is stronger on nothing outright; Ottawa on climate. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Calgary | Ottawa |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 20 | 22 ✓ |
| Safety | 78 | 78 |
| Healthcare | 90 | 90 |
| Internet | 77 | 80 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 40 | 40 |
| Getting there & around | 20 | 27 ✓ |
| Climate | 17 | 33 ✓ |
| Air quality | 84 | 91 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 95 | 95 |
Cost
| Metric | Calgary | Ottawa |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $2,969 | $2,850 ✓ |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Calgary | Ottawa |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 1.6 | 1.6 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 76.1 | 76.1 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 92 | 92 |
| Life expectancy | 81.6 yrs | 81.6 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Calgary | Ottawa |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 73.2 Mbps | 79.6 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 17.6 Mbps | 24.1 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Calgary | Ottawa |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Visa-free days, US passport | 180 days | 180 days |
| Visa-free days, EU passport | visa or e-visa required | visa or e-visa required |
| Visa-free days, UK passport | visa or e-visa required | visa or e-visa required |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Calgary | Ottawa |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 37 | 47 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 3 ✓ |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 3 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Calgary | Ottawa |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 2 | 4 ✓ |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 12.3 µg/m³ | 9 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Calgary or Ottawa?
- Ottawa is cheaper: about $2,850 per month versus $2,969 for one person.
- Is Calgary or Ottawa safer?
- Calgary scores higher on safety (78 vs 78), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Calgary or Ottawa?
- Ottawa: a measured median of 79.6 Mbps versus 73.2 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population; UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages). Dataset 2026.09.4. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.