If you’re deciding between Calgary vs Saint John (NB), you’re basically choosing between two very different “Canada experiences”: a fast-growing prairie metro with a big-job-market feel versus a smaller Atlantic port city with coastal weather and a slower pace. Below is a clean, numbers-first comparison you can actually use.
Quick snapshot: the “money reality” in 60 seconds
Sales tax (everyday prices):
- Calgary (Alberta): 5% (GST only)
- Saint John (New Brunswick): 15% (HST)
That alone changes your day-to-day spending. A $100 purchase becomes $105 in Calgary and $115 in Saint John (before any shipping/fees).
Rent market pressure (how hard it is to find a place):
- Calgary vacancy (total): 4.9%
- Saint John vacancy (total): 2.1%
Lower vacancy usually means fewer choices and more competition.
1) Sales tax: Calgary wins for everyday affordability
This is one of the simplest, most reliable “cost of living” differences in Canada.
What it means in real life
If you spend (roughly) $2,000/month on taxable goods and services (not everything is taxable), the tax difference is meaningful:
- Calgary: ~$100 tax at 5%
- Saint John: ~$300 tax at 15%
That’s a ~$200/month gap on the same pre-tax spending. Even if your taxable spending is lower, the direction stays the same: Calgary’s sales tax is dramatically lighter.
2) Rental market: cheaper average rent in Saint John, tighter availability
This is where the comparison gets interesting: Saint John is cheaper on rent on average, but Calgary often gives you more selection (depending on the neighborhood and season).
Vacancy rate (October 2025)
- Calgary (total vacancy): 4.9%
- Studio: 6.0%
- 1-bedroom: 4.3%
- 2-bedroom: 5.6%
- 3+ bedroom: 3.8%
- Saint John (total vacancy): 2.1%
- 1-bedroom: 2.4%
- 2-bedroom: 1.1%
- (Some categories are suppressed in the published table.)
In plain English: Saint John is tighter—especially if you want a 2-bedroom.
Average rent (October 2025)
Calgary (apartment average rent by unit size):
- Studio: $1,382
- 1-bedroom: $1,632
- 2-bedroom: $2,048
- 3+ bedroom: $2,342
- Total average (all sizes): $1,814
Saint John:
- Total average (all sizes): $1,199
- Median rent (all sizes): $1,128
Rent trend (year-over-year change shown in the same official rental dataset)
- Calgary: average rent up ~3.6% (median up ~3.4%)
- Saint John: average rent up ~6.7% (median up ~6.6%)
So yes—Saint John is cheaper on paper, but it has shown faster rent growth in the same period, and the lower vacancy suggests the market can feel competitive.
Bottom line on housing:
- Want lower average rent? Saint John usually wins.
- Want more availability / easier searching? Calgary’s higher vacancy can help.
3) Safety: close enough that neighborhood choice matters more than the city label
A useful official yardstick is the Crime Severity Index (CSI). It’s not “how scary a city feels,” but it’s a standardized measure that helps compare places.
- Calgary (CSI, 2024): 62.3
- Saint John (CSI, 2024): 58.4
These are in the same ballpark. If you’re relocating, a smarter strategy is:
- pick the city for your lifestyle + jobs + costs,
- then pick the neighborhood for safety, walkability, and commute.
4) Weather: Calgary is much drier; Saint John is much wetter (and snowier)
This is the “quality of life” factor people underestimate. You can adapt to cold—what’s harder is months of dampness (or months of very dry air), depending on what you personally tolerate.
Climate normals (1981–2010)
Calgary (Calgary Int’l Airport):
- Average annual temperature: 4.4°C
- Total precipitation: 418.8 mm/year
- Snowfall: 128.8 cm/year
Saint John (Saint John Airport):
- Average annual temperature: 5.2°C
- Total precipitation: 1295.5 mm/year
- Snowfall: 239.6 cm/year
What this feels like day-to-day
- Calgary: colder winter stretches are common, but the climate is much drier, and snowfall totals are lower than Saint John’s. Many people find dry cold easier to handle than wet cold.
- Saint John: slightly higher annual average temperature, but far more precipitation and much higher snowfall totals. Expect more “coastal damp” days.
If you love crisp, dry air and big-sky weather—Calgary fits.
If you like coastal atmosphere and don’t mind wet/snowy conditions—Saint John can be charming.
5) The “true affordability” question most people miss
A common trap is comparing only rent and assuming the cheaper-rent city is automatically cheaper overall.
Here’s a more realistic way to think:
- Rent + availability (vacancy and competition)
- Sales tax (a constant drag on spending)
- Transportation needs (how much you’ll drive, parking, commute patterns)
- Weather friction (do you need better winter gear, do you hate damp weather, etc.)
Even if Saint John’s rent is lower on average, Calgary’s 5% tax can keep more money in your pocket month after month.
Who should choose Calgary vs Saint John (NB)?
Calgary is a better fit if you want:
- lower sales tax (5% is hard to beat in Canada)
- bigger-city energy and a larger metro scale
- more rental inventory flexibility (higher vacancy)
- dry climate and a “prairie winter” vibe
Saint John is a better fit if you want:
- smaller-city pace with a coastal setting
- lower average rent levels (in the official rental survey)
- you’re okay with a tighter rental market (lower vacancy)
- you prefer Atlantic Canada culture and don’t mind wet/snow-heavy weather
FAQ: Calgary vs Saint John (NB)
Is Saint John cheaper than Calgary?
On average rent, Saint John is lower. But Calgary’s much lower sales tax can offset part of that depending on your spending habits.
Which city has a tighter rental market?
Saint John. Lower vacancy (2.1%) means fewer options and more competition than Calgary (4.9%).
Which city has harsher weather?
Depends what you hate:
- Hate wet + heavy snow? Saint John can feel tougher.
- Hate dry air and colder snaps? Calgary can feel tougher.
Is crime “worse” in one city?
The official CSI numbers are close. Neighborhood choice will matter a lot in either city.
Conclusion: the clean verdict
Calgary vs Saint John (NB) is not just “big city vs small city.” It’s dry/low-tax/metro scale versus coastal/lower rent/tighter market.
If your priority is maximum purchasing power and lower tax, Calgary is hard to beat.
If your priority is lower average rent and coastal life, Saint John can be a smart choice—just go in with eyes open about vacancy and faster recent rent growth.
