CA flag
Calgary

Canada

vs
CA flag
Squamish

Canada

Climate

Calgary logs 181 frost days a year to Squamish's 132 — Squamish wins by 49. Calgary also leads on sunny days by 52.

CalgarySquamish
Sunny days
200148
Hot days
80
Frost days
181132
Rainy days
58143
Snow days
3465
Outdoor dinner months
3/124/12
Avg wind
2.6 m/s1.1 m/s
Sunshine hours
2,4181,894
Darkest month sun
101 hrs/mo48 hrs/mo
UV peak month
6.16.4

Calgary

Feels-like °C

-12
-9
-3
6
12
18
24
22
16
3
-7
-12

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Squamish

Feels-like °C

-1
0
4
9
14
16
23
20
14
7
0
-1

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Cost of Living

Calgary averages $2,741/mo for balanced living; Squamish has no cost baseline yet.

Calgary

$2,741

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $2,129Comfort $4,106
Cheaper than 82%in Among 45 US & Canada cities

Squamish

monthly · balanced

Mobility

Calgary scores 2.4 on mobility (0–5 scale); Squamish has no mobility baseline.

2.4/5
vs
/5
CalgarySquamish
CyclingCar EfficiencyAirport

Culture

Calgary's culture score of 2.2 sits well above Squamish's 0.0.

2.2/5
vs
0.0/5
CalgarySquamish
Theatre
Calgary leads

Nature & Outdoors

Calgary scores 4.2 on nature & outdoors (0–5 scale); Squamish has no nature & outdoors baseline.

4.2/5
vs
/5
CalgarySquamish
MountainsForestGreen AreasLakesRunningHikingCampingSkiingClimbing

Safety

Calgary scores 3.9 on safety (0–5 scale); Squamish has no safety baseline.

3.9/5
vs
/5
CalgarySquamish
WildfireFlooding

Career

Calgary scores 2.9 on career (0–5 scale); Squamish has no career baseline.

2.9/5
vs
/5
CalgarySquamish
JobsEconomyCoworking

Social & Community

Calgary scores 3.4 on social & community (0–5 scale); Squamish has no social & community baseline.

3.4/5
vs
/5
CalgarySquamish
Everyday EnglishMulticultural MixExpat Integration ExperienceLocal-First CommunityGovernment Immigration FriendlinessAdmin English Support

Food & Dining

Calgary scores 3.2 on food & dining (0–5 scale); Squamish has no food & dining baseline.

3.2/5
vs
/5
CalgarySquamish
RestaurantsBrunchDelivery

Family

Calgary scores 3.2 on family (0–5 scale); Squamish has no family baseline.

3.2/5
vs
/5
CalgarySquamish
UniversitiesAmenitiesSportPlaygroundsGroceriesGymYogaSpaTennis

Healthcare

Calgary scores 2.0 on healthcare (0–5 scale); Squamish has no healthcare baseline.

2.0/5
vs
/5

Air Quality

Calgary averages 8.1 µg/m³ (good) PM2.5 annually versus Squamish's 5.1 µg/m³ (good) — Squamish breathes ~37% cleaner air (3.0 µg/m³ lower).

Calgary

Squamish

8.1µg/m³
5.1µg/m³

PM2.5 annual average

Good
Good

WHO classification

City Scale

Both maps at the same real-world scale — 1 cm on either map is the same distance.

Calgary (1.5M) and Squamish (18K) are 87x in population — Calgary is the larger metro, Squamish the smaller.

87x

Calgary is roughly 87x the scale of Squamish

Based on population (area data unavailable for some cities)

CA flagCalgary
87x
CA flagSquamish
1x

City Scale Rankings

Population
1.CA flagCalgary1.5M87x
2.CA flagSquamish18K1x

Who Thrives Here

Frequently asked about Calgary vs Squamish

Which is cheaper, Calgary or Squamish?
Calgary has an estimated monthly cost of $2,741.
How does the climate compare between Calgary and Squamish?
Sunny days: 200 vs 148 d — Calgary higher Annual sunshine: 2,418 vs 1,894 hrs — Calgary higher Winter sunshine: 101 vs 48 hrs/day — Calgary higher Hot days (>30°C): 8 vs 0 d — Squamish lower Frost days: 181 vs 132 d — Squamish lower Rainy days: 58 vs 143 d — Calgary lower Snowy days: 34 vs 65 d — Calgary lower
Is Calgary or Squamish safer?
Calgary has a safety score of 3.9/5.
Should I move to Calgary or Squamish?
Calgary and Squamish are both popular relocation destinations with distinct characteristics. The best choice depends on your priorities — climate preferences, career opportunities, cost constraints, and lifestyle needs. Take the personalized quiz to find your ideal match, or explore the map to compare cities by region and lifestyle factors.

The best city depends on what matters to you

This comparison shows how Calgary and Squamish stack up on the data. But your climate preferences, budget, career needs, and lifestyle priorities can shift the picture entirely. A personalized diagnostic finds what fits your life.

Take the free diagnostic

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