A TikToker Got Real About How Much It Costs To Be Single In Calgary & It’s Gotten Worse
As the cost of living in Canada rises, money is on people’s minds.
A Calgary TikToker makes it clear that living single is more expensive than living as a couple. Josie Hart has broken down her expenses and it turns out — it’s expensive AF.
In the video, Hart spoke about how expensive it is to live alone, even in a city that’s considered relatively affordable, like Calgary.
Hart, who was hoping to move out of her current apartment building, looked at one-bedroom apartments around town, but was horrified to find that most apartments cost around $1,600 a month. Considering we’re talking about Calgary, that’s actually a lot.
“I have two jobs. I can afford it, but I still don’t want to pay for it,” she said.
In addition to not splitting the cost of renting, Hart also argued that single people would have to foot the bill for groceries, utilities like the internet, and buying furniture.
A crowd also agreed with Hart, saying it’s becoming “nearly impossible” to be single and still have a decent quality of life.
“Unfortunately the world isn’t made for singles and the rent is so terrible when you live alone,” added another.
Rent prices in Calgary are rising
Hart pointed out that she wasn’t complaining so much about rent prices in Calgary, which are still cheaper than Canadian cities like Toronto and Vancouver, but more about how much rent has increased in a year, especially for a single one Person.
She’s not wrong. Calgary is the most expensive city in Alberta to live in for a single person, with rent for a one-bedroom apartment averaging around $1,546 per month.
Not only is rent expensive, it is estimated that single people spend around $1,374 excluding rent, for a total of around $2,920.
According to Rentals.ca January 2023 Rent Report, rent in Calgary was up a whopping 22.6% year-on-year in December 2022, meaning single people are likely paying a lot more now.
It’s still not as expensive as other cities in Canada
While single life in Calgary is certainly expensive enough, others were quick to point out to Hart that it’s only going to get more expensive.
“Coming from someone who lives in Vancouver, $1,600 seems pretty good (which is sad),” one person pointed out.
You’re definitely right when you consider that the average rental cost for a one-bedroom apartment in Vancouver is a staggering $2,419.
Another person said they moved to Calgary from Victoria in search of a more affordable rent.
“In the two years I’ve been here, the rent has gone up so much,” they added.
