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In this post, you’ll find out how expensive is Edmonton to visit and what’s the price of travel in Canada.
This post is guest-written by Ben from Horizon Unknown, who has visited more than 50 countries and blogs about affordable travelling! All the photos are kindly provided by Ben as well!
Edmonton is the capital city of Alberta and is sometimes referred to as the “City of Festivals”. Whether you’re traveling in the chilly winter winds swooping down from the Arctic, or throughout the summer festival season, Edmonton is a great place to visit.
But just how much does typical activities cost in Edmonton? Like any city, there are a bunch of variables. Lets get into a run down on average costs of travel in Edmonton.
Transport prices in Edmonton
Getting there – Edmonton is a major city, so there’s plenty of flights from within Canada and the United States of America. From the nearest city of Calgary (a 3 hour drive) flights grange from $260-300 CAD
From a major airport U.S. hub, a return trip will cost around $400 CAD if you book a little in advance.
Airport transfer – Getting from Edmonton airport (YEG) can be a little challenging. To get to downtown Edmonton, taking bus 747 takes 25 minutes to get to the most southern Light Transit Rail (LRT) station. This costs $5 CAD. From here, you can catch the LRT downtown using the same transit ticket you used for the bus. They are valid for 90 minutes after validation or purchase.
A taxi will cost around $50-60 CAD from the airport to down town and will take roughly 40 minutes, expect over an hour in rush hour times of day.
Car rental – Having a car opens up so much of the city of Edmonton. Car rental can be done from many major
Check the most recent car rental prices in Edmonton here.
Bus/ Light Rail Transit tickets – Buying your fare on the bus will cost $3.25 CAD, and is valid for 90 minutes on any bus and LRT in the city. If you’re planning on using public transport a lot, you can buy a day pass for $9.50 CAD, or a booklet of 10 tickets for $25.50 CAD.
Taxi fares – Usually a flat rate for 1km is $1.65 CAD for a cab in Edmonton, along with an initial surcharge of $3.60 CAD.
Accommodation prices in Edmonton
Just the ranges of accommodation prices from:
Luxury hotel for 2 people for 1 night – Prices for a 4.5-5 star hotel in the city range from around $200-250 CAD.
3-4 star hotel – Around $150-200 for a double room for one night.
Affordable hotel – If you’re looking for a more budget-friendly hotel, still close to downtown , you’re looking at roughly the $100 CAD mark.
Hostel for 1 person (bunk bed) – Edmonton’s HI Hostel is one of the cheapest beds in the city, but it will still cost around $50, per person, per night.
You can check the best hotels deals in Edmonton here.
Food prices in Edmonton
Basic meal for two, brought from a supermarket – for a simple stir-fry enough for two, including rice, sauce and a few vegetables, you shouldn’t spend over $10. If you want to meat to that, you should be fine with a $6 CAD increase in price.
Cheap restaurants – Edmonton is a city where you can find some cheap resutrant meals. This multicultural city is home to many Asian style meals. Ramen at a Japanese restaurant is usually my favourite choice of a quick and cheap meal. Closely followed by Pho from a Vietnamese option. $10-15 CAD meals are pretty commonly found.
Mid-range restaurants – For the next step up in restaurants, you’re looking around $20-30 CAD. For a pub dinner, or a large lunch, and a drink this price point would roughly the price point to expect.
Going out in Edmonton
One beer in a bar – If you hit the bars during a happy hour, domestic beers can be as cheap as $5CAD, with full price import beers getting up around $8 CAD.
One cocktail – you’re looking around $12-15 CAD for a cocktail at a decent bar.
Entry to a nightclub – Depending on night of the week and events taking place, nightclub can range from $10-20 CAD.
Sightseeing / tour prices in Edmonton
West Edmonton Mall is a popular activity inside the city of Edmonton. Once the largest mall/shopping center in the entire world, there’s plenty of things to see and do here.
Entrance to the Waterworld theme park costs $45 CAD, and $35 CAD for those under 45 inches (122cm). There’s also a dry theme park inside this giant mall. The cost for riding the indoor rollercoaster and number of other rides is the same as the water theme park.
The Muttart Conservatory is a fun and educational day for the entire family. These giant glass pyramids are set to different climates and showcase the range of vegetation that over in each. There are also some hands-on activities learning about these arid and humid environments .
Admission is $12.50 CAD for Adults and $10.50 CAD for seniors. Every month and or so there is a free admission day, usually held on a Saturday. The lines can get quite long on these free days.
Fort Edmonton Park is another educational day for the whole family, while learning about this historical side of Edmonton and the area.
Open from May to September for regular admission, and with events throughout the entire year. Regular admission prices are $26.20 CAD for Adults and children 2-17 are $20.90 CAD.
My personal favourite tour in Edmonton is actually free. Alberta’s Legislature holds a free walking tour, leaving every hour. To learn about the history of Edmonton and the Alberta province, this is a fantastic and cost-effective option.
Other costs in Edmonton
Festivals
As I mentioned earlier, Edmonton has earned the nickname “the city of festivals”. There’s a festival for pretty much everything you can imagine in the city.
A few amazing ones are:
Taste of Edmonton – Where restaurants gather to offer their best dishes. You buy tickets and each food or drink has a specific ticket value. Expect to pay anywhere from $2-5 CAD per dish.
Heritage Days – one of my personal favourites, the process is much the same as above. You buy tickets, and then spend them eating whatever you want to try. With around 150 different nationalities taking part each and every year, there’s always a tasty culinary experience to be had!
Street Performers Festival – As the name suggests, street performers gather to entertain hordes of people. While these acts are extremely entertaining, the cost isn’t that high. You pay your fee by tipping the performers. Usually $5-10 dollars is more than enough per act and they are always well worth that price.
Snowboard/skiing
Snowboarding and skiing is also a possibility in the city during the winter. While the hills are small, there are no mountains inside the city, you have a couple of options if you’re really itching to hit the short slopes around.
Rabbit Hill is a small drive south-west outside of the city limits. It is a bit of a drive out, especially coming from downtown. you will get the best value if you have your own wheels. By booking your ticket online, you can save anywhere from 10-30%. By picking the right day, you can snag a ticket for as little as $30 CAD for an adult.
For a much more accessible option to get a few runs in, Snow Valley is a better option. Located just north of Whitemud Drive, and West from 122nd street, these hills are more suitable for kids and engineers hitting the snowy slopes.
A full priced adult ticket will cost $39 CAD, although there are quite a number of options for half days and a few hours. The terrain is pretty small, so a capable boarder or skier will cover it within a hour or two riding.
Tickets to see a movie
There are plenty of different movie cinemas in the city. If you’re looking for a new release, Hollywood style movie, you’re looking around $30 CAD. However, if you would like a more indie or educational movie, there’s Garneau Theatre, also known as Metro Cinema. Located on 109st, a couple blocks north of Whyte Avenue (82nd Ave), it’s a great movie-going alternative. Seeing a film in this historical building costs around $10-15 CAD usually.
High level street car
For unique perspective of Edmonton, taking this historic train across the North Saskatchewan River is another cheap activity. Operating from May to October every year, jump into one of three cars from different parts of the world and see the city from the High Level Bridge.
An adult return ticket will cost you $6 CAD, while passengers under 6 years of age are free.
Edmonton Cost of travel
Being the capital of the Province Alberta, Edmonton has many memorable attractions. While some things to do cost, there are plenty of cost effective, even free things to do around the city. There are many ways to appreciate nature and enjoy a fun night out.
If you’re after a great destination in the Western Province of Alberta, Edmonton is a perfect choice for any type of traveller!