Hi Stuart,

Check out these sites, they will give you some ideas re rental costs.

http://www.rentfaster.ca/calgary.php

http://www.homerent.ca/search/?r_=19...Selected+Areas

http://www.viewit.ca/city/calgary.as...FQQCagodUi4njw

Good luck.

and you're not in calgary.
i earn a lot more here than the UK and my wife has almost doubled her salary for the same job.. and i mean doubled in pounds...

even a shop front job pays a fiar bit here, if it doesnt, people walk out and have a new job the same day...

I'm a teacher, there is no way I will be earning close to what I was earning in London.
What kindof jobs are you doing to have doubled your income? Think I may need to change professions!!!

my wife is a project estimator/manager for a large construction firm. im in the police, and earn a fair bit more than my uk salary. plus we dont get shafted for over time here, everything is double time or more, and we get paid it all, rather than just time off in lieu when they mess up your days off..

london salaries arnt a fair comparison, but the cost of everything here is a lot less than london!

As a UK policeman moving into the Calgary police, did you have to go through the same application procedure as new candidates (ie not previously international police...) to the police force in Calgary?
It seems a pretty comprehensive/complicated application process here (I mean Calgary when I say here) , do you think it is as difficult as it seems to get through the application process?

I second that - we live in Kensington. Easy access to downtown and the area itself has a good vibe.

Just want to disagree with what some people have said about ski gear. Gear might be cheaper here. But we have found nothing ski wise that competes with the prices of the european online stores. Specifically Ski Bilek or Conrad.

I bought one luvs very cheaply there, around £180 and haven't seen them for less that around $700 here.

yes everyone does the same process, whether ex uk police or not. even ex RCMP do the same.

its obviously doable, as i passed, but you do need to prepare yourself for it.

Thanks Wallace,

I'll stick 1500 CAD per month down as my budget for an apartment. Seems like the going rate for a smart 1 bedroom in the areas you guys recommend.

Once I get to Calgary what's the best approach to renting. Should I be getting a letting agent to do the donkey work or simply phone the numbers on the online adverts and arrange viewings etc myself?

do it yourself, its simple, probably less hassle than with an agent who wont know your schedule as well as you, so would be much more tooing and froing...

also without an agent if you rent from a private person you pay less as they dont have to pay the agent any commision..