Municipal fee and fare increases Calgarians can expect in 2026
CBC
With 2025 drawing to a close and Calgarians looking ahead to the new year, many can expect living in the city to become a bit more expensive — at least in some respects.
City council approved the 2026 municipal budget in early December, setting in motion a suite of fee and fare increases in the new year.
Here's an overview of some of the changes Calgarians can expect to see starting Jan. 1.
As part of the new city budget, property taxes will rise by 1.6 per cent.
That means homeowners will pay an estimated $4.50 extra on their property tax bill every month.
Jim Hayman has lived in Calgary since 1995. Describing himself as a pensioner, he paid close attention to the property tax increase, and feels council did its best to keep it as low as possible. (The original proposed increase was 3.6 per cent.)
“At the same time, you recognize if you want the services you have to pay for them,” Hayman said. “It’s got to go up; it’s a matter of how they control it.”
Ken Moore disagrees. He said for those on a fixed income, such as seniors, any changes can be concerning.
“There are seniors who have been in their home for 50 years,” he said. “All of a sudden their property taxes are just out of limits.”
Waste and recycling and water utilities will also see a rise of 3.9 per cent, amounting to $5.29 more per month, based on average usage.
Here’s a more detailed breakdown of the property tax and utilities changes:
The new budget increases adult transit fares to $4, up from $3.80, where they have been frozen since 2023.
An adult monthly pass will increase by $8, to $126.
Council debated scrapping the CTrain’s downtown free fare zone and eliminating free fares for children 12 and under, but ultimately voted against it.
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