While property tax hikes in Calgary may be lower than initially projected, residents will still face higher prices for a wide range of municipal services when the new year begins. A series of incremental fee increases for city-run programs and transit, approved as part of the 2026 budget, will take effect in January.
Public Transit Fares See Modest Increases
Following city council's budget deliberations, Calgary Transit fares are set to rise by approximately five to six per cent. The changes mean that an adult single-use ticket will cost $4.00, up from the current $3.80. For regular commuters, the monthly adult pass price will increase from $118 to $126.
Youth riders aged 13 to 17 will also see a small bump, with a single ticket rising from $2.55 to $2.65. Their monthly pass will stay at $86 for most of the year but is scheduled to increase to $92 next September. Children 12 and under will continue to ride for free after a proposal to end that policy was defeated.
Other transit pass adjustments include:
- Adult day pass: Increasing from $11.95 to $12.65.
- Youth day pass: Rising from $8.75 to $9.25.
- Weekend family pass: Going up by one dollar to $18.
Subsidized and Seniors' Passes Also Affected
The city's Fair Entry program, which provides subsidized transit access, will see slight monthly increases for its participants. Passengers in Band A will pay $6.30 (up from $5.90), Band B will pay $44.10 (up from $41.30), and Band C will pay $63.00 (up from $59.00).
For seniors, the annual transit pass will rise from $159 to $169. The low-income seniors' pass will have a new annual fee of $34, which is two dollars more than in 2025.
The city states these fare adjustments are essential to cover growing operational costs and to fund service improvements. "We make every effort to implement small changes each year, that grow as our costs grow," officials noted, adding that the increases allow for enhancements beyond merely covering expenses.
Recreation Centre Access Gets More Expensive
The cost to stay active at City of Calgary leisure centres is also going up. Starting in January 2026, the price for a single-day adult admission will increase from $14.90 to $15.30.
These across-the-board increases for transit and recreation signify the city's effort to balance service delivery with fiscal responsibility, ensuring that user fees contribute appropriately to the system's sustainability and growth.
