Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Duncans

For one person, living is cheaper in Duncans: $1,004 a month against $2,297 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $15,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Calgary, Canada
Duncans, Jamaica
Calgary
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,297
/mo nomad
Duncans
🇯🇲 Jamaica
$1,004
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Duncans

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Calgary and in Duncans actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,297 in Calgary versus $1,004 in Duncans.

  • Calgary $2,297
  • Duncans $1,004

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,378 in Calgary versus $1,661 in Duncans.

  • Calgary $3,378
  • Duncans $1,661

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,459 in Calgary versus $2,319 in Duncans.

  • Calgary $4,459
  • Duncans $2,319

Living in Calgary is roughly 129% more expensive than in Duncans, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Calgary is 70% above, Duncans is 26% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Calgary
Duncans
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.94 CA$25.15
$13.31 JMD 2,100
34.79%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.9 CA$96.5
$75.9 JMD 12.0K
-9.30%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.94 CA$15.33
$8.29 JMD 1,308
31.97%
Cappuccino
$3.70 CA$5.19
$5.28 JMD 833
-29.92%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.07 CA$2.90
$1.19 JMD 188
73.95%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.04 CA$2.86
$0.74 JMD 116
175.68%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.74 CA$8.05
$2.17 JMD 342
164.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.70 CA$7.99
$3.13 JMD 494
82.11%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Calgary
Duncans
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.98 CA$2.77
$4.03 JMD 635
-50.87%
White Bread (500g)
$2.65 CA$3.71
$3.81 JMD 601
-30.45%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.84 CA$8.18
$1.59 JMD 250
267.30%
Eggs
$3.81 CA$5.35
$3.44 JMD 543
10.76%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.81 CA$15.15
$11.47 JMD 1,811
-5.75%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.02 CA$15.45
$6.24 JMD 984
76.60%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.87 CA$25.06
$10.30 JMD 1,626
73.50%
Apples (1kg)
$4.88 CA$6.84
$6.03 JMD 952
-19.07%
Banana (1kg)
$1.45 CA$2.03
$3.93 JMD 620
-63.10%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.15 CA$5.82
$7.21 JMD 1,138
-42.44%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.99 CA$5.59
$3.06 JMD 482
30.39%
Potato (1kg)
$2.93 CA$4.10
$3.29 JMD 520
-10.94%
Onion (1kg)
$3.02 CA$4.24
$2.64 JMD 416
14.39%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.67 CA$3.74
$3.03 JMD 478
-11.88%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.57 CA$2.20
$1.45 JMD 228
8.28%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.11 CA$19.77
$9.59 JMD 1,512
47.13%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.45 CA$21.66
$11.56 JMD 1,824
33.65%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.50 CA$3.51
$2.94 JMD 464
-14.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.18 CA$4.45
$3.97 JMD 627
-19.90%
🚌 Getting Around
Calgary
Duncans
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.85 CA$3.99
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$90.2 CA$126
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.16 CA$4.43
$1.29 JMD 203
144.96%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.41 CA$1.97
$3.09 JMD 487
-54.37%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.46 CA$38.49
$6.21 JMD 981
342.19%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.18 CA$1.66
$1.46 JMD 230
-19.18%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.9K CA$39.1K
$44.1K JMD 7.0M
-36.90%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.1K CA$29.5K
$33.0K JMD 5.2M
-36.15%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Calgary
Duncans
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$182 CA$255
$169 JMD 26.6K
7.89%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$36.01 CA$50.5
$29.03 JMD 4,581
24.04%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$48.80 CA$68.4
$53.6 JMD 8,456
-8.94%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Calgary
Duncans
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$48.78 CA$68.4
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.15 CA$25.45
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.52 CA$20.35
$13.29 JMD 2,097
9.26%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Calgary
Duncans
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$542 CA$760
$367 JMD 57.9K
47.64%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.2K CA$29.7K
$8,239 JMD 1.3M
156.93%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Calgary
Duncans
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.1 CA$82.8
$23.96 JMD 3,781
146.54%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.34 CA$59.4
$31.04 JMD 4,897
36.40%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.2 CA$132
$76.6 JMD 12.1K
22.92%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$109 CA$152
$105 JMD 16.5K
3.58%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Calgary
Duncans
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,214 CA$1,702
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,036 CA$1,453
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,045 CA$2,867
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,655 CA$2,319
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,653 CA$5,121
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,183 CA$4,462
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Calgary
Duncans
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,219 CA$4,512
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.43
9.45
-53.12%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Calgary: November 2, 2026

Last update for Duncans: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Calgary
$1K
Duncans
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Calgary
$390
Duncans
$383 1.7% $6.5
Eating Out
Calgary
$277
Duncans
$219 20.9% $58
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Calgary
$267
Duncans
$251 5.8% $15
Clothing & Footwear
Calgary
$137
Duncans
$106 22.3% $30
Getting Around
Calgary
$112
Duncans
$17 * 85.1% $95
Sport & Entertainment
Calgary
$78
Duncans
$27 * 65.8% $51

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $69 in Calgary vs $76 in Duncans. Groceries flip the comparison at $390 vs $383, with Duncans cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Calgary
🇯🇲 Duncans
🕒 Local time
04:57 4:57 AM
05:57 5:57 AM
1 h ahead of Calgary
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,267,344
5,153
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

JMD, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.635 EUR).

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.34 USD). 1 EUR = 177 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.64 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Calgary Duncans 4,840 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Calgary
  • Duncans

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Calgary vs Duncans: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Duncans cheaper than Calgary?
Duncans is about 56% cheaper overall, especially in transport, eating out, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $3,445 in Calgary and $1,505 in Duncans to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
Is eating out cheaper in Calgary or in Duncans?
Dining out is cheaper in Calgary – a meal for two runs $69 versus $76 in Duncans. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $542 in Calgary versus $367 in Duncans. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Calgary or in Duncans?
At $1,004 in Duncans versus $2,297 in Calgary, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Duncans but tight or insufficient in Calgary. The gap between the two cities makes Duncans the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Calgary or in Duncans?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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