Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Portsmouth

For one person, living is cheaper in Portsmouth: $929 a month against $2,232 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $15,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,232

/mo nomad

Portsmouth

🇩🇲 Dominica

$929

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Portsmouth

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 Portsmouth actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,232 in Calgary versus $929 in Portsmouth.

Calgary $2,232
Portsmouth $929

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,363 in Calgary versus $1,626 in Portsmouth.

Calgary $3,363
Portsmouth $1,626

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,493 in Calgary versus $2,323 in Portsmouth.

Calgary $4,493
Portsmouth $2,323

Living in Calgary is roughly 140% more expensive than in Portsmouth, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Calgary is 67% above, Portsmouth is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.22 CA$24.54

$5.50 EC$14.84

213.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.2 CA$101

$56.2 EC$152

26.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 CA$15.06

$6.83 EC$18.44

54.61%

Cappuccino

$3.77 CA$5.38

$2.67 EC$7.20

41.20%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 CA$2.73

$2.19 EC$5.91

-12.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 CA$2.63

$1.87 EC$5.05

-1.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.86 CA$6.93

$2.53 EC$6.84

92.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 CA$7.91

$3.73 EC$10.07

48.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 CA$2.68

$2.86 EC$7.72

-34.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 CA$3.89

$2.23 EC$6.03

22.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.34 CA$7.61

$2.01 EC$5.43

165.67%

Eggs

$3.77 CA$5.37

$6.50 EC$17.55

-42.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.29 CA$16.09

$2.66 EC$7.17

324.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.34

$5.48 EC$14.80

109.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.26 CA$26.03

Apples (1kg)

$4.64 CA$6.62

$7.21 EC$19.46

-35.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.05

$2.57 EC$6.93

-43.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.22 CA$6.02

$4.00 EC$10.81

5.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.86 CA$5.50

$4.14 EC$11.17

-6.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 CA$3.74

$2.90 EC$7.84

-9.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 CA$3.79

$2.78 EC$7.51

-4.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.59 CA$3.69

$1.82 EC$4.91

42.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 CA$2.19

$1.90 EC$5.13

-19.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.26 CA$20.32

Wine (Bottle)

$15.27 CA$21.76

$11.32 EC$30.56

34.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 CA$3.44

$1.87 EC$5.06

28.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.41

$2.67 EC$7.20

15.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 CA$4.11

$0.75 EC$2.03

284.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.7 CA$126

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.61

$3.67 EC$9.90

-11.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 CA$1.97

$3.68 EC$9.93

-62.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.49 CA$37.75

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 CA$1.68

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$28.3K CA$40.3K

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$20.7K CA$29.5K

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$159 CA$227

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$37.61 CA$53.6

$40.78 EC$110

-7.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.68 CA$70.8

$63.9 EC$172

-22.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 CA$75.9

$36.97 EC$99.8

44.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.31 CA$26.10

Cinema Ticket

$14.08 CA$20.06

$11.11 EC$30.01

26.73%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$809 CA$1,154

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K CA$22.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 CA$83.8

$55.9 EC$151

5.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.84 CA$55.4

$23.90 EC$64.5

62.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.4 CA$130

$56.0 EC$151

63.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$155

$65.9 EC$178

65.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 CA$1,764

$258 EC$696

380.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$996 CA$1,420

$223 EC$602

346.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,908 CA$2,720

$670 EC$1,808

184.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 CA$2,382

$617 EC$1,667

170.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,530 CA$5,032

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,336 CA$4,755

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,130 CA$4,461

$626 EC$1,691

399.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

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

Last update for Calgary: October 3, 2026

Last update for Portsmouth: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$996 44.8%

Portsmouth

–

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$387 17.4%

Portsmouth

–

Eating Out

Calgary

$265 11.9%

Portsmouth

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$247 11.1%

Portsmouth

–

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$134 6%

Portsmouth

–

Getting Around

Calgary

$110 5%

Portsmouth

–

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$81 3.7%

Portsmouth

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,237 in Calgary and $258 in Portsmouth. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays 400% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $71.0 in Calgary vs $56.0 in Portsmouth for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $387 vs $290 per month, with Portsmouth cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇩🇲 Portsmouth

🕒 Local time

06:38 6:38 AM

08:38 8:38 AM

2 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

3,633

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.331 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XCD, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.03 XCD (1 XCD = 0.331 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Calgary Portsmouth 6,090 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

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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 Portsmouth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Portsmouth is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 140% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 400% higher in Calgary, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,237 in Calgary versus $258 in Portsmouth. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Calgary. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Portsmouth – a meal for two runs $56.0 versus $71.0 in Calgary. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $929 in Portsmouth versus $2,232 in Calgary, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Portsmouth but tight or insufficient in Calgary. The gap between the two cities makes Portsmouth the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Calgary and Portsmouth are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Portsmouth gentler on the wallet – expenses run 140% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.