Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Santiago de los Caballeros

For one person, living is cheaper in Santiago de los Caballeros: $914 a month against $2,223 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $15,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Santiago de los Caballeros
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Santiago de los Caballeros Living Index

Jump to prices

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,223

/mo nomad

Santiago de los Caballeros

🇩🇴 Dominican Republic

$914

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Santiago de los Caballeros

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 Santiago de los Caballeros actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,223 in Calgary versus $914 in Santiago de los Caballeros.

Calgary $2,223
Santiago de los Caballeros $914

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,301 in Calgary versus $1,405 in Santiago de los Caballeros.

Calgary $3,301
Santiago de los Caballeros $1,405

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,379 in Calgary versus $1,896 in Santiago de los Caballeros.

Calgary $4,379
Santiago de los Caballeros $1,896

Living in Calgary is roughly 143% more expensive than in Santiago de los Caballeros, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Calgary is 65% above, Santiago de los Caballeros is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.22 CA$24.34

$8.05 DOP 493

113.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.1 CA$100

$40.71 DOP 2,494

74.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.53 CA$14.89

$6.97 DOP 427

51.08%

Cappuccino

$3.66 CA$5.18

$1.77 DOP 108

106.78%

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

$1.98 CA$2.80

$0.71 DOP 43.29

178.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 CA$2.74

$0.38 DOP 23.10

410.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.95 CA$7.00

$2.44 DOP 149

102.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.57 CA$7.87

$3.25 DOP 199

71.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 CA$2.65

$1.15 DOP 70.7

63.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 CA$3.78

$1.52 DOP 93.1

75.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.32 CA$7.52

$1.55 DOP 95.1

243.23%

Eggs

$3.79 CA$5.35

$1.49 DOP 91.3

154.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.09 CA$15.68

$6.29 DOP 385

76.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.36 CA$16.05

$3.59 DOP 220

216.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.40 CA$26.01

$4.84 DOP 297

280.17%

Apples (1kg)

$4.56 CA$6.45

$3.13 DOP 192

45.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.04

$0.82 DOP 50.1

75.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.08 CA$5.76

$2.74 DOP 168

48.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.89 CA$5.50

$1.79 DOP 110

117.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.73

$1.95 DOP 120

35.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.73

$2.15 DOP 132

22.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 CA$3.54

$0.87 DOP 53.5

187.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$0.98 DOP 60.3

53.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.05 CA$19.86

$4.83 DOP 296

190.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.70 CA$22.20

$10.46 DOP 641

50.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 CA$3.45

$2.54 DOP 155

-3.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.37

$2.88 DOP 176

7.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$0.61 DOP 37.22

362.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 CA$125

$29.59 DOP 1,813

199.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 CA$4.41

$2.48 DOP 152

25.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 CA$1.91

$2.28 DOP 140

-40.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.02 CA$38.20

$5.80 DOP 355

365.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 CA$1.64

$1.41 DOP 86.6

-17.73%

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

$27.9K CA$39.5K

$15.0K DOP 919.9K

85.84%

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

$20.3K CA$28.8K

$25.0K DOP 1.5M

-18.64%

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

$161 CA$227

$90.7 DOP 5,555

77.28%

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

$38.13 CA$53.9

$26.72 DOP 1,637

42.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.0 CA$70.7

$35.93 DOP 2,201

39.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 CA$72.8

$24.92 DOP 1,526

106.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 CA$25.64

Cinema Ticket

$13.82 CA$19.54

$5.01 DOP 307

175.85%

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

$786 CA$1,111

$147 DOP 8,992

435.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.5K CA$21.8K

$5,532 DOP 338.9K

179.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 CA$82.4

$25.95 DOP 1,590

124.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.27 CA$55.5

$44.59 DOP 2,732

-11.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 CA$127

$60.9 DOP 3,730

47.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$65.3 DOP 4,001

68.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,229 CA$1,737

$664 DOP 40.7K

84.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,001 CA$1,415

$266 DOP 16.3K

276.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,921 CA$2,716

$1,471 DOP 90.1K

30.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 CA$2,292

$457 DOP 28.0K

254.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,549 CA$5,018

$947 DOP 58.0K

274.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,335 CA$4,715

$886 DOP 54.3K

276.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,165 CA$4,474

$522 DOP 32.0K

506.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

-59.00%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 13, 2026

Last update for Santiago de los Caballeros: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1K 45%

Santiago de los Caballeros

$266 29.1% 73.4% $735

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$385 17.3%

Santiago de los Caballeros

$196 21.4% 49.2% $190

Eating Out

Calgary

$265 11.9%

Santiago de los Caballeros

$130 14.2% 51.1% $135

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$249 11.2%

Santiago de los Caballeros

$153 16.8% 38.4% $96

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$134 6%

Santiago de los Caballeros

$89 9.7% 33.8% $45

Getting Around

Calgary

$110 4.9%

Santiago de los Caballeros

$46 5% 58.2% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$79 3.6%

Santiago de los Caballeros

$35 3.8% 55.8% $44

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,229 in Calgary and $664 in Santiago de los Caballeros. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays 506% 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 $41.00 in Santiago de los Caballeros for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $385 vs $196 per month, with Santiago de los Caballeros cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇩🇴 Santiago de los Caballeros

🕒 Local time

21:41 9:41 PM

23:41 11:41 PM

2 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

1,836,778

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Dominican Peso DOP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

100 DOP = 1.63 USD

100 DOP = 1.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

DOP, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Dominican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 61.26 DOP (100 DOP = 1.63 USD). 1 EUR = 68.87 DOP (100 DOP = 1.45 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Calgary vs Santiago de los Caballeros: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santiago de los Caballeros is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 143% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 506% 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: $1,229 in Calgary versus $664 in Santiago de los Caballeros. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Santiago de los Caballeros – a meal for two runs $41.00 versus $71.0 in Calgary. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,223 per month in Calgary versus $914 in Santiago de los Caballeros – a 143% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $914 in Santiago de los Caballeros versus $2,223 in Calgary, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Santiago de los Caballeros but tight or insufficient in Calgary. The gap between the two cities makes Santiago de los Caballeros 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.

Expats usually find Santiago de los Caballeros gentler on the wallet – expenses run 143% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.