Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Portmore and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Portmore: $1,256 a month against $2,297 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Portmore
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Portmore Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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Portmore

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,256

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,297

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Portmore and in Calgary

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Portmore versus $2,297 in Calgary.

Portmore $1,256
Calgary $2,297

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,080 in Portmore versus $3,378 in Calgary.

Portmore $2,080
Calgary $3,378

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,904 in Portmore versus $4,459 in Calgary.

Portmore $2,904
Calgary $4,459

Living in Portmore costs roughly 45% less than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Portmore is 7% below, Calgary is 70% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.43 JMD 1,646

$17.94 CA$25.15

-41.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.8 JMD 9,910

$68.9 CA$96.5

-8.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.29 JMD 1,308

$10.94 CA$15.33

-24.22%

Cappuccino

$5.37 JMD 847

$3.70 CA$5.19

45.14%

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

$0.92 JMD 145

$2.07 CA$2.90

-55.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 JMD 104

$2.04 CA$2.86

-67.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 JMD 349

$5.74 CA$8.05

-61.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 JMD 350

$5.70 CA$7.99

-61.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.01 JMD 475

$1.98 CA$2.77

52.02%

White Bread (500g)

$3.56 JMD 562

$2.65 CA$3.71

34.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.04 JMD 164

$5.84 CA$8.18

-82.19%

Eggs

$3.50 JMD 552

$3.81 CA$5.35

-8.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 JMD 1,799

$10.81 CA$15.15

5.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.35 JMD 1,002

$11.02 CA$15.45

-42.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.37 JMD 1,478

$17.87 CA$25.06

-47.57%

Apples (1kg)

$6.08 JMD 959

$4.88 CA$6.84

24.59%

Banana (1kg)

$3.98 JMD 628

$1.45 CA$2.03

174.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 JMD 463

$4.15 CA$5.82

-29.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.00 JMD 474

$3.99 CA$5.59

-24.81%

Potato (1kg)

$3.16 JMD 499

$2.93 CA$4.10

7.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 JMD 414

$3.02 CA$4.24

-13.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 JMD 252

$2.67 CA$3.74

-40.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 JMD 204

$1.57 CA$2.20

-17.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.67 JMD 1,525

$14.11 CA$19.77

-31.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.19 JMD 1,766

$15.45 CA$21.66

-27.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 JMD 434

$2.50 CA$3.51

10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 JMD 356

$3.18 CA$4.45

-29.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.21 JMD 348

$2.85 CA$3.99

-22.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.8 JMD 8,008

$90.2 CA$126

-43.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.96 JMD 152

$3.16 CA$4.43

-69.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.21 JMD 506

$1.41 CA$1.97

127.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.40 JMD 1,010

$27.46 CA$38.49

-76.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 JMD 200

$1.18 CA$1.66

7.63%

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

$44.7K JMD 7.0M

$27.9K CA$39.1K

60.35%

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

$33.2K JMD 5.2M

$21.1K CA$29.5K

57.45%

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

$157 JMD 24.8K

$182 CA$255

-13.45%

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

$28.95 JMD 4,568

$36.01 CA$50.5

-19.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.5 JMD 8,284

$48.80 CA$68.4

7.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 JMD 9,539

$48.78 CA$68.4

23.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.15 CA$25.45

Cinema Ticket

$12.98 JMD 2,048

$14.52 CA$20.35

-10.61%

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

$285 JMD 44.9K

$542 CA$760

-47.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,124 JMD 492.9K

$21.2K CA$29.7K

-85.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.32 JMD 3,679

$59.1 CA$82.8

-60.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.64 JMD 4,992

$42.34 CA$59.4

-25.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.5 JMD 12.2K

$94.2 CA$132

-17.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.9 JMD 15.1K

$109 CA$152

-11.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$321 JMD 50.6K

$1,214 CA$1,702

-73.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$220 JMD 34.8K

$1,036 CA$1,453

-78.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$666 JMD 105.1K

$2,045 CA$2,867

-67.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$589 JMD 92.9K

$1,655 CA$2,319

-64.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,530 JMD 1.2M

$3,653 CA$5,121

106.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,830 JMD 920.0K

$3,183 CA$4,462

83.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,288 JMD 203.2K

$3,219 CA$4,512

-59.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.45

4.43

113.32%

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

Last update for Portmore: November 1, 2026

Last update for Calgary: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Portmore

$336 26.8%

Calgary

$390 17% 15.9% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Portmore

$239 19%

Calgary

$267 11.6% 11.6% $28

Accommodation & Living

Portmore

$220 17.6%

Calgary

$1K 45.1% 370% $816

Eating Out

Portmore

$195 15.5%

Calgary

$277 12.1% 42.6% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Portmore

$103 8.2%

Calgary

$137 6% 33.2% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Portmore

$86 6.9%

Calgary

$78 3.4% 9.9% $8.6

Getting Around

Portmore

$77 6.1%

Calgary

$112 4.9% 46% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $321 in Portmore and $1,214 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays about 2.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $63 in Portmore vs $69 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $390 per month, with Portmore cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇲 Portmore

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

20:28 8:28 PM

19:28 7:28 PM

1 h behind Portmore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

170,000

1,267,344

💱 Currency

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JMD = 6.34 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.65 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.635 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to JMD – Jamaican Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇲 Jamaican Dollar ($)

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 = 5.65 EUR).

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).

USD to JMD in detail →

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Between locations

Portmore Calgary 4,920 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Portmore
Calgary

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

Portmore vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Portmore is about 45% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 60% lower in Portmore. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $321 in Portmore versus $1,214 in Calgary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Portmore – a meal for two runs $63 versus $69 in Calgary. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,256 per month in Portmore versus $2,297 in Calgary – Portmore is about 45% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Portmore is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Portmore gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.