Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Plata and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto Plata: $824 a month against $2,223 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $16,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Plata
Learn more

Puerto Plata Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
Learn more

Calgary Living Index

Jump to prices

Puerto Plata

🇩🇴 Dominican Republic

$824

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Puerto Plata 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 Puerto Plata and in Calgary actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $824 in Puerto Plata versus $2,223 in Calgary.

Puerto Plata $824
Calgary $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,338 in Puerto Plata versus $3,301 in Calgary.

Puerto Plata $1,338
Calgary $3,301

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,852 in Puerto Plata versus $4,379 in Calgary.

Puerto Plata $1,852
Calgary $4,379

Living in Puerto Plata costs roughly 63% less than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Puerto Plata is 39% below, Calgary is 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.64 DOP 346

$17.22 CA$24.34

-67.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.77 DOP 2,007

$71.1 CA$100

-53.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.55 DOP 463

$10.53 CA$14.89

-28.30%

Cappuccino

$1.47 DOP 90.1

$3.66 CA$5.18

-59.84%

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

$0.70 DOP 42.87

$1.98 CA$2.80

-64.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 DOP 21.07

$1.94 CA$2.74

-82.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.93 DOP 118

$4.95 CA$7.00

-61.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 DOP 155

$5.57 CA$7.87

-54.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 DOP 71.4

$1.88 CA$2.65

-37.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 DOP 92.8

$2.67 CA$3.78

-43.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 DOP 62.0

$5.32 CA$7.52

-81.02%

Eggs

$1.32 DOP 80.6

$3.79 CA$5.35

-65.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.82 DOP 234

$11.09 CA$15.68

-65.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.38 DOP 329

$11.36 CA$16.05

-52.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.38 DOP 330

$18.40 CA$26.01

-70.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.42 DOP 148

$4.56 CA$6.45

-46.93%

Banana (1kg)

$0.79 DOP 48.17

$1.44 CA$2.04

-45.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 DOP 105

$4.08 CA$5.76

-57.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.88 DOP 54.2

$3.89 CA$5.50

-77.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 DOP 63.3

$2.64 CA$3.73

-60.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 DOP 76.3

$2.64 CA$3.73

-52.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 DOP 52.0

$2.50 CA$3.54

-66.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 DOP 61.8

$1.50 CA$2.12

-32.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.40 DOP 147

$14.05 CA$19.86

-82.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.39 DOP 575

$15.70 CA$22.20

-40.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 DOP 127

$2.44 CA$3.45

-15.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 DOP 184

$3.09 CA$4.37

-2.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 DOP 59.2

$2.82 CA$3.99

-65.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 CA$125

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 DOP 199

$3.12 CA$4.41

3.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.28 DOP 140

$1.35 CA$1.91

68.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.74 DOP 352

$27.02 CA$38.20

-78.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 DOP 80.0

$1.16 CA$1.64

12.93%

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

$22.9K DOP 1.4M

$27.9K CA$39.5K

-18.11%

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

$33.0K DOP 2.0M

$20.3K CA$28.8K

62.37%

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

$40.58 DOP 2,486

$161 CA$227

-74.76%

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

$23.14 DOP 1,418

$38.13 CA$53.9

-39.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.33 DOP 2,226

$50.0 CA$70.7

-27.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 CA$72.8

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 CA$25.64

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 DOP 306

$13.82 CA$19.54

-63.82%

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

$253 DOP 15.5K

$786 CA$1,111

-67.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,437 DOP 455.6K

$15.5K CA$21.8K

-51.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.30 DOP 1,182

$58.3 CA$82.4

-66.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.03 DOP 798

$39.27 CA$55.5

-66.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.6 DOP 5,304

$89.8 CA$127

-3.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 DOP 7,528

$110 CA$155

11.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$434 DOP 26.6K

$1,229 CA$1,737

-64.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$308 DOP 18.8K

$1,001 CA$1,415

-69.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$834 DOP 51.1K

$1,921 CA$2,716

-56.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$669 DOP 41.0K

$1,621 CA$2,292

-58.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,549 CA$5,018

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,335 CA$4,715

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$328 DOP 20.1K

$3,165 CA$4,474

-89.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.56

4.51

200.67%

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

Last update for Puerto Plata: October 11, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Puerto Plata

$308 37.3%

Calgary

$1K 45% 226% $694

Groceries & Markets

Puerto Plata

$175 21.2%

Calgary

$385 17.3% 120% $210

Clothing & Footwear

Puerto Plata

$109 13.2%

Calgary

$134 6% 22.9% $25

Eating Out

Puerto Plata

$104 12.7%

Calgary

$265 11.9% 154% $161

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Puerto Plata

$100 12.1%

Calgary

$249 11.2% 149% $149

Getting Around

Puerto Plata

$19 * 2.3%

Calgary

$110 4.9% 493% $91

Sport & Entertainment

Puerto Plata

$10 * 1.2%

Calgary

$79 3.6% 691% $69

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $434 in Puerto Plata and $1,229 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays 866% 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: $33.00 in Puerto Plata vs $71.0 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $175 vs $385 per month, with Puerto Plata cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇩🇴 Puerto Plata

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

08:26 8:26 AM

06:26 6:26 AM

2 h behind Puerto Plata

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

130,000

1,267,344

💱 Currency

Dominican Peso DOP $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 DOP = 1.63 USD

100 DOP = 1.45 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to DOP – Dominican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇩🇴 Dominican Peso ($)

Dominican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 61.26 DOP (100 DOP = 1.63 USD). 1 EUR = 68.87 DOP (100 DOP = 1.45 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

USD to DOP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Puerto Plata Calgary 5,130 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Puerto Plata
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

Puerto Plata vs Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Puerto Plata is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 170% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 866% lower in Calgary. 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: $434 in Puerto Plata versus $1,229 in Calgary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $253 in Puerto Plata versus $786 in Calgary. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Puerto Plata – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $71.0 in Calgary. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $824 in Puerto Plata versus $2,223 in Calgary, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Puerto Plata but tight or insufficient in Calgary. The gap between the two cities makes Puerto Plata 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 Puerto Plata gentler on the wallet – expenses run 170% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.