Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Hay River, NT

For one person, living costs are similar in Calgary and in Hay River, NT: $2,255 and $2,228 a month, rent and utilities included.

109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
Learn more

Calgary Living Index
108

Cost of Living Index in Hay River, NT
Learn more

Hay River, NT Living Index

Jump to prices

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,255

/mo nomad

Hay River, NT

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,228

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Hay River, NT

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 Hay River, NT actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,255 in Calgary versus $2,228 in Hay River, NT.

Calgary $2,255
Hay River, NT $2,228

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Calgary versus $3,228 in Hay River, NT.

Calgary $3,361
Hay River, NT $3,228

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,468 in Calgary versus $4,227 in Hay River, NT.

Calgary $4,468
Hay River, NT $4,227

Living in Calgary is roughly 1% more expensive than in Hay River, NT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 66% above, Hay River, NT 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 CA$24.85

$17.76 CA$25.11

-1.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 CA$97.6

$64.5 CA$91.1

7.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 CA$14.97

$10.38 CA$14.67

2.02%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.42

$3.54 CA$5.01

8.47%

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

$1.93 CA$2.72

$2.03 CA$2.87

-4.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.66

$1.60 CA$2.27

17.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.09 CA$7.20

$5.28 CA$7.46

-3.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 CA$7.97

$5.67 CA$8.01

-0.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 CA$2.82

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 CA$3.93

$2.50 CA$3.53

11.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.59 CA$7.90

$3.28 CA$4.63

70.43%

Eggs

$3.70 CA$5.23

$3.44 CA$4.86

7.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.48 CA$16.23

$10.04 CA$14.19

14.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.20 CA$15.84

$11.38 CA$16.09

-1.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.59 CA$26.28

$14.79 CA$20.91

25.69%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 CA$6.64

$3.71 CA$5.24

26.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.32 CA$1.87

9.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.34 CA$6.13

$3.74 CA$5.29

16.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.79 CA$5.36

$3.79 CA$5.35

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.81

$2.45 CA$3.46

9.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.75 CA$3.88

$2.25 CA$3.17

22.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 CA$3.62

$2.42 CA$3.42

5.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$1.62 CA$2.29

-7.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.39 CA$20.34

$14.17 CA$20.03

1.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.81 CA$22.35

$12.77 CA$18.05

23.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 CA$3.49

$2.63 CA$3.72

-6.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 CA$4.39

$3.10 CA$4.38

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.81 CA$3.97

$2.26 CA$3.20

24.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.6 CA$128

$62.1 CA$87.7

45.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 CA$4.64

$2.79 CA$3.95

17.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 CA$1.97

$1.46 CA$2.07

-4.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.49 CA$37.45

$22.52 CA$31.83

17.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.72

$1.15 CA$1.62

6.09%

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

$28.4K CA$40.1K

$28.0K CA$39.6K

1.37%

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

$20.8K CA$29.5K

$19.1K CA$27.1K

8.82%

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

$165 CA$233

$131 CA$186

25.25%

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

$38.24 CA$54.1

$37.62 CA$53.2

1.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.1 CA$70.9

$52.7 CA$74.4

-4.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 CA$76.1

$40.43 CA$57.2

33.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.04 CA$25.51

$18.00 CA$25.45

0.22%

Cinema Ticket

$14.04 CA$19.84

$10.86 CA$15.35

29.28%

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

$797 CA$1,126

$760 CA$1,074

4.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K CA$22.3K

$13.1K CA$18.5K

20.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 CA$83.5

$52.6 CA$74.4

12.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.20 CA$56.8

$38.34 CA$54.2

4.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.8 CA$128

$83.9 CA$119

8.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$155

$104 CA$147

5.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 CA$1,707

$1,130 CA$1,597

6.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,011 CA$1,429

$1,120 CA$1,584

-9.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,949 CA$2,756

$1,928 CA$2,725

1.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 CA$2,371

$1,716 CA$2,426

-2.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,532 CA$4,993

$4,164 CA$5,887

-15.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,392 CA$4,795

$3,582 CA$5,065

-5.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,152 CA$4,456

$4,273 CA$6,041

-26.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.66

-3.22%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 18, 2026

Last update for Hay River, NT: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1K 44.8%

Hay River, NT

$1.1K 50.3% 10.8% $109

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$392 17.4%

Hay River, NT

$349 15.7% 10.8% $42

Eating Out

Calgary

$270 12%

Hay River, NT

$268 12% 0.9% $2.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$253 11.2%

Hay River, NT

$222 10% 12.4% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$135 6%

Hay River, NT

$125 5.6% 7% $9.4

Getting Around

Calgary

$112 5%

Hay River, NT

$81 3.7% 27.5% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$82 3.6%

Hay River, NT

$62 2.8% 24.1% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,207 in Calgary and $1,130 in Hay River, NT. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hay River, NT pays 36% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Calgary vs $64.0 in Hay River, NT for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $392 vs $349 per month, with Hay River, NT cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇨🇦 Hay River, NT

🕒 Local time

02:52 2:52 AM

Same time as Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

3,600

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Calgary Hay River, NT 1,090 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Calgary
Hay River, NT

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 Hay River, NT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hay River, NT is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 36% lower in Hay River, NT. 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: $1,207 in Calgary versus $1,130 in Hay River, NT. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Hay River, NT – a meal for two runs $64.0 versus $69.0 in Calgary. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,255 per month in Calgary versus $2,228 in Hay River, NT – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,228 in Hay River, NT versus $2,255 in Calgary, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Hay River, NT but tight or insufficient in Calgary. The gap between the two cities makes Hay River, NT 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 Hay River, NT gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.