Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hay River, NT and Calgary

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

108

Cost of Living Index in Hay River, NT
Learn more

Hay River, NT Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
Learn more

Calgary Living Index

Jump to prices

Hay River, NT

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,228

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,255

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.76 CA$25.11

$17.58 CA$24.85

1.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 CA$91.1

$69.1 CA$97.6

-6.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 CA$14.67

$10.59 CA$14.97

-1.98%

Cappuccino

$3.54 CA$5.01

$3.84 CA$5.42

-7.81%

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

$2.03 CA$2.87

$1.93 CA$2.72

5.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 CA$2.27

$1.88 CA$2.66

-14.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.28 CA$7.46

$5.09 CA$7.20

3.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.67 CA$8.01

$5.64 CA$7.97

0.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 CA$2.82

White Bread (500g)

$2.50 CA$3.53

$2.78 CA$3.93

-10.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.28 CA$4.63

$5.59 CA$7.90

-41.32%

Eggs

$3.44 CA$4.86

$3.70 CA$5.23

-7.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.04 CA$14.19

$11.48 CA$16.23

-12.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$11.20 CA$15.84

1.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.79 CA$20.91

$18.59 CA$26.28

-20.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 CA$5.24

$4.70 CA$6.64

-21.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 CA$1.87

$1.45 CA$2.05

-8.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.74 CA$5.29

$4.34 CA$6.13

-13.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.79 CA$5.35

$3.79 CA$5.36

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 CA$3.46

$2.69 CA$3.81

-8.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 CA$3.17

$2.75 CA$3.88

-18.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 CA$3.42

$2.56 CA$3.62

-5.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 CA$2.29

$1.50 CA$2.12

8.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.17 CA$20.03

$14.39 CA$20.34

-1.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.77 CA$18.05

$15.81 CA$22.35

-19.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 CA$3.72

$2.47 CA$3.49

6.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 CA$4.38

$3.10 CA$4.39

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 CA$3.20

$2.81 CA$3.97

-19.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.1 CA$87.7

$90.6 CA$128

-31.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.79 CA$3.95

$3.28 CA$4.64

-14.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 CA$2.07

$1.40 CA$1.97

4.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.52 CA$31.83

$26.49 CA$37.45

-14.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 CA$1.62

$1.22 CA$1.72

-5.74%

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

$28.0K CA$39.6K

$28.4K CA$40.1K

-1.35%

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

$19.1K CA$27.1K

$20.8K CA$29.5K

-8.10%

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

$131 CA$186

$165 CA$233

-20.16%

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

$37.62 CA$53.2

$38.24 CA$54.1

-1.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.7 CA$74.4

$50.1 CA$70.9

5.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.43 CA$57.2

$53.8 CA$76.1

-24.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.00 CA$25.45

$18.04 CA$25.51

-0.22%

Cinema Ticket

$10.86 CA$15.35

$14.04 CA$19.84

-22.65%

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

$760 CA$1,074

$797 CA$1,126

-4.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K CA$18.5K

$15.8K CA$22.3K

-17.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 CA$74.4

$59.1 CA$83.5

-10.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.34 CA$54.2

$40.20 CA$56.8

-4.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.9 CA$119

$90.8 CA$128

-7.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 CA$147

$109 CA$155

-5.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,130 CA$1,597

$1,207 CA$1,707

-6.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,120 CA$1,584

$1,011 CA$1,429

10.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,928 CA$2,725

$1,949 CA$2,756

-1.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,716 CA$2,426

$1,677 CA$2,371

2.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,164 CA$5,887

$3,532 CA$4,993

17.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,582 CA$5,065

$3,392 CA$4,795

5.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,273 CA$6,041

$3,152 CA$4,456

35.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.66

4.51

3.33%

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

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

Last update for Calgary: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hay River, NT

$1.1K 50.3%

Calgary

$1K 44.8% 9.7% $109

Groceries & Markets

Hay River, NT

$349 15.7%

Calgary

$392 17.4% 12.1% $42

Eating Out

Hay River, NT

$268 12%

Calgary

$270 12% 0.9% $2.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hay River, NT

$222 10%

Calgary

$253 11.2% 14.1% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Hay River, NT

$125 5.6%

Calgary

$135 6% 7.5% $9.4

Getting Around

Hay River, NT

$81 3.7%

Calgary

$112 5% 38% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Hay River, NT

$62 2.8%

Calgary

$82 3.6% 31.7% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,130 in Hay River, NT and $1,207 in Calgary. 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: $64.0 in Hay River, NT vs $69.0 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $349 vs $392 per month, with Hay River, NT cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Hay River, NT

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

07:28 7:28 AM

Same time as Hay River, NT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,600

1,267,344

💱 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

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

From you

Hay River, NT
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

Hay River, NT vs Calgary: 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.

Average pay runs 36% higher in Hay River, NT, 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: $1,130 in Hay River, NT versus $1,207 in Calgary. 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 $2,228 per month in Hay River, NT versus $2,255 in Calgary – 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.