Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hay River, NT and Montevideo

For one person, living is cheaper in Montevideo: $1,784 a month against $2,228 in Hay River, NT, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Hay River, NT outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Hay River, NT
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,228
/mo nomad
Montevideo
🇺🇾 Uruguay
$1,784
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Montevideo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,228 per month in Hay River, NT vs $1,784 in Montevideo, rent included.

  • Hay River, NT $2,228
  • Montevideo $1,784

A couple spends around $3,228 per month in Hay River, NT vs $2,756 in Montevideo, rent included.

  • Hay River, NT $3,228
  • Montevideo $2,756

A family of three spends $4,227 per month in Hay River, NT vs $3,728 in Montevideo, rent included.

  • Hay River, NT $4,227
  • Montevideo $3,728

Hay River, NT costs about 25% more than Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Hay River, NT and Montevideo sit above the global median – Hay River, NT by 64%, Montevideo by 32%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Hay River, NT
Montevideo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.76 CA$25.11
$14.82 UYU 595
19.84%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$64.5 CA$91.1
$69.7 UYU 2,797
-7.50%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.38 CA$14.67
$14.68 UYU 589
-29.29%
Cappuccino
$3.54 CA$5.01
$4.65 UYU 186
-23.87%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.03 CA$2.87
$2.74 UYU 110
-25.91%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.60 CA$2.27
$2.07 UYU 82.9
-22.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.28 CA$7.46
$4.79 UYU 192
10.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.67 CA$8.01
$3.63 UYU 146
56.20%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Hay River, NT
Montevideo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.00 CA$2.82
$1.39 UYU 55.8
43.88%
White Bread (500g)
$2.50 CA$3.53
$2.89 UYU 116
-13.49%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.28 CA$4.63
$1.70 UYU 68.1
92.94%
Eggs
$3.44 CA$4.86
$4.62 UYU 185
-25.54%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.04 CA$14.19
$14.22 UYU 571
-29.40%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.38 CA$16.09
$11.62 UYU 466
-2.07%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.79 CA$20.91
$12.23 UYU 491
20.93%
Apples (1kg)
$3.71 CA$5.24
$2.77 UYU 111
33.94%
Banana (1kg)
$1.32 CA$1.87
$2.85 UYU 114
-53.68%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.74 CA$5.29
$1.81 UYU 72.5
106.63%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.79 CA$5.35
$3.20 UYU 129
18.44%
Potato (1kg)
$2.45 CA$3.46
$1.94 UYU 77.8
26.29%
Onion (1kg)
$2.25 CA$3.17
$2.16 UYU 86.5
4.17%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.42 CA$3.42
$1.43 UYU 57.3
69.23%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.62 CA$2.29
$1.94 UYU 77.9
-16.49%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.17 CA$20.03
$5.47 UYU 219
159.05%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.77 CA$18.05
$8.95 UYU 359
42.68%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.63 CA$3.72
$2.26 UYU 90.8
16.37%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.10 CA$4.38
$2.81 UYU 113
10.32%
🚌 Getting Around
Hay River, NT
Montevideo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.26 CA$3.20
$1.56 UYU 62.6
44.87%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$62.1 CA$87.7
$73.8 UYU 2,962
-15.92%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.79 CA$3.95
$1.90 UYU 76.2
46.84%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.46 CA$2.07
$0.43 UYU 17.36
239.53%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$22.52 CA$31.83
$10.59 UYU 425
112.65%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.15 CA$1.62
$2.12 UYU 85.2
-45.75%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K CA$39.6K
$26.8K UYU 1.1M
4.48%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.1K CA$27.1K
$37.0K UYU 1.5M
-48.25%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hay River, NT
Montevideo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$131 CA$186
$193 UYU 7,727
-31.72%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$37.62 CA$53.2
$20.91 UYU 839
79.91%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$52.7 CA$74.4
$44.89 UYU 1,802
17.29%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Hay River, NT
Montevideo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.43 CA$57.2
$50.8 UYU 2,038
-20.37%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.00 CA$25.45
$19.73 UYU 792
-8.77%
Cinema Ticket
$10.86 CA$15.35
$12.30 UYU 494
-11.71%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Hay River, NT
Montevideo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$760 CA$1,074
$629 UYU 25.2K
20.87%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.1K CA$18.5K
$10.9K UYU 437.3K
19.98%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Hay River, NT
Montevideo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.6 CA$74.4
$104 UYU 4,166
-49.31%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.34 CA$54.2
$57.4 UYU 2,305
-33.25%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$83.9 CA$119
$125 UYU 5,010
-32.82%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$104 CA$147
$132 UYU 5,315
-21.60%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Hay River, NT
Montevideo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,130 CA$1,597
$713 UYU 28.6K
58.43%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,120 CA$1,584
$575 UYU 23.1K
94.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,928 CA$2,725
$1,164 UYU 46.7K
65.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,716 CA$2,426
$1,033 UYU 41.5K
66.05%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,164 CA$5,887
$3,418 UYU 137.2K
21.84%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,582 CA$5,065
$1,760 UYU 70.6K
103.55%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Hay River, NT
Montevideo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,273 CA$6,041
$1,244 UYU 49.9K
243.44%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.66
5.74
-18.82%

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 Montevideo: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Hay River, NT
$1.1K
Montevideo
$575 48.6% $545
Groceries & Markets
Hay River, NT
$349
Montevideo
$334 4.5% $16
Eating Out
Hay River, NT
$268
Montevideo
$269 0.3% $0.8
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hay River, NT
$222
Montevideo
$258 16.5% $37
Clothing & Footwear
Hay River, NT
$125
Montevideo
$188 50.2% $63
Getting Around
Hay River, NT
$81
Montevideo
$84 3.6% $2.9
Sport & Entertainment
Hay River, NT
$62
Montevideo
$75 21.3% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,130 in Hay River, NT versus $713 in Montevideo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 243% higher in Hay River, NT, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64.0 in Hay River, NT versus $70.0 in Montevideo. Groceries tell a different story – $349 in Hay River, NT vs $334 in Montevideo – so Montevideo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Hay River, NT
🇺🇾 Montevideo
🕒 Local time
08:54 8:54 AM
11:54 11:54 AM
3 h ahead of Hay River, NT
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,600
1,319,108 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

UYU, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.12 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Hay River, NT Montevideo 11,930 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Hay River, NT
  • Montevideo

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 Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Hay River, NT or Montevideo?
Hay River, NT costs about 25% more than Montevideo, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Hay River, NT and in Montevideo?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,342 per month in Hay River, NT and $2,676 in Montevideo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Hay River, NT or Montevideo?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Montevideo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Hay River, NT compared to Montevideo?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,228 in Hay River, NT and $1,784 in Montevideo. That's a gap of about 25%.
How expensive is transport in Hay River, NT compared to Montevideo?
Public transport costs about 19% less in Montevideo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $2,500/month in Hay River, NT or in Montevideo?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Montevideo, where all-in costs run around $1,784, than in Hay River, NT at $2,228. In Montevideo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hay River, NT it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Hay River, NT or Montevideo?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montevideo costs $1,784 versus $2,228 in Hay River, NT. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Hay River, NT compared to Montevideo?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Should I move to Hay River, NT or to Montevideo?
If budget matters most, go with Montevideo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hay River, NT makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Hay River, NT vs other spots: cost of living compared

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