Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hay River, NT and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,273 a month against $2,228 in Hay River, NT, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Hay River, NT
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,228
/mo nomad
Rio de Janeiro
🇧🇷 Brazil
$1,273
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hay River, NT and in Rio de Janeiro

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 Rio de Janeiro actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,228 per month in Hay River, NT vs $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

  • Hay River, NT $2,228
  • Rio de Janeiro $1,273

A couple spends around $3,228 per month in Hay River, NT vs $1,841 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

  • Hay River, NT $3,228
  • Rio de Janeiro $1,841

A family of three spends $4,227 per month in Hay River, NT vs $2,409 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

  • Hay River, NT $4,227
  • Rio de Janeiro $2,409

Hay River, NT costs about 75% more than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Hay River, NT sits 64% above the global median, while Rio de Janeiro is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Hay River, NT
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.76 CA$25.11
$9.38 R$47.54
89.34%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$64.5 CA$91.1
$40.00 R$203
61.18%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.38 CA$14.67
$8.34 R$42.28
24.46%
Cappuccino
$3.54 CA$5.01
$2.29 R$11.62
54.59%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.03 CA$2.87
$1.59 R$8.05
27.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.60 CA$2.27
$1.01 R$5.10
58.42%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.28 CA$7.46
$2.14 R$10.85
146.73%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.67 CA$8.01
$3.66 R$18.55
54.92%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Hay River, NT
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.00 CA$2.82
$1.13 R$5.72
76.99%
White Bread (500g)
$2.50 CA$3.53
$2.09 R$10.60
19.62%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.28 CA$4.63
$1.25 R$6.36
162.40%
Eggs
$3.44 CA$4.86
$2.25 R$11.39
52.89%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.04 CA$14.19
$10.92 R$55.3
-8.06%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.38 CA$16.09
$4.36 R$22.10
161.01%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.79 CA$20.91
$9.60 R$48.66
54.06%
Apples (1kg)
$3.71 CA$5.24
$2.85 R$14.46
30.18%
Banana (1kg)
$1.32 CA$1.87
$1.81 R$9.16
-27.07%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.74 CA$5.29
$1.58 R$8.02
136.71%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.79 CA$5.35
$1.83 R$9.28
107.10%
Potato (1kg)
$2.45 CA$3.46
$1.20 R$6.10
104.17%
Onion (1kg)
$2.25 CA$3.17
$1.06 R$5.35
112.26%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.42 CA$3.42
$0.75 R$3.81
222.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.62 CA$2.29
$0.68 R$3.45
138.24%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.17 CA$20.03
$2.94 R$14.90
381.97%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.77 CA$18.05
$7.98 R$40.43
60.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.63 CA$3.72
$1.18 R$5.98
122.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.10 CA$4.38
$2.42 R$12.26
28.10%
🚌 Getting Around
Hay River, NT
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.26 CA$3.20
$0.94 R$4.78
140.43%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$62.1 CA$87.7
$50.3 R$255
23.33%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.79 CA$3.95
$1.20 R$6.10
132.50%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.46 CA$2.07
$0.83 R$4.20
75.90%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$22.52 CA$31.83
$8.97 R$45.48
151.06%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.15 CA$1.62
$1.29 R$6.53
-10.85%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K CA$39.6K
$22.8K R$115.5K
22.91%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.1K CA$27.1K
$34.0K R$172.1K
-43.62%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hay River, NT
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$131 CA$186
$134 R$681
-2.14%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$37.62 CA$53.2
$10.73 R$54.4
250.61%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$52.7 CA$74.4
$22.84 R$116
130.52%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Hay River, NT
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.43 CA$57.2
$30.16 R$153
34.05%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.00 CA$25.45
$31.49 R$160
-42.84%
Cinema Ticket
$10.86 CA$15.35
$7.73 R$39.17
40.49%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Hay River, NT
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$760 CA$1,074
$584 R$2,960
30.16%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.1K CA$18.5K
$12.8K R$64.9K
2.09%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Hay River, NT
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.6 CA$74.4
$41.12 R$208
27.94%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.34 CA$54.2
$49.26 R$250
-22.17%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$83.9 CA$119
$73.7 R$373
13.83%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$104 CA$147
$65.9 R$334
57.49%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Hay River, NT
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,130 CA$1,597
$900 R$4,561
25.57%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,120 CA$1,584
$527 R$2,673
112.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,928 CA$2,725
$1,332 R$6,754
44.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,716 CA$2,426
$748 R$3,790
129.51%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,164 CA$5,887
$3,990 R$20.2K
4.38%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,582 CA$5,065
$1,560 R$7,908
129.64%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Hay River, NT
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,273 CA$6,041
$640 R$3,246
567.25%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.66
11.93
-60.94%

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 Rio de Janeiro: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Hay River, NT
$1.1K
Rio de Janeiro
$527 52.9% $593
Groceries & Markets
Hay River, NT
$349
Rio de Janeiro
$214 38.8% $136
Eating Out
Hay River, NT
$268
Rio de Janeiro
$156 41.8% $112
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hay River, NT
$222
Rio de Janeiro
$168 24.3% $54
Clothing & Footwear
Hay River, NT
$125
Rio de Janeiro
$103 17.5% $22
Getting Around
Hay River, NT
$81
Rio de Janeiro
$59 26.8% $22
Sport & Entertainment
Hay River, NT
$62
Rio de Janeiro
$46 26.6% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,130 in Hay River, NT versus $900 in Rio de Janeiro. 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 567% 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 $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $349 vs $214 – making Rio de Janeiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Hay River, NT
🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro
🕒 Local time
09:32 9:32 AM
12:32 12:32 PM
3 h ahead of Hay River, NT
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,600
6,211,223
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, 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).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Hay River, NT Rio de Janeiro 11,330 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Hay River, NT
  • Rio de Janeiro

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 Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Hay River, NT or Rio de Janeiro?
Hay River, NT costs about 75% more than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 Rio de Janeiro?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,342 per month in Hay River, NT and $1,910 in Rio de Janeiro. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Hay River, NT or Rio de Janeiro?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Rio de Janeiro, 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 Rio de Janeiro?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,228 in Hay River, NT and $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro. That's a gap of about 75%.
How expensive is transport in Hay River, NT compared to Rio de Janeiro?
Public transport costs about 23% less in Rio de Janeiro. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Hay River, NT or in Rio de Janeiro?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Rio de Janeiro, where all-in costs run around $1,273, than in Hay River, NT at $2,228. In Rio de Janeiro 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 Rio de Janeiro?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Rio de Janeiro costs $1,273 versus $2,228 in Hay River, NT. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
Should I move to Hay River, NT or to Rio de Janeiro?
If budget matters most, go with Rio de Janeiro. 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

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?