Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hay River, NT and Vancouver

For one person, living is cheaper in Hay River, NT: $2,228 a month against $2,662 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

108

Cost of Living Index in Hay River, NT
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Hay River, NT Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index

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Hay River, NT

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,228

/mo nomad

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,662

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,228 per month in Hay River, NT vs $2,662 in Vancouver, rent included.

Hay River, NT $2,228
Vancouver $2,662

A couple spends around $3,228 per month in Hay River, NT vs $3,916 in Vancouver, rent included.

Hay River, NT $3,228
Vancouver $3,916

A family of three spends $4,227 per month in Hay River, NT vs $5,170 in Vancouver, rent included.

Hay River, NT $4,227
Vancouver $5,170

Hay River, NT is about 16% cheaper than Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Hay River, NT and Vancouver sit above the global median – Hay River, NT by 64%, Vancouver by 96%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.76 CA$25.11

$18.01 CA$25.46

-1.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 CA$91.1

$71.0 CA$100

-9.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 CA$14.67

$10.83 CA$15.31

-4.16%

Cappuccino

$3.54 CA$5.01

$3.94 CA$5.56

-10.15%

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

$2.03 CA$2.87

$2.13 CA$3.01

-4.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 CA$2.27

$1.66 CA$2.34

-3.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.28 CA$7.46

$5.73 CA$8.10

-7.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.67 CA$8.01

$6.40 CA$9.04

-11.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 CA$2.82

$2.15 CA$3.04

-6.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.50 CA$3.53

$2.55 CA$3.61

-1.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.28 CA$4.63

$4.56 CA$6.45

-28.07%

Eggs

$3.44 CA$4.86

$4.06 CA$5.74

-15.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.04 CA$14.19

$12.14 CA$17.17

-17.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$13.23 CA$18.71

-13.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.79 CA$20.91

$20.24 CA$28.62

-26.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 CA$5.24

$4.05 CA$5.73

-8.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 CA$1.87

$1.42 CA$2.00

-7.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.74 CA$5.29

$3.97 CA$5.62

-5.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.79 CA$5.35

$3.91 CA$5.53

-3.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 CA$3.46

$2.64 CA$3.74

-7.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 CA$3.17

$2.82 CA$3.98

-20.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 CA$3.42

$2.48 CA$3.51

-2.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 CA$2.29

$1.59 CA$2.24

1.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.17 CA$20.03

$15.30 CA$21.64

-7.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.77 CA$18.05

$14.32 CA$20.24

-10.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 CA$3.72

$2.57 CA$3.63

2.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 CA$4.38

$2.91 CA$4.12

6.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 CA$3.20

$2.55 CA$3.60

-11.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.1 CA$87.7

$84.6 CA$120

-26.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.79 CA$3.95

$2.64 CA$3.73

5.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 CA$2.07

$1.63 CA$2.31

-10.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.52 CA$31.83

$31.77 CA$44.91

-29.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 CA$1.62

$1.42 CA$2.01

-19.01%

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

$28.0K CA$39.6K

$27.1K CA$38.3K

3.27%

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

$19.1K CA$27.1K

$21.6K CA$30.5K

-11.39%

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

$131 CA$186

$81.3 CA$115

61.61%

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

$37.62 CA$53.2

$37.20 CA$52.6

1.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.7 CA$74.4

$52.6 CA$74.4

0.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.43 CA$57.2

$44.34 CA$62.7

-8.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.00 CA$25.45

$12.37 CA$17.49

45.51%

Cinema Ticket

$10.86 CA$15.35

$12.62 CA$17.85

-13.95%

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

$760 CA$1,074

$1,093 CA$1,544

-30.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K CA$18.5K

$20.0K CA$28.2K

-34.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 CA$74.4

$58.5 CA$82.7

-10.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.34 CA$54.2

$33.35 CA$47.14

14.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.9 CA$119

$96.3 CA$136

-12.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 CA$147

$95.6 CA$135

8.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,130 CA$1,597

$1,765 CA$2,495

-35.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,120 CA$1,584

$1,508 CA$2,132

-25.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,928 CA$2,725

$3,122 CA$4,414

-38.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,716 CA$2,426

$2,469 CA$3,490

-30.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,164 CA$5,887

$8,173 CA$11.6K

-49.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,582 CA$5,065

$6,354 CA$8,982

-43.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,273 CA$6,041

$3,592 CA$5,078

18.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.66

4.28

8.88%

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 Vancouver: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hay River, NT

$1.1K 50.3%

Vancouver

$1.5K 56.7% 34.7% $388

Groceries & Markets

Hay River, NT

$349 15.7%

Vancouver

$399 15% 14.2% $49

Eating Out

Hay River, NT

$268 12%

Vancouver

$280 10.5% 4.6% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hay River, NT

$222 10%

Vancouver

$171 6.4% 22.8% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Hay River, NT

$125 5.6%

Vancouver

$128 4.8% 1.8% $2.3

Getting Around

Hay River, NT

$81 3.7%

Vancouver

$106 4% 29.9% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Hay River, NT

$62 2.8%

Vancouver

$70 2.6% 12% $7.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,130 in Hay River, NT versus $1,765 in Vancouver. 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 19% higher in Hay River, NT, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64.0 in Hay River, NT versus $71.0 in Vancouver. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $349 vs $399 – making Hay River, NT the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Hay River, NT

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🕒 Local time

07:28 7:28 AM

06:28 6:28 AM

1 h behind Hay River, NT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,600

631,486

💱 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

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Between locations

Hay River, NT Vancouver 1,370 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Vancouver costs about 19% more than Hay River, NT, 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,342 per month in Hay River, NT and $3,992 in Vancouver. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hay River, NT, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,228 in Hay River, NT and $2,662 in Vancouver. That's a gap of about 19%.

Public transport costs about 36% less in Hay River, NT. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Hay River, NT, where all-in costs run around $2,228, than in Vancouver at $2,662. In Hay River, NT it covers expenses comfortably, while in Vancouver it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Hay River, NT – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Hay River, NT. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Vancouver makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.