Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iqaluit, NU and Vancouver

For one person, living is cheaper in Vancouver: $2,626 a month against $2,934 in Iqaluit, NU, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

142

Cost of Living Index in Iqaluit, NU
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Iqaluit, NU Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index

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Iqaluit, NU

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,934

/mo nomad

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,626

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Iqaluit, NU 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 Iqaluit, NU and in Vancouver actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,934 in Iqaluit, NU versus $2,626 in Vancouver.

Iqaluit, NU $2,934
Vancouver $2,626

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,585 in Iqaluit, NU versus $3,841 in Vancouver.

Iqaluit, NU $4,585
Vancouver $3,841

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,236 in Iqaluit, NU versus $5,056 in Vancouver.

Iqaluit, NU $6,236
Vancouver $5,056

Living in Iqaluit, NU is roughly 12% more expensive than in Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Iqaluit, NU 117% above, Vancouver 95% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.82 CA$37.92

$17.19 CA$24.30

56.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 CA$89.6

$69.1 CA$97.6

-8.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.91 CA$18.25

$10.61 CA$15.00

21.68%

Cappuccino

$7.02 CA$9.92

$3.83 CA$5.42

83.29%

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

$3.71 CA$5.25

$2.04 CA$2.88

81.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 CA$2.29

$1.65 CA$2.34

-1.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.73 CA$9.51

$5.54 CA$7.83

21.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.45 CA$7.70

$6.20 CA$8.77

-12.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 CA$3.45

$2.14 CA$3.02

14.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 CA$3.60

$2.51 CA$3.54

1.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.18 CA$4.50

$4.49 CA$6.35

-29.18%

Eggs

$3.41 CA$4.82

$4.09 CA$5.78

-16.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.71 CA$13.73

$11.73 CA$16.58

-17.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.07 CA$18.48

$13.11 CA$18.54

-0.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.48 CA$20.47

$19.50 CA$27.57

-25.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 CA$5.23

$4.00 CA$5.65

-7.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 CA$1.89

$1.38 CA$1.94

-3.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.58 CA$5.06

$3.88 CA$5.48

-7.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.80 CA$5.38

$3.95 CA$5.58

-3.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.41 CA$3.40

$2.72 CA$3.85

-11.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 CA$3.06

$2.86 CA$4.05

-24.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 CA$3.35

$2.46 CA$3.48

-3.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.24

$1.56 CA$2.21

1.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.88 CA$19.62

$15.48 CA$21.88

-10.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.82 CA$18.12

$13.75 CA$19.44

-6.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 CA$3.60

$2.63 CA$3.72

-3.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 CA$4.24

$2.89 CA$4.09

3.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 CA$3.15

$2.48 CA$3.51

-10.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.5 CA$87.0

$83.0 CA$117

-25.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.57 CA$9.28

$2.72 CA$3.85

141.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 CA$1.95

$1.58 CA$2.24

-12.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.20 CA$28.56

$31.05 CA$43.89

-34.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 CA$1.61

$1.37 CA$1.94

-16.79%

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

$38.0K CA$53.7K

$27.7K CA$39.1K

37.47%

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

$30.1K CA$42.5K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

53.18%

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

$114 CA$161

$82.5 CA$117

37.98%

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

$38.71 CA$54.7

$37.26 CA$52.7

3.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 CA$75.8

$51.7 CA$73.1

3.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.57 CA$57.4

$42.87 CA$60.6

-5.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.61 CA$24.90

$12.40 CA$17.53

42.02%

Cinema Ticket

$8.09 CA$11.44

$12.13 CA$17.15

-33.31%

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

$755 CA$1,067

$1,102 CA$1,557

-31.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K CA$18.5K

$19.8K CA$28.0K

-34.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 CA$74.5

$56.4 CA$79.7

-6.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.18 CA$54.0

$33.43 CA$47.26

14.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.7 CA$121

$93.9 CA$133

-8.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 CA$145

$93.8 CA$133

9.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,751 CA$2,475

$1,775 CA$2,509

-1.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,700 CA$2,404

$1,497 CA$2,116

13.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,877 CA$4,068

$3,082 CA$4,357

-6.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,448 CA$4,874

$2,416 CA$3,416

42.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,252 CA$6,011

$8,069 CA$11.4K

-47.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,525 CA$4,983

$6,449 CA$9,118

-45.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,135 CA$5,845

$3,776 CA$5,339

9.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.32

4.28

24.30%

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

Last update for Iqaluit, NU: October 10, 2026

Last update for Vancouver: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Iqaluit, NU

$1.7K 58%

Vancouver

$1.5K 57% 12% $204

Eating Out

Iqaluit, NU

$403 13.8%

Vancouver

$270 10.3% 33% $133

Groceries & Markets

Iqaluit, NU

$358 12.2%

Vancouver

$392 14.9% 9.5% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Iqaluit, NU

$206 7%

Vancouver

$171 6.5% 16.8% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Iqaluit, NU

$125 4.3%

Vancouver

$125 4.8% 0.5% $0.6

Getting Around

Iqaluit, NU

$84 2.9%

Vancouver

$104 3.9% 23.5% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Iqaluit, NU

$57 1.9%

Vancouver

$67 2.6% 18.3% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,751 in Iqaluit, NU and $1,775 in Vancouver. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Iqaluit, NU pays 9% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $63.0 in Iqaluit, NU vs $69.0 in Vancouver for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $358 vs $392 per month, with Iqaluit, NU cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Iqaluit, NU

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🕒 Local time

22:21 10:21 PM

19:21 7:21 PM

3 h behind Iqaluit, NU

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

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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Iqaluit, NU Vancouver 3,570 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

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Iqaluit, NU
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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

Iqaluit, NU vs Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vancouver is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and utilities. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 9% higher in Iqaluit, NU, 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: $1,751 in Iqaluit, NU versus $1,775 in Vancouver. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $755 in Iqaluit, NU versus $1,102 in Vancouver. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Iqaluit, NU pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Vancouver is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Vancouver gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Iqaluit, NU. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.