Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Hay River, NT

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $2,228 in Hay River, NT, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Hay River, NT outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
108

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

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Hay River, NT

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,228

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Montreal and in Hay River, NT actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,059 per month in Montreal vs $2,228 in Hay River, NT, rent included.

Montreal $2,059
Hay River, NT $2,228

A couple spends around $3,123 per month in Montreal vs $3,228 in Hay River, NT, rent included.

Montreal $3,123
Hay River, NT $3,228

A family of three spends $4,187 per month in Montreal vs $4,227 in Hay River, NT, rent included.

Montreal $4,187
Hay River, NT $4,227

Montreal is about 8% cheaper than Hay River, NT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Montreal and Hay River, NT sit above the global median – Montreal by 52%, Hay River, NT by 64%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.84 CA$26.63

$17.76 CA$25.11

6.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.2 CA$104

$64.5 CA$91.1

13.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.90

$10.38 CA$14.67

1.54%

Cappuccino

$3.97 CA$5.61

$3.54 CA$5.01

12.15%

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

$1.94 CA$2.74

$2.03 CA$2.87

-4.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.22

$1.60 CA$2.27

-1.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.42 CA$9.08

$5.28 CA$7.46

21.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 CA$10.19

$5.67 CA$8.01

26.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$2.00 CA$2.82

16.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 CA$4.51

$2.50 CA$3.53

27.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 CA$4.50

$3.28 CA$4.63

-2.74%

Eggs

$3.68 CA$5.20

$3.44 CA$4.86

6.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 CA$18.72

$10.04 CA$14.19

31.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.69 CA$16.53

$11.38 CA$16.09

2.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.98 CA$19.76

$14.79 CA$20.91

-5.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$3.71 CA$5.24

-15.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.32 CA$1.87

9.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 CA$4.78

$3.74 CA$5.29

-9.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 CA$4.40

$3.79 CA$5.35

-17.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 CA$2.72

$2.45 CA$3.46

-21.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 CA$2.58

$2.25 CA$3.17

-18.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 CA$3.34

$2.42 CA$3.42

-2.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$1.62 CA$2.29

-7.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.12 CA$15.73

$14.17 CA$20.03

-21.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.60 CA$14.98

$12.77 CA$18.05

-16.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.14

$2.63 CA$3.72

-15.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 CA$4.01

$3.10 CA$4.38

-8.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 CA$3.71

$2.26 CA$3.20

15.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

$62.1 CA$87.7

27.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.56

$2.79 CA$3.95

15.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.10

$1.46 CA$2.07

1.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.22 CA$45.55

$22.52 CA$31.83

43.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.92

$1.15 CA$1.62

18.26%

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

$27.6K CA$39.1K

$28.0K CA$39.6K

-1.24%

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

$21.2K CA$30.0K

$19.1K CA$27.1K

10.70%

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

$77.0 CA$109

$131 CA$186

-41.39%

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

$34.14 CA$48.26

$37.62 CA$53.2

-9.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.19 CA$59.7

$52.7 CA$74.4

-19.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.81 CA$43.56

$40.43 CA$57.2

-23.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

$18.00 CA$25.45

9.22%

Cinema Ticket

$11.47 CA$16.22

$10.86 CA$15.35

5.62%

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

$506 CA$716

$760 CA$1,074

-33.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$23.0K

$13.1K CA$18.5K

24.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 CA$81.0

$52.6 CA$74.4

8.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.10 CA$53.9

$38.34 CA$54.2

-0.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$83.9 CA$119

9.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$104 CA$147

5.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 CA$1,748

$1,130 CA$1,597

9.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,381

$1,120 CA$1,584

-12.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 CA$3,082

$1,928 CA$2,725

13.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 CA$2,273

$1,716 CA$2,426

-6.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,113 CA$7,228

$4,164 CA$5,887

22.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,744 CA$5,293

$3,582 CA$5,065

4.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,957 CA$4,180

$4,273 CA$6,041

-30.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

4.66

-3.86%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

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

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.4%

Hay River, NT

$1.1K 50.3% 14.7% $143

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17.1%

Hay River, NT

$349 15.7% 0.5% $1.6

Eating Out

Montreal

$290 14.1%

Hay River, NT

$268 12% 7.7% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$153 7.5%

Hay River, NT

$222 10% 44.6% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$134 6.5%

Hay River, NT

$125 5.6% 6.2% $8.3

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Hay River, NT

$81 3.7% 19% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Hay River, NT

$62 2.8% 15.6% $8.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,237 in Montreal versus $1,130 in Hay River, NT. 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 45% 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 $73.0 in Montreal versus $64.0 in Hay River, NT. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $349 – making Hay River, NT the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇦 Hay River, NT

🕒 Local time

05:36 5:36 AM

03:36 3:36 AM

2 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

3,600

💱 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

Montreal Hay River, NT 3,210 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Hay River, NT

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

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

Hay River, NT costs about 8% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,089 per month in Montreal and $3,342 in Hay River, NT. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Montreal, 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 $2,059 in Montreal and $2,228 in Hay River, NT. That's a gap of about 8%.

Public transport costs about 28% less in Montreal. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,059, than in Hay River, NT at $2,228. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hay River, NT it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,059 versus $2,228 in Hay River, NT. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Montreal. 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.