Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Hay River, NT

For one person, living is cheaper in Hay River, NT: $2,243 a month against $2,599 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Toronto, Canada
Hay River, NT, Canada
Toronto
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,599
/mo nomad
Hay River, NT
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,243
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toronto 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 Toronto and in Hay River, NT actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,599 per month in Toronto vs $2,243 in Hay River, NT, rent included.

  • Toronto $2,599
  • Hay River, NT $2,243

A couple spends around $3,700 per month in Toronto vs $3,217 in Hay River, NT, rent included.

  • Toronto $3,700
  • Hay River, NT $3,217

A family of three spends $4,801 per month in Toronto vs $4,192 in Hay River, NT, rent included.

  • Toronto $4,801
  • Hay River, NT $4,192

Toronto costs about 16% more than Hay River, NT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Toronto and Hay River, NT sit above the global median – Toronto by 92%, Hay River, NT by 66%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Toronto
Hay River, NT
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.98 CA$25.20
$17.96 CA$25.18
0.11%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$72.3 CA$101
$65.3 CA$91.6
10.62%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.83 CA$15.18
$10.55 CA$14.79
2.65%
Cappuccino
$4.34 CA$6.09
$3.76 CA$5.27
15.43%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.16 CA$3.03
$1.98 CA$2.78
9.09%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.66 CA$2.32
$1.68 CA$2.36
-1.19%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.35 CA$8.90
$5.07 CA$7.11
25.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.34 CA$10.29
$5.54 CA$7.77
32.49%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Toronto
Hay River, NT
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.57 CA$3.60
$2.10 CA$2.94
22.38%
White Bread (500g)
$2.71 CA$3.79
$2.47 CA$3.47
9.72%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.28 CA$3.19
$3.50 CA$4.91
-34.86%
Eggs
$3.60 CA$5.05
$3.45 CA$4.84
4.35%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.94 CA$12.54
$10.10 CA$14.16
-11.49%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.19 CA$15.69
$11.64 CA$16.32
-3.87%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.23 CA$21.34
$14.78 CA$20.72
3.04%
Apples (1kg)
$3.74 CA$5.25
$3.81 CA$5.34
-1.84%
Banana (1kg)
$1.23 CA$1.72
$1.36 CA$1.91
-9.56%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.58 CA$5.02
$3.77 CA$5.28
-5.04%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.25 CA$5.96
$3.90 CA$5.46
8.97%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 CA$2.72
$2.45 CA$3.44
-20.82%
Onion (1kg)
$1.67 CA$2.34
$2.17 CA$3.04
-23.04%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.30 CA$3.22
$2.47 CA$3.46
-6.88%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.26 CA$1.77
$1.58 CA$2.21
-20.25%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.19 CA$19.90
$14.41 CA$20.20
-1.53%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.25 CA$19.97
$12.85 CA$18.02
10.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.28 CA$3.20
$2.84 CA$3.98
-19.72%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.58 CA$3.62
$3.19 CA$4.47
-19.12%
🚌 Getting Around
Toronto
Hay River, NT
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.35 CA$3.30
$2.38 CA$3.33
-1.26%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$111 CA$156
$63.3 CA$88.7
75.32%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.01 CA$4.22
$2.86 CA$4.01
5.24%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.22 CA$1.71
$1.43 CA$2.00
-14.69%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$21.82 CA$30.59
$23.34 CA$32.72
-6.51%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.23 CA$1.73
$1.22 CA$1.71
0.82%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.0K CA$37.8K
$27.9K CA$39.1K
-3.37%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.8K CA$30.6K
$21.6K CA$30.2K
1.26%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Toronto
Hay River, NT
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$121 CA$169
$136 CA$190
-10.93%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.10 CA$46.40
$38.85 CA$54.5
-14.80%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$49.09 CA$68.8
$54.2 CA$76.0
-9.48%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Toronto
Hay River, NT
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.65 CA$51.4
$37.47 CA$52.5
-2.19%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.01 CA$35.06
$18.40 CA$25.80
35.92%
Cinema Ticket
$12.78 CA$17.91
$10.83 CA$15.18
18.01%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Toronto
Hay River, NT
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$754 CA$1,058
$641 CA$898
17.75%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$33.7K CA$47.2K
$13.5K CA$18.9K
149.79%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Toronto
Hay River, NT
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$50.4 CA$70.6
$55.4 CA$77.6
-8.96%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.43 CA$58.1
$39.28 CA$55.1
5.47%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 CA$142
$85.3 CA$120
18.74%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$130 CA$183
$105 CA$147
24.24%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Toronto
Hay River, NT
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,590 CA$2,228
$1,143 CA$1,603
39.03%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,424 CA$1,996
$1,118 CA$1,567
27.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,641 CA$3,702
$1,980 CA$2,775
33.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,090 CA$2,930
$1,645 CA$2,306
27.05%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,730 CA$10.8K
$4,323 CA$6,059
78.82%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,892 CA$9,661
$3,528 CA$4,946
95.33%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Toronto
Hay River, NT
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,623 CA$5,078
$4,215 CA$5,909
-14.06%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.45
4.68
-4.91%

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

Last update for Toronto: November 2, 2026

Last update for Hay River, NT: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Toronto
$1.4K
Hay River, NT
$1.1K 21.5% $307
Groceries & Markets
Toronto
$345
Hay River, NT
$355 2.9% $10
Eating Out
Toronto
$290
Hay River, NT
$272 6.4% $19
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Toronto
$203
Hay River, NT
$229 12.7% $26
Clothing & Footwear
Toronto
$145
Hay River, NT
$128 11.9% $17
Getting Around
Toronto
$130
Hay River, NT
$83 36.1% $47
Sport & Entertainment
Toronto
$62
Hay River, NT
$59 4.9% $3.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,590 in Toronto versus $1,143 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 16% 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 $72 in Toronto versus $65 in Hay River, NT. Groceries tell a different story – $345 in Toronto vs $355 in Hay River, NT – so Toronto wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Toronto
🇨🇦 Hay River, NT
🕒 Local time
23:05 11:05 PM
22:05 10:05 PM
1 h behind Toronto
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,731,571
3,600
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.635 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Toronto Hay River, NT 3,060 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Toronto
  • 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
Toronto vs Hay River, NT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Toronto or Hay River, NT?
Toronto costs about 16% more than Hay River, NT, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. 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 Toronto and in Hay River, NT?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,899 per month in Toronto and $3,364 in Hay River, NT. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Toronto or Hay River, NT?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Hay River, NT, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,143 there versus $1,590 in Toronto.
How much does it cost to live in Toronto compared to Hay River, NT?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,599 in Toronto and $2,243 in Hay River, NT. That makes Hay River, NT about 14% cheaper.
How expensive is transport in Toronto compared to Hay River, NT?
Public transport costs about 43% less in Hay River, NT. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Toronto or in Hay River, NT?
$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,599 in Toronto and $2,243 in Hay River, NT. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for families?
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.

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