Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Hay River, NT

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.

129

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
Learn more

Vancouver Living Index
108

Cost of Living Index in Hay River, NT
Learn more

Hay River, NT Living Index

Jump to prices

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,662

/mo nomad

Hay River, NT

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,228

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Vancouver costs about 19% more than Hay River, NT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.01 CA$25.46

$17.76 CA$25.11

1.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.0 CA$100

$64.5 CA$91.1

10.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.83 CA$15.31

$10.38 CA$14.67

4.34%

Cappuccino

$3.94 CA$5.56

$3.54 CA$5.01

11.30%

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

$2.13 CA$3.01

$2.03 CA$2.87

4.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 CA$2.34

$1.60 CA$2.27

3.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.73 CA$8.10

$5.28 CA$7.46

8.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.40 CA$9.04

$5.67 CA$8.01

12.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 CA$3.04

$2.00 CA$2.82

7.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 CA$3.61

$2.50 CA$3.53

2.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.56 CA$6.45

$3.28 CA$4.63

39.02%

Eggs

$4.06 CA$5.74

$3.44 CA$4.86

18.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.14 CA$17.17

$10.04 CA$14.19

20.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.23 CA$18.71

$11.38 CA$16.09

16.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.24 CA$28.62

$14.79 CA$20.91

36.85%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 CA$5.73

$3.71 CA$5.24

9.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$2.00

$1.32 CA$1.87

7.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.97 CA$5.62

$3.74 CA$5.29

6.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.53

$3.79 CA$5.35

3.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.74

$2.45 CA$3.46

7.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 CA$3.98

$2.25 CA$3.17

25.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 CA$3.51

$2.42 CA$3.42

2.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CA$2.24

$1.62 CA$2.29

-1.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.30 CA$21.64

$14.17 CA$20.03

7.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.32 CA$20.24

$12.77 CA$18.05

12.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 CA$3.63

$2.63 CA$3.72

-2.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.12

$3.10 CA$4.38

-6.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.60

$2.26 CA$3.20

12.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.6 CA$120

$62.1 CA$87.7

36.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 CA$3.73

$2.79 CA$3.95

-5.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 CA$2.31

$1.46 CA$2.07

11.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.77 CA$44.91

$22.52 CA$31.83

41.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 CA$2.01

$1.15 CA$1.62

23.48%

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

$27.1K CA$38.3K

$28.0K CA$39.6K

-3.17%

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

$21.6K CA$30.5K

$19.1K CA$27.1K

12.85%

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

$81.3 CA$115

$131 CA$186

-38.12%

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

$37.20 CA$52.6

$37.62 CA$53.2

-1.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.6 CA$74.4

$52.7 CA$74.4

-0.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.34 CA$62.7

$40.43 CA$57.2

9.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.37 CA$17.49

$18.00 CA$25.45

-31.28%

Cinema Ticket

$12.62 CA$17.85

$10.86 CA$15.35

16.21%

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

$1,093 CA$1,544

$760 CA$1,074

43.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.0K CA$28.2K

$13.1K CA$18.5K

52.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$82.7

$52.6 CA$74.4

11.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.35 CA$47.14

$38.34 CA$54.2

-13.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.3 CA$136

$83.9 CA$119

14.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.6 CA$135

$104 CA$147

-7.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,765 CA$2,495

$1,130 CA$1,597

56.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 CA$2,132

$1,120 CA$1,584

34.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,122 CA$4,414

$1,928 CA$2,725

61.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,469 CA$3,490

$1,716 CA$2,426

43.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,173 CA$11.6K

$4,164 CA$5,887

96.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,354 CA$8,982

$3,582 CA$5,065

77.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,592 CA$5,078

$4,273 CA$6,041

-15.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

4.66

-8.15%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 17, 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

Vancouver

$1.5K 56.7%

Hay River, NT

$1.1K 50.3% 25.7% $388

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$399 15%

Hay River, NT

$349 15.7% 12.4% $49

Eating Out

Vancouver

$280 10.5%

Hay River, NT

$268 12% 4.4% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$171 6.4%

Hay River, NT

$222 10% 29.6% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$128 4.8%

Hay River, NT

$125 5.6% 1.8% $2.3

Getting Around

Vancouver

$106 4%

Hay River, NT

$81 3.7% 23% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$70 2.6%

Hay River, NT

$62 2.8% 10.7% $7.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,765 in Vancouver 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 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 $71.0 in Vancouver versus $64.0 in Hay River, NT. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $399 vs $349 – making Hay River, NT the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇨🇦 Hay River, NT

🕒 Local time

07:20 7:20 AM

08:20 8:20 AM

1 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Vancouver
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

Vancouver vs Hay River, NT: 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 $3,992 per month in Vancouver 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 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 $2,662 in Vancouver and $2,228 in Hay River, NT. 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.