Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Hearst Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Hearst

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,845 in Vancouver versus $2,366 in Hearst.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,183 in Vancouver versus $3,408 in Hearst.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,520 in Vancouver versus $4,450 in Hearst.

Living in Vancouver is roughly 20% more expensive than Hearst, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 111% above, Hearst 76% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.26 CA$25.01

$16.96 CA$23.23

7.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.8 CA$108

$69.2 CA$94.8

13.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.17 CA$15.30

$11.01 CA$15.08

1.45%

Cappuccino

$3.92 CA$5.37

$3.81 CA$5.22

2.89%

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

$2.23 CA$3.05

$2.04 CA$2.79

9.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 CA$2.51

$1.64 CA$2.25

11.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.85 CA$8.02

$5.56 CA$7.61

5.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.17 CA$9.82

$5.99 CA$8.21

19.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 CA$3.02

$2.18 CA$2.98

0.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 CA$4.41

$2.64 CA$3.62

21.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.75 CA$5.13

$3.56 CA$4.87

5.34%

Eggs

$4.36 CA$5.98

$3.52 CA$4.82

23.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.71 CA$17.41

$11.34 CA$15.53

12.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.90 CA$19.04

$11.68 CA$16.00

19.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.66 CA$21.45

$14.63 CA$20.04

7.04%

Apples (1kg)

$4.24 CA$5.81

$4.01 CA$5.49

5.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 CA$2.11

$1.40 CA$1.92

10.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.87 CA$5.30

$3.71 CA$5.08

4.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.08 CA$6.96

$3.77 CA$5.17

34.75%

Potato (1kg)

$3.20 CA$4.38

$2.41 CA$3.31

32.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.93 CA$4.02

$2.53 CA$3.47

15.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 CA$3.60

$2.58 CA$3.54

1.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 CA$2.55

$1.70 CA$2.33

9.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.36 CA$21.04

$13.85 CA$18.97

10.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.48 CA$21.20

$14.63 CA$20.04

5.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.10 CA$4.25

$2.95 CA$4.05

5.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 CA$5.12

$3.03 CA$4.15

23.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 CA$3.27

$2.30 CA$3.15

3.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.0 CA$115

$63.0 CA$86.3

33.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.66 CA$5.01

$3.25 CA$4.46

12.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.03

$1.50 CA$2.05

-1.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.98 CA$36.96

$25.90 CA$35.48

4.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 CA$1.76

$1.17 CA$1.61

9.40%

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

$25.6K CA$35.0K

$24.8K CA$34.0K

2.96%

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

$20.8K CA$28.6K

$20.3K CA$27.8K

2.87%

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

$91.0 CA$125

$142 CA$195

-36.11%

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

$40.15 CA$55.0

$44.44 CA$60.9

-9.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.8 CA$83.3

$63.7 CA$87.2

-4.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.05 CA$63.1

$42.17 CA$57.8

9.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.77 CA$21.61

$14.93 CA$20.45

5.63%

Cinema Ticket

$12.25 CA$16.79

$11.55 CA$15.82

6.06%

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

$1,165 CA$1,596

$745 CA$1,020

56.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.4K CA$25.2K

$11.6K CA$15.9K

58.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.6 CA$85.7

$53.5 CA$73.3

16.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.30 CA$58.0

$38.97 CA$53.4

8.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.1 CA$134

$87.3 CA$120

12.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 CA$156

$109 CA$149

4.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,988 CA$2,724

$1,339 CA$1,834

48.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,669 CA$2,287

$1,196 CA$1,638

39.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,580 CA$4,904

$2,024 CA$2,773

76.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,728 CA$3,738

$1,816 CA$2,488

50.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,014 CA$12.3K

$4,297 CA$5,887

109.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,085 CA$9,707

$3,214 CA$4,403

120.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,588 CA$4,916

$3,300 CA$4,521

8.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.61

6.46

-13.16%

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

Last update for Vancouver: April 12, 2026

Last update for Hearst: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,988 in Vancouver and $1,339 in Hearst. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver 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: $79 in Vancouver vs $69 in Hearst for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $415 vs $368 per month, with Hearst cheaper across the board.

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 Hearst: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vancouver and Hearst differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($2,845 vs $2,366 including rent). Hearst is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Vancouver pays 9% more on average, 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: $1,988 in Vancouver versus $1,339 in Hearst. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,165 in Vancouver versus $745 in Hearst. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Vancouver. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,366 in Hearst versus $2,845 in Vancouver, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Hearst but tight or insufficient in Vancouver. The gap between the two cities makes Hearst the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Hearst gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.