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: $2,831 in Vancouver versus $2,348 in Hearst.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,231 in Vancouver versus $3,364 in Hearst.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,630 in Vancouver versus $4,380 in Hearst.

Living in Vancouver is roughly 21% more expensive than Hearst, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 111% above, Hearst 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.26 CA$25.39

$16.91 CA$23.52

7.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.8 CA$108

$69.2 CA$96.2

12.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.85 CA$15.09

$11.14 CA$15.50

-2.60%

Cappuccino

$3.98 CA$5.54

$3.82 CA$5.31

4.19%

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

$2.12 CA$2.95

$2.07 CA$2.88

2.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 CA$2.47

$1.65 CA$2.30

7.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.77 CA$8.02

$5.43 CA$7.55

6.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.56 CA$10.51

$6.01 CA$8.36

25.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CA$3.23

$2.16 CA$3.00

7.41%

White Bread (500g)

$3.10 CA$4.31

$2.73 CA$3.79

13.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.89 CA$5.40

$3.63 CA$5.05

7.16%

Eggs

$4.53 CA$6.30

$3.41 CA$4.74

32.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.92 CA$17.96

$10.96 CA$15.24

17.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.14 CA$19.67

$11.50 CA$15.99

22.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.74 CA$21.89

$14.90 CA$20.73

5.64%

Apples (1kg)

$4.26 CA$5.92

$4.09 CA$5.69

4.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 CA$2.04

$1.43 CA$1.98

2.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.02 CA$5.59

$3.64 CA$5.07

10.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.06 CA$7.04

$3.74 CA$5.20

35.29%

Potato (1kg)

$3.02 CA$4.20

$2.51 CA$3.49

20.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 CA$4.10

$2.54 CA$3.54

16.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 CA$3.62

$2.64 CA$3.68

-1.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.62

$1.76 CA$2.45

6.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.20 CA$21.14

$14.03 CA$19.52

8.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.30 CA$19.88

$12.47 CA$17.34

14.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.07 CA$4.27

$2.95 CA$4.10

4.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 CA$5.20

$3.00 CA$4.18

24.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.44 CA$3.39

$2.31 CA$3.21

5.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.9 CA$118

$62.2 CA$86.5

36.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.74 CA$5.20

$3.26 CA$4.54

14.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 CA$2.09

$1.50 CA$2.08

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.43 CA$38.15

$26.03 CA$36.20

5.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.86

$1.17 CA$1.62

14.53%

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

$25.1K CA$34.9K

$25.0K CA$34.8K

0.44%

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

$20.7K CA$28.8K

$20.5K CA$28.5K

1.02%

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

$91.8 CA$128

$143 CA$198

-35.69%

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

$39.42 CA$54.8

$44.04 CA$61.3

-10.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.1 CA$84.9

$63.7 CA$88.6

-4.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.89 CA$62.4

$41.31 CA$57.4

8.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.68 CA$21.81

$14.82 CA$20.62

5.80%

Cinema Ticket

$12.37 CA$17.20

$11.45 CA$15.93

8.03%

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

$1,180 CA$1,641

$734 CA$1,021

60.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K CA$26.1K

$12.0K CA$16.6K

56.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.7 CA$87.2

$54.0 CA$75.1

16.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.13 CA$60.0

$39.98 CA$55.6

7.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.7 CA$132

$85.8 CA$119

10.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 CA$165

$109 CA$152

8.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,995 CA$2,774

$1,289 CA$1,792

54.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,629 CA$2,266

$1,158 CA$1,610

40.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,589 CA$4,991

$1,992 CA$2,770

80.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,769 CA$3,851

$1,784 CA$2,482

55.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,246 CA$12.9K

$4,349 CA$6,048

112.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,086 CA$9,854

$3,475 CA$4,832

103.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,474 CA$4,831

$3,189 CA$4,435

8.93%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Hearst: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,995 in Vancouver and $1,289 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: $78.0 in Vancouver vs $69.0 in Hearst for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $415 vs $364 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 21% in total monthly costs ($2,831 vs $2,348 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: $1,995 in Vancouver versus $1,289 in Hearst. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,180 in Vancouver versus $734 in Hearst. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Vancouver. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,348 in Hearst versus $2,831 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 21% less than in Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.