Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Hearst

For one person, living is cheaper in Hearst: $2,210 a month against $2,662 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 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 Hearst
Learn more

Hearst Living Index

Jump to prices

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,662

/mo nomad

Hearst

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Hearst

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 Hearst actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,662 in Vancouver versus $2,210 in Hearst.

Vancouver $2,662
Hearst $2,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,916 in Vancouver versus $3,203 in Hearst.

Vancouver $3,916
Hearst $3,203

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,170 in Vancouver versus $4,197 in Hearst.

Vancouver $5,170
Hearst $4,197

Living in Vancouver is roughly 20% more expensive than in Hearst, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 96% above, Hearst 63% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.01 CA$25.46

$17.35 CA$24.53

3.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.0 CA$100

$66.0 CA$93.4

7.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.83 CA$15.31

$10.67 CA$15.09

1.50%

Cappuccino

$3.94 CA$5.56

$3.60 CA$5.09

9.44%

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

$2.13 CA$3.01

$2.01 CA$2.83

5.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 CA$2.34

$1.55 CA$2.20

7.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.73 CA$8.10

$5.18 CA$7.32

10.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.40 CA$9.04

$5.58 CA$7.88

14.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 CA$3.04

$2.09 CA$2.95

2.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 CA$3.61

$2.55 CA$3.60

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.56 CA$6.45

$3.29 CA$4.65

38.60%

Eggs

$4.06 CA$5.74

$3.34 CA$4.73

21.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.14 CA$17.17

$9.67 CA$13.67

25.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.23 CA$18.71

$11.53 CA$16.30

14.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.24 CA$28.62

$14.25 CA$20.15

42.04%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 CA$5.73

$3.78 CA$5.35

7.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$2.00

$1.26 CA$1.78

12.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.97 CA$5.62

$3.63 CA$5.13

9.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.53

$3.67 CA$5.18

6.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.74

$2.49 CA$3.52

6.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 CA$3.98

$2.17 CA$3.06

29.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 CA$3.51

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CA$2.24

$1.57 CA$2.22

1.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.30 CA$21.64

$13.89 CA$19.63

10.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.32 CA$20.24

$12.84 CA$18.15

11.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 CA$3.63

$2.61 CA$3.70

-1.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.12

$3.09 CA$4.37

-5.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.60

$2.24 CA$3.17

13.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.6 CA$120

$62.3 CA$88.0

35.82%

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

$1.40 CA$1.98

16.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.77 CA$44.91

$22.95 CA$32.44

38.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 CA$2.01

$1.14 CA$1.61

24.56%

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

$27.1K CA$38.3K

$27.9K CA$39.4K

-2.70%

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

$21.6K CA$30.5K

$18.9K CA$26.7K

14.45%

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

$81.3 CA$115

$132 CA$186

-38.21%

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

$37.20 CA$52.6

$38.55 CA$54.5

-3.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.6 CA$74.4

$54.4 CA$77.0

-3.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.34 CA$62.7

$40.47 CA$57.2

9.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.37 CA$17.49

$17.81 CA$25.18

-30.54%

Cinema Ticket

$12.62 CA$17.85

$11.12 CA$15.72

13.49%

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

$1,093 CA$1,544

$748 CA$1,057

46.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.0K CA$28.2K

$13.1K CA$18.5K

52.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$82.7

$53.7 CA$75.9

8.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.35 CA$47.14

$38.42 CA$54.3

-13.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.3 CA$136

$83.4 CA$118

15.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.6 CA$135

$103 CA$145

-6.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,765 CA$2,495

$1,220 CA$1,724

44.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 CA$2,132

$1,104 CA$1,560

36.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,122 CA$4,414

$1,918 CA$2,711

62.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,469 CA$3,490

$1,687 CA$2,384

46.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,173 CA$11.6K

$4,145 CA$5,860

97.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,354 CA$8,982

$3,557 CA$5,028

78.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,592 CA$5,078

$3,120 CA$4,410

15.15%

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 Hearst: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.5K 56.7%

Hearst

$1.1K 49.9% 26.8% $405

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$399 15%

Hearst

$347 15.7% 13% $52

Eating Out

Vancouver

$280 10.5%

Hearst

$265 12% 5.4% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$171 6.4%

Hearst

$225 10.2% 31.2% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$128 4.8%

Hearst

$125 5.7% 2% $2.5

Getting Around

Vancouver

$106 4%

Hearst

$81 3.7% 23.2% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$70 2.6%

Hearst

$63 2.8% 9.9% $6.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,765 in Vancouver and $1,220 in Hearst. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 15% 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: $71.0 in Vancouver vs $66.0 in Hearst for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $399 vs $347 per month, with Hearst cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇨🇦 Hearst

🕒 Local time

07:19 7:19 AM

10:19 10:19 AM

3 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

5,000

💱 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 Hearst 2,820 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Vancouver
Hearst

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 Hearst: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vancouver and Hearst differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($2,662 vs $2,210 including rent). Hearst is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 15% higher in Vancouver, 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: $1,765 in Vancouver versus $1,220 in Hearst. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,093 in Vancouver versus $748 in Hearst. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Vancouver. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,210 in Hearst versus $2,662 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.