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: $2,906 in Vancouver versus $2,350 in Hearst.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,209 in Vancouver versus $3,368 in Hearst.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,513 in Vancouver versus $4,387 in Hearst.

Living in Vancouver is roughly 24% more expensive than in Hearst, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 118% above, Hearst 76% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.62 CA$26.20

$17.14 CA$24.12

8.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.9 CA$110

$69.8 CA$98.2

11.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.84 CA$15.26

$11.08 CA$15.59

-2.17%

Cappuccino

$3.93 CA$5.53

$3.70 CA$5.21

6.22%

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

$2.24 CA$3.16

$1.98 CA$2.78

13.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 CA$2.46

$1.71 CA$2.41

2.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.05 CA$8.51

$5.64 CA$7.94

7.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.30 CA$10.27

$5.77 CA$8.12

26.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.30 CA$3.24

$2.10 CA$2.95

9.52%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 CA$4.32

$2.71 CA$3.82

13.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.77 CA$5.30

$3.61 CA$5.08

4.43%

Eggs

$4.32 CA$6.08

$3.41 CA$4.80

26.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 CA$17.69

$10.96 CA$15.42

14.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.74 CA$19.34

$11.67 CA$16.42

17.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.99 CA$22.49

$14.81 CA$20.84

7.97%

Apples (1kg)

$4.26 CA$6.00

$4.07 CA$5.73

4.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 CA$2.14

$1.41 CA$1.98

7.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.92 CA$5.52

$3.64 CA$5.12

7.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.08 CA$7.15

$3.69 CA$5.20

37.67%

Potato (1kg)

$3.20 CA$4.50

$2.38 CA$3.36

34.45%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 CA$4.34

$2.47 CA$3.48

25.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 CA$3.65

$2.55 CA$3.59

1.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.65

$1.70 CA$2.40

10.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.45 CA$21.74

$14.16 CA$19.92

9.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.89 CA$20.95

$13.64 CA$19.19

9.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.12 CA$4.39

$2.89 CA$4.06

7.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 CA$5.35

$3.02 CA$4.25

25.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 CA$3.40

$2.35 CA$3.31

2.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.0 CA$117

$63.3 CA$89.1

31.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.76 CA$5.28

$3.20 CA$4.50

17.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$1.50 CA$2.11

-1.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.97 CA$37.95

$25.44 CA$35.79

6.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 CA$1.82

$1.13 CA$1.59

15.04%

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

$25.2K CA$35.4K

$25.1K CA$35.4K

0.22%

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

$20.6K CA$28.9K

$20.9K CA$29.4K

-1.66%

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

$91.8 CA$129

$145 CA$204

-36.59%

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

$39.34 CA$55.4

$44.42 CA$62.5

-11.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 CA$85.3

$63.4 CA$89.2

-4.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.58 CA$62.7

$42.74 CA$60.1

4.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.88 CA$22.35

$14.87 CA$20.93

6.79%

Cinema Ticket

$12.18 CA$17.13

$11.47 CA$16.13

6.19%

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

$1,185 CA$1,667

$747 CA$1,050

58.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.5K CA$26.1K

$11.9K CA$16.7K

55.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.5 CA$87.9

$55.4 CA$77.9

12.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.38 CA$59.6

$38.83 CA$54.6

9.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.0 CA$134

$85.7 CA$121

10.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 CA$162

$108 CA$151

6.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,979 CA$2,785

$1,314 CA$1,849

50.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 CA$2,313

$1,191 CA$1,676

37.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,577 CA$5,033

$2,019 CA$2,841

77.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,782 CA$3,915

$1,824 CA$2,567

52.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,754 CA$12.3K

$4,587 CA$6,454

90.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,087 CA$9,972

$3,157 CA$4,442

124.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,380 CA$4,756

$3,161 CA$4,448

6.92%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Hearst: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,979 in Vancouver and $1,314 in Hearst. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 7% 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 $70.0 in Hearst for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $414 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 24% in total monthly costs ($2,906 vs $2,350 including rent). Hearst is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 7% 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: $1,979 in Vancouver versus $1,314 in Hearst. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,185 in Vancouver versus $747 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 $2,350 in Hearst versus $2,906 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 24% less than in Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.