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: $2,731 in Vancouver versus $2,322 in Hearst.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,956 in Vancouver versus $3,303 in Hearst.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,181 in Vancouver versus $4,283 in Hearst.

Living in Vancouver is roughly 18% more expensive than in Hearst, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 99% above, Hearst 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.36 CA$25.41

$19.51 CA$26.99

-5.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.9 CA$101

$61.7 CA$85.4

18.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 CA$15.05

$12.04 CA$16.66

-9.63%

Cappuccino

$4.25 CA$5.88

$3.44 CA$4.76

23.55%

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

$2.12 CA$2.93

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 CA$2.34

$1.88 CA$2.60

-10.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.75 CA$7.95

$5.13 CA$7.09

12.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.65 CA$9.21

$5.91 CA$8.18

12.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 CA$2.97

$2.13 CA$2.95

0.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 CA$3.53

$2.63 CA$3.63

-3.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.41 CA$6.11

$2.91 CA$4.03

51.55%

Eggs

$4.24 CA$5.87

$3.40 CA$4.71

24.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.14 CA$16.80

$9.92 CA$13.73

22.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.66 CA$18.91

$11.76 CA$16.27

16.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.78 CA$28.76

$14.64 CA$20.26

41.94%

Apples (1kg)

$4.31 CA$5.96

$3.95 CA$5.46

9.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 CA$1.93

$1.18 CA$1.64

17.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 CA$5.53

$3.72 CA$5.15

7.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.06 CA$5.62

$3.87 CA$5.36

4.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 CA$3.90

$2.56 CA$3.55

10.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 CA$4.08

$2.08 CA$2.87

41.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 CA$3.83

$2.59 CA$3.58

6.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 CA$2.25

$1.67 CA$2.31

-2.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.06 CA$22.22

$14.63 CA$20.24

9.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.54 CA$20.11

$11.82 CA$16.36

23.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.73 CA$3.78

$2.52 CA$3.49

8.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 CA$4.25

$3.56 CA$4.93

-13.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.52

$2.28 CA$3.15

11.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.1 CA$118

$63.1 CA$87.3

34.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.71 CA$3.75

$2.90 CA$4.01

-6.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 CA$2.27

$1.41 CA$1.95

16.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.75 CA$43.93

$24.90 CA$34.45

27.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 CA$1.98

$1.06 CA$1.47

34.91%

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

$28.9K CA$40.0K

$29.0K CA$40.1K

-0.21%

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

$19.7K CA$27.2K

$19.9K CA$27.5K

-1.07%

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

$77.6 CA$107

$141 CA$195

-44.97%

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

$35.35 CA$48.91

$34.52 CA$47.77

2.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.6 CA$71.5

$56.8 CA$78.6

-9.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.26 CA$64.0

$41.21 CA$57.0

12.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.37 CA$18.51

$18.68 CA$25.85

-28.43%

Cinema Ticket

$11.55 CA$15.98

$11.18 CA$15.48

3.31%

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

$1,137 CA$1,573

$876 CA$1,212

29.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.2K CA$29.3K

$13.5K CA$18.6K

57.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 CA$82.0

$53.3 CA$73.7

11.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.02 CA$48.45

$38.44 CA$53.2

-8.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.1 CA$125

$86.1 CA$119

4.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.3 CA$133

$104 CA$143

-7.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,845 CA$2,553

$1,303 CA$1,803

41.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 CA$2,206

$1,325 CA$1,833

20.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,271 CA$4,527

$2,284 CA$3,160

43.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,499 CA$3,458

$1,688 CA$2,336

48.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,039 CA$12.5K

$4,566 CA$6,319

97.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,985 CA$9,665

$3,638 CA$5,034

92.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,659 CA$5,062

$3,221 CA$4,457

13.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.23

4.68

-9.62%

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

Last update for Vancouver: August 30, 2026

Last update for Hearst: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,845 in Vancouver and $1,303 in Hearst. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 14% 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: $73.0 in Vancouver vs $62.0 in Hearst for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $409 vs $352 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 18% in total monthly costs ($2,731 vs $2,322 including rent). Hearst is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 14% 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: $1,845 in Vancouver versus $1,303 in Hearst. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,137 in Vancouver versus $876 in Hearst. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Vancouver. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,322 in Hearst versus $2,731 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 18% less than in Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.