Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Yellowknife

For one person, living is cheaper in Vancouver: $2,725 a month against $2,997 in Yellowknife, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index
144

Cost of Living Index in Yellowknife
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Yellowknife Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,725

/mo nomad

Yellowknife

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,997

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Yellowknife

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,725 in Vancouver versus $2,997 in Yellowknife.

Vancouver $2,725
Yellowknife $2,997

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,039 in Vancouver versus $4,165 in Yellowknife.

Vancouver $4,039
Yellowknife $4,165

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,352 in Vancouver versus $5,333 in Yellowknife.

Vancouver $5,352
Yellowknife $5,333

Living in Vancouver costs roughly 9% less than in Yellowknife, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 100% above, Yellowknife 120% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.65 CA$24.66

$19.93 CA$27.84

-11.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.4 CA$101

$86.8 CA$121

-16.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.84 CA$15.14

$8.95 CA$12.51

21.12%

Cappuccino

$3.91 CA$5.47

$4.32 CA$6.03

-9.49%

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

$2.10 CA$2.94

$2.33 CA$3.25

-9.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 CA$2.29

$2.14 CA$3.00

-23.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 CA$8.02

$6.52 CA$9.11

-11.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.36 CA$8.89

$7.33 CA$10.24

-13.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CA$3.09

$2.78 CA$3.88

-20.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 CA$3.69

$2.63 CA$3.67

0.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.68 CA$6.53

$4.73 CA$6.61

-1.06%

Eggs

$4.24 CA$5.92

$3.17 CA$4.42

33.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.92 CA$16.66

$7.09 CA$9.90

68.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.12 CA$18.33

$16.15 CA$22.56

-18.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.40 CA$28.50

$15.53 CA$21.70

31.36%

Apples (1kg)

$4.10 CA$5.73

$4.85 CA$6.77

-15.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.92

$1.48 CA$2.07

-6.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.83 CA$5.35

$5.29 CA$7.39

-27.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 CA$5.47

$7.50 CA$10.47

-47.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 CA$3.88

$4.44 CA$6.21

-37.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.84 CA$3.96

$3.54 CA$4.94

-19.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 CA$3.63

$3.53 CA$4.93

-26.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CA$2.22

$1.08 CA$1.51

47.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.87 CA$22.17

$17.18 CA$24.00

-7.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.00 CA$19.55

$14.50 CA$20.26

-3.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 CA$3.59

$4.34 CA$6.07

-40.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 CA$4.21

$6.29 CA$8.79

-52.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.57

$1.40 CA$1.96

82.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.1 CA$118

$53.5 CA$74.7

57.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 CA$3.73

$3.19 CA$4.46

-16.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$1.47 CA$2.05

7.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.19 CA$44.97

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 CA$2.03

$1.28 CA$1.78

13.28%

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

$27.5K CA$38.4K

$24.3K CA$34.0K

13.05%

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

$21.3K CA$29.8K

$20.1K CA$28.0K

6.32%

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

$82.5 CA$115

$369 CA$516

-77.66%

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

$37.46 CA$52.3

$59.0 CA$82.5

-36.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 CA$72.2

$102 CA$142

-49.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.52 CA$56.6

$73.6 CA$103

-44.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.69 CA$17.73

Cinema Ticket

$12.66 CA$17.69

$9.93 CA$13.87

27.49%

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

$1,080 CA$1,508

$594 CA$829

81.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.1K CA$28.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$81.7

$65.3 CA$91.2

-10.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.10 CA$47.64

$36.14 CA$50.5

-5.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 CA$135

$103 CA$144

-5.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.4 CA$136

$119 CA$166

-18.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,813 CA$2,533

$1,616 CA$2,257

12.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 CA$2,201

$1,419 CA$1,982

11.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,217 CA$4,494

$2,356 CA$3,292

36.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,651 CA$3,704

$2,048 CA$2,861

29.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,590 CA$12.0K

$3,093 CA$4,321

177.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,649 CA$9,289

$2,882 CA$4,027

130.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,733 CA$5,215

$4,657 CA$6,506

-19.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

5.32

-19.55%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 27, 2026

Last update for Yellowknife: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.6K 57.8%

Yellowknife

$1.4K 47.3% 10% $157

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$401 14.7%

Yellowknife

$437 14.6% 9% $36

Eating Out

Vancouver

$277 10.2%

Yellowknife

$303 10.1% 9.5% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$172 6.3%

Yellowknife

$530 17.7% 209% $358

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$129 4.7%

Yellowknife

$145 4.9% 12.7% $16

Getting Around

Vancouver

$105 3.9%

Yellowknife

$70 2.3% 33.7% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$66 2.4%

Yellowknife

$93 3.1% 42% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,813 in Vancouver and $1,616 in Yellowknife. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yellowknife pays 25% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $72 in Vancouver vs $87 in Yellowknife for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $401 vs $437 per month, with Vancouver cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇨🇦 Yellowknife

🕒 Local time

17:13 5:13 PM

18:13 6:13 PM

1 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

19,234

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Vancouver Yellowknife 1,560 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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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 Yellowknife: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,725 in Vancouver and $2,997 in Yellowknife, so Vancouver is about 9% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 20% lower in Vancouver. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,813 in Vancouver versus $1,616 in Yellowknife. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Vancouver – a meal for two runs $72 versus $87 in Yellowknife. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,725 per month in Vancouver versus $2,997 in Yellowknife – Vancouver is about 9% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

It comes down to priorities – Vancouver wins on affordability, Yellowknife on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.