Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Yellowknife Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Yellowknife

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,831 in Vancouver versus $2,960 in Yellowknife.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,231 in Vancouver versus $4,236 in Yellowknife.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,630 in Vancouver versus $5,511 in Yellowknife.

Living in Vancouver costs roughly 4% less than in Yellowknife, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 111% above, Yellowknife 121% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.26 CA$25.37

$16.77 CA$23.30

8.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.8 CA$108

$86.9 CA$121

-10.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.85 CA$15.08

$7.64 CA$10.61

42.02%

Cappuccino

$3.98 CA$5.53

$3.83 CA$5.32

3.92%

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

$2.12 CA$2.94

$2.63 CA$3.65

-19.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 CA$2.47

$2.11 CA$2.93

-15.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.77 CA$8.02

$6.08 CA$8.45

-5.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.56 CA$10.50

$7.22 CA$10.03

4.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CA$3.23

$2.52 CA$3.50

-7.94%

White Bread (500g)

$3.10 CA$4.30

$2.68 CA$3.72

15.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.89 CA$5.40

$4.76 CA$6.61

-18.28%

Eggs

$4.53 CA$6.29

$3.36 CA$4.67

34.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.92 CA$17.95

$7.30 CA$10.15

76.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.14 CA$19.65

$16.83 CA$23.38

-15.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.74 CA$21.87

$16.36 CA$22.73

-3.79%

Apples (1kg)

$4.26 CA$5.91

$5.05 CA$7.01

-15.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 CA$2.04

$1.53 CA$2.13

-3.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.02 CA$5.59

$5.56 CA$7.72

-27.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.06 CA$7.03

$7.71 CA$10.72

-34.37%

Potato (1kg)

$3.02 CA$4.20

$4.76 CA$6.61

-36.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 CA$4.10

$3.75 CA$5.21

-21.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 CA$3.61

$3.63 CA$5.05

-28.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.61

$1.15 CA$1.60

63.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.20 CA$21.12

$17.61 CA$24.47

-13.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.30 CA$19.86

$14.32 CA$19.89

-0.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.07 CA$4.27

$4.40 CA$6.11

-30.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 CA$5.20

$6.48 CA$9.00

-42.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.44 CA$3.39

$2.24 CA$3.12

8.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.9 CA$118

$56.3 CA$78.2

50.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.74 CA$5.19

$3.22 CA$4.48

16.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 CA$2.09

$1.39 CA$1.94

7.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.43 CA$38.11

$25.28 CA$35.13

8.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.86

$1.22 CA$1.69

9.84%

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

$25.1K CA$34.9K

$25.2K CA$35.0K

-0.22%

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

$20.7K CA$28.8K

-0.03%

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

$91.8 CA$128

$395 CA$549

-76.76%

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

$39.42 CA$54.8

$60.3 CA$83.7

-34.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.1 CA$84.9

$110 CA$152

-44.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.89 CA$62.4

$74.7 CA$104

-39.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.68 CA$21.79

Cinema Ticket

$12.37 CA$17.18

$10.37 CA$14.41

19.29%

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

$1,180 CA$1,640

$629 CA$874

87.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K CA$26.1K

$11.8K CA$16.4K

58.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.7 CA$87.1

$66.5 CA$92.4

-5.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.13 CA$59.9

$37.52 CA$52.1

14.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.7 CA$132

$105 CA$146

-9.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 CA$164

$119 CA$166

-0.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,995 CA$2,771

$1,503 CA$2,088

32.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,629 CA$2,264

$1,426 CA$1,981

14.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,589 CA$4,986

$2,457 CA$3,413

46.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,769 CA$3,848

$2,167 CA$3,011

27.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,246 CA$12.8K

$3,158 CA$4,388

192.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,086 CA$9,845

$2,906 CA$4,038

143.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,474 CA$4,827

$4,098 CA$5,694

-15.23%

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 Yellowknife: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,995 in Vancouver and $1,503 in Yellowknife. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yellowknife pays 18% 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 $87.0 in Yellowknife for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $415 vs $449 per month, with Vancouver 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 Yellowknife: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vancouver and Yellowknife differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($2,831 vs $2,960 including rent). Vancouver is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Yellowknife earns 18% less. 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: $1,995 in Vancouver versus $1,503 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 $78.0 versus $87.0 in Yellowknife. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,831 per month in Vancouver versus $2,960 in Yellowknife – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Vancouver is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Vancouver gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Yellowknife. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.