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: $2,906 in Vancouver versus $2,990 in Yellowknife.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,209 in Vancouver versus $4,276 in Yellowknife.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,513 in Vancouver versus $5,563 in Yellowknife.

Living in Vancouver costs roughly 3% less than in Yellowknife, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 118% above, Yellowknife 124% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.62 CA$26.10

$16.49 CA$23.12

12.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.9 CA$109

$89.7 CA$126

-13.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.84 CA$15.20

$7.54 CA$10.57

43.77%

Cappuccino

$3.93 CA$5.51

$3.86 CA$5.41

1.81%

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

$2.24 CA$3.15

$2.64 CA$3.71

-15.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 CA$2.45

$2.21 CA$3.10

-20.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.05 CA$8.48

$6.02 CA$8.43

0.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.30 CA$10.23

$7.46 CA$10.45

-2.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.30 CA$3.23

$2.48 CA$3.48

-7.26%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 CA$4.31

$2.77 CA$3.88

10.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.77 CA$5.28

$4.82 CA$6.76

-21.78%

Eggs

$4.32 CA$6.06

$3.28 CA$4.59

31.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 CA$17.63

$7.30 CA$10.24

72.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.74 CA$19.27

$16.81 CA$23.57

-18.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.99 CA$22.41

$16.50 CA$23.13

-3.09%

Apples (1kg)

$4.26 CA$5.98

$4.81 CA$6.74

-11.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 CA$2.13

$1.59 CA$2.24

-4.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.92 CA$5.50

$5.54 CA$7.76

-29.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.08 CA$7.13

$7.67 CA$10.76

-33.77%

Potato (1kg)

$3.20 CA$4.48

$4.76 CA$6.67

-32.77%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 CA$4.33

$3.67 CA$5.15

-15.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 CA$3.64

$3.45 CA$4.84

-24.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.64

$1.14 CA$1.60

64.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.45 CA$21.66

$17.39 CA$24.38

-11.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.89 CA$20.88

$14.00 CA$19.62

6.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.12 CA$4.37

$4.30 CA$6.03

-27.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 CA$5.33

$6.71 CA$9.41

-43.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 CA$3.39

$2.16 CA$3.03

12.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.0 CA$116

$54.6 CA$76.5

52.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.76 CA$5.27

$3.26 CA$4.56

15.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.08

$1.34 CA$1.88

10.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.97 CA$37.81

$26.10 CA$36.59

3.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 CA$1.82

$1.22 CA$1.71

6.56%

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

$25.2K CA$35.3K

$24.5K CA$34.4K

2.67%

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

$20.6K CA$28.8K

$20.1K CA$28.2K

2.08%

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

$91.8 CA$129

$390 CA$547

-76.48%

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

$39.34 CA$55.2

$60.5 CA$84.8

-34.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 CA$85.0

$111 CA$156

-45.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.58 CA$62.5

$74.7 CA$105

-40.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.88 CA$22.27

Cinema Ticket

$12.18 CA$17.07

$10.23 CA$14.34

19.06%

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

$1,185 CA$1,661

$609 CA$854

94.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.5K CA$26.0K

$12.0K CA$16.8K

54.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.5 CA$87.6

$65.4 CA$91.7

-4.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.38 CA$59.4

$36.64 CA$51.4

15.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.0 CA$133

$107 CA$150

-10.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 CA$161

$119 CA$167

-3.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,979 CA$2,775

$1,494 CA$2,095

32.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 CA$2,304

$1,440 CA$2,019

14.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,577 CA$5,015

$2,449 CA$3,434

46.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,782 CA$3,901

$2,192 CA$3,073

26.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,754 CA$12.3K

$3,003 CA$4,210

191.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,087 CA$9,936

$2,799 CA$3,924

153.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,380 CA$4,739

$3,937 CA$5,519

-14.14%

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 Yellowknife: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,979 in Vancouver and $1,494 in Yellowknife. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yellowknife pays 16% 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 $90.0 in Yellowknife for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $414 vs $447 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 3% in total monthly costs ($2,906 vs $2,990 including rent). Vancouver is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 16% lower in Yellowknife. 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: $1,979 in Vancouver versus $1,494 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 $90.0 in Yellowknife. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,906 per month in Vancouver versus $2,990 in Yellowknife – a 3% 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 3% less than in Yellowknife. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.