Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yellowknife and Vancouver

For one person, living is cheaper in Vancouver: $2,626 a month against $2,916 in Yellowknife, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

143

Cost of Living Index in Yellowknife
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Yellowknife Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index

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Yellowknife

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,916

/mo nomad

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,626

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Yellowknife and in Vancouver

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Yellowknife and in Vancouver actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,916 in Yellowknife versus $2,626 in Vancouver.

Yellowknife $2,916
Vancouver $2,626

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,085 in Yellowknife versus $3,841 in Vancouver.

Yellowknife $4,085
Vancouver $3,841

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,255 in Yellowknife versus $5,056 in Vancouver.

Yellowknife $5,255
Vancouver $5,056

Living in Yellowknife is roughly 11% more expensive than in Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Yellowknife 116% above, Vancouver 95% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.32 CA$27.31

$17.19 CA$24.30

12.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.3 CA$121

$69.1 CA$97.6

23.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.63 CA$12.19

$10.61 CA$15.00

-18.66%

Cappuccino

$4.22 CA$5.97

$3.83 CA$5.42

10.18%

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

$2.27 CA$3.21

$2.04 CA$2.88

11.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 CA$2.93

$1.65 CA$2.34

25.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 CA$8.65

$5.54 CA$7.83

10.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.89 CA$9.74

$6.20 CA$8.77

11.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.83 CA$4.00

$2.14 CA$3.02

32.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 CA$3.74

$2.51 CA$3.54

5.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.65 CA$6.57

$4.49 CA$6.35

3.56%

Eggs

$3.26 CA$4.60

$4.09 CA$5.78

-20.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.93 CA$9.80

$11.73 CA$16.58

-40.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.17 CA$22.86

$13.11 CA$18.54

23.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.33 CA$21.67

$19.50 CA$27.57

-21.38%

Apples (1kg)

$4.81 CA$6.80

$4.00 CA$5.65

20.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.04

$1.38 CA$1.94

5.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.05 CA$7.15

$3.88 CA$5.48

30.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.14 CA$10.10

$3.95 CA$5.58

80.76%

Potato (1kg)

$4.30 CA$6.08

$2.72 CA$3.85

58.09%

Onion (1kg)

$3.60 CA$5.08

$2.86 CA$4.05

25.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.43 CA$4.84

$2.46 CA$3.48

39.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 CA$1.48

$1.56 CA$2.21

-32.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.03 CA$24.08

$15.48 CA$21.88

10.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.83 CA$19.55

$13.75 CA$19.44

0.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.09 CA$5.78

$2.63 CA$3.72

55.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.14 CA$8.68

$2.89 CA$4.09

112.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.13 CA$3.01

$2.48 CA$3.51

-14.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.7 CA$73.1

$83.0 CA$117

-37.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$2.72 CA$3.85

12.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 CA$1.94

$1.58 CA$2.24

-13.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.05 CA$43.89

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 CA$1.82

$1.37 CA$1.94

-5.84%

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

$23.4K CA$33.1K

$27.7K CA$39.1K

-15.28%

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

$18.7K CA$26.5K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

-4.63%

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

$354 CA$501

$82.5 CA$117

329.72%

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

$56.9 CA$80.4

$37.26 CA$52.7

52.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$97.5 CA$138

$51.7 CA$73.1

88.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.3 CA$102

$42.87 CA$60.6

68.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.40 CA$17.53

Cinema Ticket

$9.69 CA$13.70

$12.13 CA$17.15

-20.12%

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

$575 CA$813

$1,102 CA$1,557

-47.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K CA$28.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 CA$89.9

$56.4 CA$79.7

12.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.39 CA$48.61

$33.43 CA$47.26

2.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.7 CA$140

$93.9 CA$133

5.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 CA$161

$93.8 CA$133

21.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,408 CA$1,991

$1,775 CA$2,509

-20.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,383 CA$1,955

$1,497 CA$2,116

-7.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,100 CA$2,969

$3,082 CA$4,357

-31.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 CA$2,898

$2,416 CA$3,416

-15.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,983 CA$4,217

$8,069 CA$11.4K

-63.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,765 CA$3,909

$6,449 CA$9,118

-57.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,903 CA$5,518

$3,776 CA$5,339

3.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.32

4.28

24.30%

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

Last update for Yellowknife: October 13, 2026

Last update for Vancouver: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Yellowknife

$1.4K 47.4%

Vancouver

$1.5K 57% 8.2% $114

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Yellowknife

$509 17.5%

Vancouver

$171 6.5% 66.3% $337

Groceries & Markets

Yellowknife

$429 14.7%

Vancouver

$392 14.9% 8.6% $37

Eating Out

Yellowknife

$293 10%

Vancouver

$270 10.3% 7.7% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Yellowknife

$140 4.8%

Vancouver

$125 4.8% 10.6% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Yellowknife

$92 3.2%

Vancouver

$67 2.6% 26.8% $25

Getting Around

Yellowknife

$70 2.4%

Vancouver

$104 3.9% 47.6% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,408 in Yellowknife and $1,775 in Vancouver. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yellowknife pays 3% 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: $85.0 in Yellowknife vs $69.0 in Vancouver for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $429 vs $392 per month, with Vancouver cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Yellowknife

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🕒 Local time

09:53 9:53 AM

08:53 8:53 AM

1 h behind Yellowknife

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,234

631,486

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

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

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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

Yellowknife vs Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yellowknife and Vancouver differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($2,916 vs $2,626 including rent). Vancouver is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 3% higher in Yellowknife, 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: $1,408 in Yellowknife versus $1,775 in Vancouver. 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 $69.0 versus $85.0 in Yellowknife. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,916 per month in Yellowknife versus $2,626 in Vancouver – a 11% 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 11% less than in Yellowknife. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.