
Moving to Halifax – Where Should I Live
Welcome to Halifax, an amazing place to live! This place has been recognized as a major economic and business centre due to a large number of private sector and governmental companies.
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How Much Does It Cost to Live in Halifax – 2023
The average cost of living in Halifax is $2167.50 per month.
The beautiful city of Halifax is the capital of the province of Nova Scotia. The city is now part of the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) as is recognized as a major economical center in Atlantic Canada. The city has an estimated population of 440,332 with a total land area of about 5,490.3 sq. Km, making it the 14th largest municipality of Canada as well as the 13th largest metropolitan area. Halifax has a major concentration of government services as well as it contains a substantial number of major private sector companies.
The city of Halifax is also famous for the Halifax Shipyard, Saint Mary’s University, and Dalhousie University. Other major economic generators include various levels of government along with the Department of National Defense being situated in the city. Additionally, there are many resource industries located in Halifax.
Given below is a table that lists down the prices of different types of apartments and their costs.
City District | Studio | 1 Bedroom | 2 Bedroom | 3 + Bedroom |
Downtown Halifax | $975 | $1495 | $2010 | $2100 |
West End | – | $1575 | $2195 | – |
Rockingham | – | $1300 | $2150 | – |
Dartmouth Centre | – | $1795 | $2550 | $3198 |
East Dartmouth | – | $639 | $720 | – |
Clayton Park West | $875 | $1293 | $1575 | $1725 |
The average rent cost for a 1-bedroom apartment in Halifax is $1349.
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Being situated in the province of Nova Scotia, the average rate of electricity for the city of Halifax is the same as for the whole province i.e. 15.0¢/kWh, which is one of the modes rates in comparison to provinces like Nunavut standing at 37.5¢/kWh and Northwest Territories at 38.7¢/kWh. If your apartment or house is averagely consuming around 1000kWh, your electric bill will come around $120. Other provinces providing similar or even cheaper rates of electricity include Ontario, Manitoba, and Quebec.
For an 85m2 apartment, the collective bill of all the utilities is averaged around $103 which includes heating, cooling, garbage, water, etc. Electricity may or may not be added to this figure depending upon the rate of consumption.
As for monthly home insurance rates, throughout the province of Nova Scotia, if you own property, you are likely to pay an insurance of about $780 on average.
Whether you are living in a rented apartment or a condo, you will require some form of insurance coverage for your dwelling. In terms of property coverage, you have a few options.
Type of Coverage |
Coverage amount |
Dwelling building |
Replacement cost of your home |
Detached Private Structure(s) |
10% – 20% of replacement cost |
Personal Property |
70% – 80% of replacement cost |
Additional Living Expenses |
20% – 30% of replacement cost |
The average home insurance + utility cost in Halifax for a 1-bedroom condo is $587 per month.
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The city of Halifax provides its residents with a number of ways to travel around the city conveniently with the conventional mediums including buses, ferries, and Access-A-Buses. Then there is the regional express metro traveling on routes 320, 330, and 370.
The fares can be seen in the table below.
For the average cost of public transport in the city of Halifax, consult the table below.
Conventional Mediums | ||||
Fare category | Cash to fare | 10 tickets | Monthly pass | Transfer |
Children Age 0-12 years | Free | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Youth/Seniors Age 13-17 years | $2 | $18 | $60 | Free |
Adults Age 18-64 years | $2.75 | $24.75 | $82.50 | Free |
Regional Express | |||
Fare Category | Cash Fare | X Pass | Ticket, Monthly Pass, U Pass, or transfer |
Children Age 0-12 years | Free | N/A | N/A |
Youth/Seniors Age 13-17 years | $3 | $90 | $ |
Adults Age 18-64 years | $4.25 | $127.50 | $ |
Cost of The Public Bicycle Sharing System
In terms of the public bike-sharing system, you will find that the beautiful metropolitan city of Halifax still lags behind many other cities that have their own bike-sharing systems whether introduced by the local government or even private vendors. But there are many active moments on social media urging the government of Halifax to take the initiative of introducing a public bike-sharing system.
Car Parking Rates
The city of Halifax has upgraded its paid car parking system from individual meters to pay stations which consists of pay-by-plate and pay-by-zone systems. Despite this, there will still be a mixture of a permit, paid, and hourly parking in the parking zones. The rates for parking vary by zone and there is a daily 4-hour maximum. The parking rates are as following:
Car Insurance Rates
Car insurance rates in Canada vary from one province to another. It’s a good thing that the rates for car insurance in the city of Halifax, Nova Scotia is substantially affordable in comparison to many other provinces, landing at an average of $891. The collective average for all the provinces comes to a total of $1151. Therefore, it is still substantially more affordable.
The monthly pass price is $82.50.
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Halifax is full of beautiful locations, museums, sports centers, cinemas, and activity centers along with a number of restaurants, so it is quite affordable and easy to remain entertained in this city. Considering the essentials only, the average cost of entertainment around the city of Halifax includes:
Considering at average cost, if you have had 4 beers, 1 restaurant visit with friends, visited the cinema 2 times, and have had 4 regular restaurant meals per month, that can cost you about $193.
The average cost of entertainment in Halifax is $193 per month.
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Grocery includes items such as fruits, vegetables, meat, eggs, milk, and others. Cost for some regular groceries that may averagely be purchased include:
Items (1 kg) | Prices |
Milk (1 Liter) | $2.20 |
Loaf of bread | $2.82 |
Rice | $5.17 |
Dozen Eggs | $3.88 |
Local Cheese | $10.87 |
Chicken | $14.25 |
Beef round | $19.66 |
Apple | $5.56 |
Banana | $2.17 |
Orange | $5.56 |
Tomato | $5.79 |
Potato | $4.44 |
Onion | $3.67 |
Head of Lettuce | $3.56 |
Water Bottle 1.5L | $2.22 |
Cigarette 20 Pack | $18.00 |
The average cost of groceries for 1 person in Halifax is $250 per month.
There are plenty of internet service providers in Halifax as well as cellphone service providers with different packages that are sure to meet everyone’s needs. Considering a general 60 Mbps connection with unlimited download, it will cost you around $90-$100 on average. Finding the best Internet Plan will be easy as there are so many Internet providers available. Whereas 1 minute of the prepaid cost with no plan or discount will cost you around $0.23.
Internet costs an average of $90 per month for 60 Mbps in Halifax.
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In terms of fitness and personal care, a one-month fitness club fee averages around 55-60 $ per month. As for healthcare, you are covered with Canada universal healthcare. Having personal insurance is still highly recommended for other personal care services such as the dentist and the optometrist.
The average cost of a gym membership in Halifax is $55 per month.
(*Numbeo)
There are three types of sales taxes in Canada. In the province of Nova Scotia, they have HST that is set at about 15%. Applicable tax on the taxable income includes:
If you plan on moving to Halifax, then you can calculate the average cost of living in the city using the provided table and selecting the rates along with respective items, and finding the total sum which may vary from one person to another.
Housing
Average rent price for a 1 bedroom apartment + Insurance + Average utility cost
$1349 + $45+ $103
Transportation
Monthly Pass
$82.50
Food
Regular grocery basket for one person
$250
Phone
Unlimited mobile plan
$90
Entertainement
Monthly cost (see above)
$193
Health and Fitness
The average cost of a Fitness membership
$55
Note: If you are sharing cost with someone, it will be significantly lower. Also, if you are budgeting for a family, you’ll need to add the cost of each family member.
This is an approximation. Price will vary.
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Welcome to Halifax, an amazing place to live! This place has been recognized as a major economic and business centre due to a large number of private sector and governmental companies.
Easily compare multiple quotes
Guided through a checklist
Get up to speed on the new deals
Update your address in a few clicks
Become a trusted vendor in your service area
MovingWaldo is a one-stop-shop that simplifies tackling moving tasks
What is MovingWaldo?
We guide millions of families through each step of their moving process, helping them save time and money, and making sure nothing gets left behind.
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