What is the estimated monthly cost of living in Whitehorse?

The latest single-person Market Basket Measure is about CAD 2,831.33 per month. Advertised rent is shown separately when published.

What salary is typically needed in Whitehorse?

A balanced planning estimate is around CAD 55,700 gross per year.

Are these exact prices?

No. These are planning baselines and should be adjusted to your neighborhood and lifestyle.

City snapshot

Cost of living in Whitehorse

Whitehorse offers northern adventure, government jobs, and unique Yukon wilderness experiences.

Planning baseline refreshed: May 2026Whitehorse CA

3-category planning baseline

$2,579

Total annual: $30,948

Balanced salary needed

$55,700

Balanced

Population

39,584

2025 · Whitehorse (CA), Yukon · Statistics Canada

Crime Severity Index

209.2

Yukon proxy

Official Basic-Needs Budgets

1 person$2,831

2 people$4,004

Family of 4$5,663

Market Basket Measure totals and advertised rent answer different questions. Rent is not added to the budget total because the MBM already includes a shelter component.

Data coverage: 79% (B) · 2025

Advertised Rent

Bachelor apartmentNo current published observation

1-bedroom apartmentNo current published observation

2-bedroom apartmentNo current published observation

3+ bedroom apartmentNo current published observation

Full-time centre-based childcare$279

2025 · Yukon

Local Indicators

Median after-tax income$89,300

Crime Severity Index209.2

Yukon, Whitehorse

3-category planning baseline

Planning rent estimate (1bd)$2,100

Groceries$349

Transport$130

Total monthly$2,579

Compact estimated baseline for cross-city planning. The observed advertised rent above is the canonical market-rent value.

Move-in costs

First month of rent$2,100

Generic deposit assumption (1x rent)$2,100

Furniture for a 1-bedroom$2,500

Basic household setup$600

Estimated setup total$7,300

Generic planning assumption only. Provincial rules and your lease may permit a different deposit.

Plan the next step

Run income calculator See salary needed Rent affordability Mortgage affordability Compare cities Car costs Province tax calculator After-tax income guide

City profile

GeographyWhitehorse CA

Common languagesEnglish, French, Indigenous languages

Community contextIndigenous, Filipino, South Asian

Housing and rent

Northern construction, land and transport constraints keep housing supply tight.

Planning rent estimate (1bd): $2,100 · Total monthly: $2,579

Commute and daily life

Short northern commutes with limited transit and winter conditions

Safety context

Whitehorse's safety snapshot uses the Crime Severity Index for Yukon proxy. CSI compares police-reported crime volume and seriousness; it is not a neighbourhood-level risk score.

Crime Severity Index: 209.2
Violent CSI: 222.1
Non-violent CSI: 205.8

Data note: CSI uses Yukon territorial data because a Whitehorse CMA/CA row is not published in the selected CSI table.

How this city compares

Whitehorse ranks #7 of 47 tracked cities by the 3-category planning baseline and is +$415 versus the cross-city average.

Average city baseline$2,164

Largest cost driverPlanning rent estimate (1bd)

Salary guide for this city

Use these gross salary ranges as planning targets before running a detailed after-tax scenario for Whitehorse.

Essentials$45,300

Balanced$55,700

Comfortable$66,900

Best for

Whitehorse is strongest for northern adventure hub and a higher baseline than the tracked-city average.

Watch out for

Planning rent estimate (1bd) is the largest cost driver in the baseline. Plan around $2,579 per month before discretionary spending, plus about $7,300 for a basic move-in setup.

Local reality check

Rent represents about 81% of the baseline essentials shown here. Compared with the tracked-city average, this city is +$415.

Living in Whitehorse: what to budget for

Use this page as a starting point for Whitehorse: monthly essentials, move-in cash, salary targets, local population context, housing notes and safety data are shown together so you can move from research to a concrete budget.

Whitehorse is the capital of Yukon, offering wilderness adventure combined with city amenities.

The city provides high wages and stable government employment to offset northern living costs.

Housing is expensive and limited due to transportation costs and short construction season.

The midnight sun in summer and northern lights in winter create unique natural experiences.

Highlights

Northern adventure hub
High wages offset costs
Midnight sun summers
Northern lights winters
Gateway to wilderness

Common questions

What is included in Whitehorse's monthly baseline?: The baseline includes a 1-bedroom rent estimate, groceries and transport for one adult. It is a planning baseline, not a quote.
Why do some metrics use a CMA or province?: National public datasets often publish city data by census metropolitan area, census agglomeration, province or territory. The geography is shown beside each metric.
How should I use the Whitehorse salary estimate?: Use it as a gross-income target, then run the income calculator with your province, city and real costs.

Sources and methodology

Population: Statistics Canada table 17-10-0148-01, latest annual estimate; Census Profile fallback when noted.
Crime Severity Index: Statistics Canada table 35-10-0026-01, latest published year.
Basic-needs budgets: MBM tables 11-10-0066-01 and 11-10-0104-01. Advertised rent: Quarterly Rent Statistics table 46-10-0092-01.

Sources and methodology

Cost transparency

Data used on this page

Advertised rent, basic-needs budgets, and local indicators each retain their own period, geography, and method.

Advertised rent

Latest available observation varies by city

Planning baseline

Estimated rent + groceries + local transport

Not used

Tax rules and mortgage rates do not determine these costs

Advertised rent and the MBM answer different questions and are not added together.

Sources and methodology