Hays, KS vs Lloydminster: Which City Wins for Expats in 2026?
Hays, KS ranks meaningfully higher on safety. Use our tool below to personalize the estimate based on your income and lifestyle.
Lloydminster is approximately 9% less expensive than Hays, KS based on cost of living including rent. This makes Lloydminster a more budget-friendly option for expats considering a move.
Lloydminster has a FIRE Score of 82/100, indicating its suitability for financial independence and early retirement. The city's safety index is 75, which is relatively safe.
Recommended profile: Lloydminster is ideal for GeoArbitragers and remote workers looking to maximize savings.
Hays, KS
United StatesAbout Hays, KS
Hays is a small college town that punches well above its weight on cost and safety, with a 1-bedroom outside the center at just $598/mo and a crime index of 12/100. The trade-off is a continental Great Plains climate with brutal seasonal swings and a local average net salary of only $2,400/mo, so remote workers and retirees on fixed incomes get far more mileage here than locals chasing raises. An overall expat score of 84/100 and a FIRE score of 84/100 make it a genuinely compelling base if you can tolerate the isolation and the 62 Mbps internet. It is not for everyone, but for the price, few American towns compete.
About United States
Best for families seeking high English proficiency and excellent air travel access, with no retiree or digital nomad visa available. Internet speed of 390.28 Mbps and a large expat community support remote work, but the cost of living index is 100 (global baseline). Key trade-off: no retirement or digital nomad visa, and a complex pathway to residency or citizenship limits long-term stays.
$1,730/mo
Cost of Living (Without Rent)
Rent Per Month
Attractiveness
City Details
About Lloydminster
Lloydminster is a small, affordable prairie city where a single adult can live on a budget tier of $891/mo or a comfortable tier of $1,670/mo, with one-bedroom rent outside the centre at just $562/mo. The trade-off is a tiny expat community and a continental climate at 670 m elevation, though a safety index of 75/100 and good healthcare quality soften the edge. With an average monthly net salary of $2,714/mo and an overall expat score of 82/100, it suits remote workers and savers more than retirees, who score it 69/100. If you want a low-cost base with English widely spoken and YLL airport 6 km away, Lloydminster delivers, provided you do not need big-city energy.
About Canada
Canada taxes hard: expect 33% federal plus up to 21.8% provincial, a real drag on FIRE math. A retirement visa exists, so retirees do have a potential entry path, though it's not always straightforward. But remote workers and digital nomads should look past this, given a 9/10 expat friendliness score and 379.96 Mbps average internet. A 1BR apartment averaging $1,304.56/mo confirms the tax hit is the real cost center here, not rent.
$1,677/mo
Cost of Living (Without Rent)
Rent Per Month
Attractiveness
City Details
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| Metric | Hays, KS | Lloydminster |
|---|---|---|
| 1BR Apartment (Center) | $790.5 | $726.47 |
| 1BR Apartment (Outside) | $598 | $562.43 |
| 3BR Apartment (Center) | $1015 | $1160.01 |
| 3BR Apartment (Outside) | $896 | $1054.55 |
| Safety Index | 88 | 75 |
| Internet Speed | 62Mbps | 65Mbps |
| Walkability Score | N/A | N/A |
Monthly cost by categoryOne person, computed from each city's own average prices
| Category | Hays, KS | Lloydminster |
|---|---|---|
| Total (rent included) | $1,376/mo | $1,370/mo |
| Excluding rent | $778/mo | $808/mo |
| Rent | $598/mo | $562/mo |
| Groceries | $188/mo | $249/mo |
| Dining out | $135/mo | $155/mo |
| Entertainment & lifestyle | $78.00/mo | $107/mo |
| Utilities & connectivity | $377/mo | $297/mo |
| Transport | N/A | N/A |
Usage-based estimates from this city's own average prices. A row marked N/A means that city is missing data, so no figure is shown instead of a stale one.
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Hays, KS vs Lloydminster -- Frequently Asked Questions
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