Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Medicine Hat

For one person, living is cheaper in Medicine Hat: $1,806 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Medicine Hat
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Medicine Hat Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Medicine Hat

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,806

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Medicine Hat

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,806 in Medicine Hat.

Austin, TX $2,663
Medicine Hat $1,806

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,707 in Medicine Hat.

Austin, TX $4,133
Medicine Hat $2,707

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $3,608 in Medicine Hat.

Austin, TX $5,603
Medicine Hat $3,608

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 47% more expensive than in Medicine Hat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Medicine Hat 34% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$14.42 CA$20.39

44.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$70.9 CA$100

19.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$9.84 CA$13.91

25.20%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.65 CA$5.16

54.25%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.91 CA$2.70

94.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.74 CA$2.46

43.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$4.87 CA$6.88

65.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$3.81 CA$5.39

136.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.52 CA$2.14

-26.32%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.73 CA$2.45

116.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.41 CA$4.82

-4.40%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.04 CA$4.30

37.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$9.36 CA$13.23

37.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$10.75 CA$15.19

31.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$12.84 CA$18.15

26.32%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.16 CA$4.47

37.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.45 CA$2.05

0.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.87 CA$4.06

57.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.57 CA$5.05

21.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.63 CA$3.71

-1.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.46 CA$2.07

60.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.62 CA$3.71

-32.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.54 CA$2.17

44.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$11.29 CA$15.96

-12.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$12.62 CA$17.84

19.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.45 CA$3.46

19.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.14 CA$4.44

10.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.25 CA$3.18

-33.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$49.74 CA$70.3

-16.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.22 CA$4.56

-15.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.33 CA$1.88

24.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$27.09 CA$38.30

30.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.00 CA$1.42

-5.00%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$27.7K CA$39.2K

30.08%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$18.5K CA$26.2K

46.02%

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

$229 $229

$163 CA$231

40.40%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$38.36 CA$54.2

54.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$50.9 CA$71.9

37.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$53.1 CA$75.1

7.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$35.70 CA$50.5

-54.26%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$13.95 CA$19.72

2.37%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$782 CA$1,105

92.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$15.6K CA$22.0K

37.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$50.9 CA$72.0

3.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$26.16 CA$36.98

67.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$66.9 CA$94.6

26.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$65.9 CA$93.2

56.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$800 CA$1,131

138.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$759 CA$1,073

67.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,338 CA$1,891

173.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,226 CA$1,733

107.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$1,314 CA$1,858

479.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,905 CA$2,693

65.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$2,951 CA$4,171

73.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

4.51

50.55%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Medicine Hat: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Medicine Hat

$759 42% 40.5% $515

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Medicine Hat

$316 17.5% 21.9% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Medicine Hat

$252 14% 29.6% $106

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Medicine Hat

$235 13% 33.5% $119

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Medicine Hat

$94 5.2% 26.2% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Medicine Hat

$81 4.5% 5.6% $4.8

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Medicine Hat

$69 3.8% 16.9% $9.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $800 in Medicine Hat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 74% 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 Austin, TX vs $71.0 in Medicine Hat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $316 per month, with Medicine Hat cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇦 Medicine Hat

🕒 Local time

11:15 11:15 AM

10:15 10:15 AM

1 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

56,997

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Medicine Hat 2,450 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Medicine Hat

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Austin, TX vs Medicine Hat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medicine Hat wins on cost – living expenses run 47% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medicine Hat the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 74% higher in Austin, TX, 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: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $800 in Medicine Hat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,806 in Medicine Hat – a 47% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Medicine Hat runs roughly 19% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,806 in Medicine Hat versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Medicine Hat but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Medicine Hat the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Medicine Hat gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.