Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Medicine Hat

For one person, living is cheaper in Medicine Hat: $1,814 a month against $2,303 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Medicine Hat
Learn more

Medicine Hat Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,303

/mo nomad

Medicine Hat

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,814

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary 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 Calgary and in Medicine Hat actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,303 in Calgary versus $1,814 in Medicine Hat.

Calgary $2,303
Medicine Hat $1,814

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,366 in Calgary versus $2,712 in Medicine Hat.

Calgary $3,366
Medicine Hat $2,712

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,428 in Calgary versus $3,611 in Medicine Hat.

Calgary $4,428
Medicine Hat $3,611

Living in Calgary is roughly 27% more expensive than in Medicine Hat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 69% above, Medicine Hat 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 CA$24.52

$15.23 CA$21.28

15.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.4 CA$98.4

$69.9 CA$97.7

0.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.69 CA$14.94

$9.82 CA$13.72

8.86%

Cappuccino

$3.89 CA$5.43

$3.76 CA$5.26

3.46%

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

$2.04 CA$2.85

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.62

$1.72 CA$2.40

9.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 CA$6.84

$5.09 CA$7.11

-3.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.78 CA$8.08

$3.95 CA$5.52

46.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 CA$2.74

$1.55 CA$2.16

26.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 CA$3.83

$1.77 CA$2.47

54.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.46 CA$7.63

$3.46 CA$4.84

57.80%

Eggs

$3.69 CA$5.15

$2.98 CA$4.16

23.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.24 CA$15.71

$9.44 CA$13.19

19.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 CA$16.12

$11.03 CA$15.42

4.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 CA$25.68

$12.82 CA$17.91

43.37%

Apples (1kg)

$4.90 CA$6.85

$3.17 CA$4.43

54.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$1.99

$1.46 CA$2.04

-2.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.88

$2.86 CA$4.00

47.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 CA$5.62

$3.72 CA$5.20

8.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.77

$2.71 CA$3.79

-0.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 CA$3.72

$1.48 CA$2.07

79.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CA$3.65

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 CA$2.23

$1.57 CA$2.20

1.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.00 CA$19.57

$11.51 CA$16.08

21.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.40 CA$21.52

$12.61 CA$17.61

22.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 CA$3.49

$2.38 CA$3.33

5.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.32

$3.19 CA$4.45

-3.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.93 CA$4.09

$2.26 CA$3.15

29.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.3 CA$125

$50.9 CA$71.2

75.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 CA$4.57

$3.19 CA$4.46

2.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 CA$1.89

$1.34 CA$1.87

0.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.39 CA$38.27

$27.41 CA$38.29

-0.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.64

$1.03 CA$1.44

13.59%

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

$27.9K CA$39.0K

$24.3K CA$34.0K

14.76%

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

$21.0K CA$29.4K

$20.0K CA$28.0K

5.00%

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

$167 CA$233

$165 CA$231

0.99%

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

$38.27 CA$53.5

$38.32 CA$53.5

-0.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.9 CA$71.2

$50.6 CA$70.7

0.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 CA$71.2

$53.8 CA$75.1

-5.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.17 CA$25.39

$35.27 CA$49.28

-48.48%

Cinema Ticket

$14.44 CA$20.18

$14.39 CA$20.11

0.35%

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

$545 CA$762

$541 CA$757

0.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$22.7K

$16.1K CA$22.5K

0.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 CA$82.3

$50.5 CA$70.5

16.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.75 CA$55.6

$26.44 CA$36.94

50.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$130

$66.2 CA$92.4

41.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

$67.6 CA$94.5

62.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 CA$1,752

$901 CA$1,259

39.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 CA$1,476

$749 CA$1,046

41.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,022 CA$2,826

$1,483 CA$2,072

36.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,629 CA$2,276

$1,198 CA$1,673

36.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,600 CA$5,031

$1,369 CA$1,912

163.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,243 CA$4,531

$1,930 CA$2,696

68.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,115 CA$4,353

$2,973 CA$4,155

4.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

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

Last update for Calgary: October 26, 2026

Last update for Medicine Hat: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1.1K 45.9%

Medicine Hat

$749 41.3% 29.1% $308

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$393 17.1%

Medicine Hat

$319 17.6% 18.6% $73

Eating Out

Calgary

$271 11.8%

Medicine Hat

$245 13.5% 9.6% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$256 11.1%

Medicine Hat

$254 14% 0.8% $1.9

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$136 5.9%

Medicine Hat

$95 5.2% 30.2% $41

Getting Around

Calgary

$111 4.8%

Medicine Hat

$70 3.9% 37.1% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$80 3.5%

Medicine Hat

$83 4.6% 3.4% $2.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,254 in Calgary and $901 in Medicine Hat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays 5% 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: $70 in Calgary vs $70 in Medicine Hat. Groceries flip the comparison at $393 vs $319, with Medicine Hat cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇨🇦 Medicine Hat

🕒 Local time

15:53 3:53 PM

Same time as Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

56,997

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Calgary vs Medicine Hat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medicine Hat is about 21% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 5% higher in Calgary, 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: $1,254 in Calgary versus $901 in Medicine Hat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $545 in Calgary versus $541 in Medicine Hat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Medicine Hat runs roughly 43% less than in Calgary. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,814 in Medicine Hat versus $2,303 in Calgary, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Medicine Hat but tight or insufficient in Calgary. 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.

It comes down to priorities – Medicine Hat wins on affordability, Calgary on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.