Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medicine Hat and Austin, TX

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.

88

Cost of Living Index in Medicine Hat
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Medicine Hat Living Index
130

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

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Medicine Hat

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,806

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Living in Medicine Hat costs roughly 32% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.42 CA$20.39

$20.77 $20.77

-30.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.9 CA$100

$84.6 $84.6

-16.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.84 CA$13.91

$12.32 $12.32

-20.13%

Cappuccino

$3.65 CA$5.16

$5.63 $5.63

-35.17%

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

$1.91 CA$2.70

$3.72 $3.72

-48.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 CA$2.46

$2.50 $2.50

-30.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.87 CA$6.88

$8.05 $8.05

-39.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 CA$5.39

$9.01 $9.01

-57.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 CA$2.14

$1.12 $1.12

35.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 CA$2.45

$3.75 $3.75

-53.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.41 CA$4.82

$3.26 $3.26

4.60%

Eggs

$3.04 CA$4.30

$4.17 $4.17

-27.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.36 CA$13.23

$12.90 $12.90

-27.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.75 CA$15.19

$14.16 $14.16

-24.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.84 CA$18.15

$16.22 $16.22

-20.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 CA$4.47

$4.33 $4.33

-27.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.46 $1.46

-0.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 CA$4.06

$4.51 $4.51

-36.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.57 CA$5.05

$4.34 $4.34

-17.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 CA$3.71

$2.58 $2.58

1.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.07

$2.35 $2.35

-37.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.62 CA$3.71

$1.78 $1.78

47.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.17

$2.22 $2.22

-30.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.29 CA$15.96

$9.88 $9.88

14.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.62 CA$17.84

$15.08 $15.08

-16.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 CA$3.46

$2.92 $2.92

-16.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$3.46 $3.46

-9.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 CA$3.18

$1.49 $1.49

51.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.74 CA$70.3

$41.72 $41.72

19.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 CA$4.56

$2.73 $2.73

17.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 CA$1.88

$1.66 $1.66

-19.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.09 CA$38.30

$35.30 $35.30

-23.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 CA$1.42

$0.95 $0.95

5.26%

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

$27.7K CA$39.2K

$36.0K $36.0K

-23.12%

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

$18.5K CA$26.2K

$27.1K $27.1K

-31.51%

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

$163 CA$231

$229 $229

-28.77%

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

$38.36 CA$54.2

$59.4 $59.4

-35.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.9 CA$71.9

$69.9 $69.9

-27.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.1 CA$75.1

$57.2 $57.2

-7.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.70 CA$50.5

$16.33 $16.33

118.62%

Cinema Ticket

$13.95 CA$19.72

$14.28 $14.28

-2.31%

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

$782 CA$1,105

$1,506 $1,506

-48.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K CA$22.0K

$21.5K $21.5K

-27.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 CA$72.0

$52.8 $52.8

-3.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.16 CA$36.98

$43.82 $43.82

-40.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.9 CA$94.6

$84.8 $84.8

-21.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.9 CA$93.2

$103 $103

-36.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$800 CA$1,131

$1,907 $1,907

-58.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$759 CA$1,073

$1,274 $1,274

-40.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,338 CA$1,891

$3,664 $3,664

-63.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 CA$1,733

$2,538 $2,538

-51.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,314 CA$1,858

$7,614 $7,614

-82.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,905 CA$2,693

$3,157 $3,157

-39.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,951 CA$4,171

$5,121 $5,121

-42.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

6.79

-33.58%

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

Last update for Medicine Hat: October 10, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medicine Hat

$759 42%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 67.9% $515

Groceries & Markets

Medicine Hat

$316 17.5%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 28% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medicine Hat

$252 14%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 42% $106

Eating Out

Medicine Hat

$235 13%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 50.4% $119

Clothing & Footwear

Medicine Hat

$94 5.2%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 35.5% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Medicine Hat

$81 4.5%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 5.9% $4.8

Getting Around

Medicine Hat

$69 3.8%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 14.5% $9.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $800 in Medicine Hat and $1,907 in Austin, TX. 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: $71.0 in Medicine Hat vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $405 per month, with Medicine Hat cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Medicine Hat

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

09:50 9:50 AM

10:50 10:50 AM

1 h ahead of Medicine Hat

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

56,997

974,447

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

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).

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

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

Medicine Hat
Austin, TX

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

Medicine Hat vs Austin, TX: 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.

On paper, salaries run 74% lower in Austin, TX. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $800 in Medicine Hat versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,806 per month in Medicine Hat versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – 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.