Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medicine Hat and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,289 a month against $1,806 in Medicine Hat, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Medicine Hat
Learn more

Medicine Hat Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index

Jump to prices

Medicine Hat

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,806

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medicine Hat and in Rio de Janeiro

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 Rio de Janeiro actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,806 per month in Medicine Hat vs $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Medicine Hat $1,806
Rio de Janeiro $1,289

A couple spends around $2,707 per month in Medicine Hat vs $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Medicine Hat $2,707
Rio de Janeiro $1,868

A family of three spends $3,608 per month in Medicine Hat vs $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Medicine Hat $3,608
Rio de Janeiro $2,448

Medicine Hat costs about 40% more than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medicine Hat sits 34% above the global median, while Rio de Janeiro is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.42 CA$20.39

$10.06 R$51.0

43.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.9 CA$100

$40.44 R$205

75.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.84 CA$13.91

$8.55 R$43.35

15.09%

Cappuccino

$3.65 CA$5.16

$2.38 R$12.04

53.36%

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

$1.91 CA$2.70

$1.61 R$8.18

18.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 CA$2.46

$1.03 R$5.22

68.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.87 CA$6.88

$2.47 R$12.54

97.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 CA$5.39

$3.70 R$18.77

2.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 CA$2.14

$1.19 R$6.05

27.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 CA$2.45

$2.05 R$10.38

-15.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.41 CA$4.82

$1.28 R$6.49

166.41%

Eggs

$3.04 CA$4.30

$2.29 R$11.60

32.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.36 CA$13.23

$10.76 R$54.5

-13.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.75 CA$15.19

$4.41 R$22.36

143.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.84 CA$18.15

$9.84 R$49.86

30.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 CA$4.47

$2.81 R$14.25

12.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.78 R$9.03

-18.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 CA$4.06

$1.60 R$8.13

79.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.57 CA$5.05

$1.80 R$9.11

98.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 CA$3.71

$1.22 R$6.17

115.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.07

$1.04 R$5.26

40.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.62 CA$3.71

$0.77 R$3.92

240.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.17

$0.67 R$3.38

129.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.29 CA$15.96

$3.01 R$15.27

275.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.62 CA$17.84

$8.08 R$40.94

56.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 CA$3.46

$1.19 R$6.03

105.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$2.51 R$12.73

25.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 CA$3.18

$0.99 R$5.00

127.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.74 CA$70.3

$50.1 R$254

-0.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 CA$4.56

$1.22 R$6.20

163.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 CA$1.88

$0.92 R$4.66

44.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.09 CA$38.30

$8.97 R$45.45

202.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 CA$1.42

$1.30 R$6.57

-23.08%

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

$27.7K CA$39.2K

$23.9K R$121.0K

16.07%

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

$18.5K CA$26.2K

$32.9K R$166.6K

-43.58%

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

$163 CA$231

$133 R$676

22.26%

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

$38.36 CA$54.2

$10.82 R$54.8

254.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.9 CA$71.9

$22.90 R$116

122.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.1 CA$75.1

$30.79 R$156

72.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.70 CA$50.5

$31.85 R$161

12.09%

Cinema Ticket

$13.95 CA$19.72

$8.05 R$40.83

73.29%

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

$782 CA$1,105

$598 R$3,029

30.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K CA$22.0K

$13.4K R$68.0K

15.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 CA$72.0

$42.04 R$213

21.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.16 CA$36.98

$49.68 R$252

-47.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.9 CA$94.6

$74.5 R$378

-10.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.9 CA$93.2

$68.7 R$348

-4.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$800 CA$1,131

$903 R$4,578

-11.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$759 CA$1,073

$529 R$2,684

43.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,338 CA$1,891

$1,326 R$6,724

0.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 CA$1,733

$756 R$3,831

62.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,314 CA$1,858

$4,010 R$20.3K

-67.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,905 CA$2,693

$1,560 R$7,910

22.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,951 CA$4,171

$640 R$3,242

361.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

11.93

-62.20%

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

Last update for Medicine Hat: October 10, 2026

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medicine Hat

$759 42%

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1% 30.2% $229

Groceries & Markets

Medicine Hat

$316 17.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 32.1% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medicine Hat

$252 14%

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13% 33.8% $85

Eating Out

Medicine Hat

$235 13%

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8% 29.9% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Medicine Hat

$94 5.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 11.9% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Medicine Hat

$81 4.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6% 42.1% $34

Getting Around

Medicine Hat

$69 3.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 12.7% $8.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $800 in Medicine Hat versus $903 in Rio de Janeiro. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 361% higher in Medicine Hat, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Medicine Hat versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $316 vs $215 – making Rio de Janeiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Medicine Hat

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

10:16 10:16 AM

13:16 1:16 PM

3 h ahead of Medicine Hat

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

56,997

6,211,223

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, 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).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medicine Hat Rio de Janeiro 10,470 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Medicine Hat
Rio de Janeiro

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 Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medicine Hat costs about 40% more than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,710 per month in Medicine Hat and $1,933 in Rio de Janeiro. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rio de Janeiro, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,806 in Medicine Hat and $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro. That's a gap of about 40%.

Public transport costs about 1% less in Rio de Janeiro. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Rio de Janeiro, where all-in costs run around $1,289, than in Medicine Hat at $1,806. In Rio de Janeiro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medicine Hat it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Rio de Janeiro costs $1,289 versus $1,806 in Medicine Hat. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Rio de Janeiro. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medicine Hat makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.