Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medicine Hat and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Medicine Hat: $1,806 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $23,900 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
185

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index

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Medicine Hat

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,806

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medicine Hat and in Seattle, WA

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 Seattle, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,806 per month in Medicine Hat vs $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Medicine Hat $1,806
Seattle, WA $3,800

A couple spends around $2,707 per month in Medicine Hat vs $5,702 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Medicine Hat $2,707
Seattle, WA $5,702

A family of three spends $3,608 per month in Medicine Hat vs $7,603 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Medicine Hat $3,608
Seattle, WA $7,603

Medicine Hat is about 52% cheaper than Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Medicine Hat and Seattle, WA sit above the global median – Medicine Hat by 34%, Seattle, WA by 182%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.42 CA$20.39

$25.32 $25.32

-43.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.9 CA$100

$101 $101

-30.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.84 CA$13.91

$14.85 $14.85

-33.74%

Cappuccino

$3.65 CA$5.16

$6.59 $6.59

-44.61%

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

$1.91 CA$2.70

$3.22 $3.22

-40.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 CA$2.46

$3.14 $3.14

-44.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.87 CA$6.88

$8.18 $8.18

-40.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 CA$5.39

$8.03 $8.03

-52.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 CA$2.14

$1.21 $1.21

25.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 CA$2.45

$5.12 $5.12

-66.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.41 CA$4.82

$6.30 $6.30

-45.87%

Eggs

$3.04 CA$4.30

$4.90 $4.90

-37.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.36 CA$13.23

$19.10 $19.10

-50.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.75 CA$15.19

$18.50 $18.50

-41.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.84 CA$18.15

$23.03 $23.03

-44.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 CA$4.47

$5.81 $5.81

-45.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.95 $1.95

-25.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 CA$4.06

$5.29 $5.29

-45.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.57 CA$5.05

$6.48 $6.48

-44.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 CA$3.71

$3.57 $3.57

-26.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.07

$3.15 $3.15

-53.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.62 CA$3.71

$2.85 $2.85

-8.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.17

$2.42 $2.42

-36.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.29 CA$15.96

$12.75 $12.75

-11.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.62 CA$17.84

$14.99 $14.99

-15.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 CA$3.46

$4.17 $4.17

-41.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$5.99 $5.99

-47.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 CA$3.18

$3.04 $3.04

-25.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.74 CA$70.3

$110 $110

-54.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 CA$4.56

$2.55 $2.55

26.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 CA$1.88

$1.64 $1.64

-18.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.09 CA$38.30

$29.58 $29.58

-8.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 CA$1.42

$1.42 $1.42

-29.58%

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

$27.7K CA$39.2K

$35.7K $35.7K

-22.48%

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

$18.5K CA$26.2K

$25.6K $25.6K

-27.46%

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

$163 CA$231

$299 $299

-45.45%

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

$38.36 CA$54.2

$70.8 $70.8

-45.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.9 CA$71.9

$88.3 $88.3

-42.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.1 CA$75.1

$79.5 $79.5

-33.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.70 CA$50.5

$35.37 $35.37

0.93%

Cinema Ticket

$13.95 CA$19.72

$17.12 $17.12

-18.52%

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

$782 CA$1,105

$3,013 $3,013

-74.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K CA$22.0K

$31.6K $31.6K

-50.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 CA$72.0

$77.2 $77.2

-34.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.16 CA$36.98

$55.1 $55.1

-52.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.9 CA$94.6

$126 $126

-46.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.9 CA$93.2

$163 $163

-59.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$800 CA$1,131

$2,464 $2,464

-67.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$759 CA$1,073

$1,956 $1,956

-61.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,338 CA$1,891

$4,711 $4,711

-71.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 CA$1,733

$3,550 $3,550

-65.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,314 CA$1,858

$7,346 $7,346

-82.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,905 CA$2,693

$5,048 $5,048

-62.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,951 CA$4,171

$6,286 $6,286

-53.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

6.85

-34.16%

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

Last update for Medicine Hat: October 10, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medicine Hat

$759 42%

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5% 158% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Medicine Hat

$316 17.5%

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3% 71.4% $226

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medicine Hat

$252 14%

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1% 81.6% $206

Eating Out

Medicine Hat

$235 13%

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8% 73.7% $173

Clothing & Footwear

Medicine Hat

$94 5.2%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 100% $95

Sport & Entertainment

Medicine Hat

$81 4.5%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 40.5% $33

Getting Around

Medicine Hat

$69 3.8%

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5% 93.8% $64

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $800 in Medicine Hat versus $2,464 in Seattle, WA. 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 113% higher in Seattle, WA, 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 $101 in Seattle, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $316 vs $542 – making Medicine Hat the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Medicine Hat

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

10:16 10:16 AM

09:16 9:16 AM

1 h behind Medicine Hat

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

56,997

737,015

💱 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 →

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Between locations

Medicine Hat Seattle, WA 890 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Medicine Hat
Seattle, WA

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 Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA costs about 110% more than Medicine Hat, 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 $5,701 in Seattle, WA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medicine Hat, 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 $3,800 in Seattle, WA. That's a gap of about 110%.

Public transport costs about 121% less in Medicine Hat. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Medicine Hat, where all-in costs run around $1,806, than in Seattle, WA at $3,800. In Medicine Hat it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seattle, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medicine Hat costs $1,806 versus $3,800 in Seattle, WA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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