Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medicine Hat and Toronto

For one person, living is cheaper in Medicine Hat: $1,836 a month against $2,610 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 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
126

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index

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Medicine Hat

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,836

/mo nomad

Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,610

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medicine Hat and in Toronto

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

A single person spends $1,836 per month in Medicine Hat vs $2,610 in Toronto, rent included.

Medicine Hat $1,836
Toronto $2,610

A couple spends around $2,735 per month in Medicine Hat vs $3,727 in Toronto, rent included.

Medicine Hat $2,735
Toronto $3,727

A family of three spends $3,633 per month in Medicine Hat vs $4,844 in Toronto, rent included.

Medicine Hat $3,633
Toronto $4,844

Medicine Hat is about 30% cheaper than Toronto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Medicine Hat and Toronto sit above the global median – Medicine Hat by 36%, Toronto by 93%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.82 CA$20.77

$17.59 CA$24.65

-15.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 CA$97.7

$78.8 CA$110

-11.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.67 CA$13.56

$10.73 CA$15.03

-9.88%

Cappuccino

$3.74 CA$5.23

$4.09 CA$5.73

-8.56%

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

$2.00 CA$2.80

$2.10 CA$2.95

-4.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 CA$2.44

$1.72 CA$2.41

1.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.89 CA$6.85

$6.36 CA$8.91

-23.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 CA$5.39

$7.08 CA$9.92

-45.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 CA$2.16

$2.54 CA$3.56

-39.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 CA$2.60

$2.72 CA$3.81

-31.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.50 CA$4.91

$2.18 CA$3.06

60.55%

Eggs

$3.05 CA$4.28

$3.63 CA$5.08

-15.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.21 CA$12.90

$9.46 CA$13.25

-2.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.96 CA$15.36

$11.54 CA$16.17

-5.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 CA$17.95

$14.37 CA$20.14

-10.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 CA$4.35

$3.70 CA$5.18

-16.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$1.99

$1.19 CA$1.66

19.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 CA$4.12

$3.46 CA$4.85

-15.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.79 CA$5.31

$4.22 CA$5.92

-10.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 CA$3.91

$1.79 CA$2.50

55.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 CA$2.06

$1.65 CA$2.31

-10.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 CA$3.53

$2.20 CA$3.09

14.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.16

$1.26 CA$1.77

22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.18 CA$15.67

$13.97 CA$19.58

-19.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.98 CA$18.19

$14.20 CA$19.89

-8.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 CA$3.50

$2.25 CA$3.15

11.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 CA$4.42

$2.53 CA$3.55

24.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.31 CA$3.24

$2.32 CA$3.25

-0.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.3 CA$70.5

$112 CA$156

-54.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 CA$4.50

$3.06 CA$4.29

4.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 CA$1.94

$1.22 CA$1.71

13.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.04 CA$37.89

$21.69 CA$30.39

24.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 CA$1.50

$1.21 CA$1.70

-11.57%

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

$24.0K CA$33.6K

$26.1K CA$36.6K

-8.32%

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

$20.3K CA$28.5K

$21.1K CA$29.6K

-3.71%

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

$166 CA$233

$120 CA$168

38.93%

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

$38.31 CA$53.7

$32.21 CA$45.14

18.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.3 CA$70.5

$48.88 CA$68.5

2.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 CA$75.0

$39.34 CA$55.1

36.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.67 CA$49.98

$23.58 CA$33.05

51.27%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 CA$19.80

$12.58 CA$17.63

12.32%

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

$787 CA$1,103

$832 CA$1,166

-5.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K CA$22.4K

$23.6K CA$33.1K

-32.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.9 CA$72.7

$52.3 CA$73.3

-0.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.87 CA$37.65

$39.44 CA$55.3

-31.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.1 CA$92.7

$99.0 CA$139

-33.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.0 CA$93.8

$122 CA$171

-45.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$836 CA$1,171

$1,631 CA$2,286

-48.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$775 CA$1,086

$1,448 CA$2,030

-46.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,338 CA$1,875

$2,737 CA$3,835

-51.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,229 CA$1,723

$2,129 CA$2,984

-42.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,354 CA$1,898

$8,206 CA$11.5K

-83.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,890 CA$2,649

$6,838 CA$9,581

-72.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,983 CA$4,179

$3,520 CA$4,932

-15.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.47

0.89%

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

Last update for Medicine Hat: October 20, 2026

Last update for Toronto: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medicine Hat

$775 42.2%

Toronto

$1.4K 55.5% 87% $674

Groceries & Markets

Medicine Hat

$320 17.5%

Toronto

$343 13.1% 7% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medicine Hat

$255 13.9%

Toronto

$201 7.7% 21.2% $54

Eating Out

Medicine Hat

$240 13%

Toronto

$283 10.9% 18.2% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Medicine Hat

$95 5.2%

Toronto

$141 5.4% 47.6% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Medicine Hat

$82 4.5%

Toronto

$65 2.5% 21.1% $17

Getting Around

Medicine Hat

$70 3.8%

Toronto

$130 5% 86.7% $60

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $836 in Medicine Hat versus $1,631 in Toronto. 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 18% higher in Toronto, 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 $70 in Medicine Hat versus $79 in Toronto. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $320 vs $343 – making Medicine Hat the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Medicine Hat

🇨🇦 Toronto

🕒 Local time

00:58 12:58 AM

02:58 2:58 AM

2 h ahead of Medicine Hat

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

56,997

2,731,571

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.714 USD

1 CAD = 0.636 EUR

1 CAD = 0.714 USD

1 CAD = 0.636 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Medicine Hat Toronto 2,460 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Medicine Hat
Toronto

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 Toronto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Toronto costs about 42% more than Medicine Hat, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,755 per month in Medicine Hat and $3,916 in Toronto. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $836 there versus $1,631 in Toronto.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,836 in Medicine Hat and $2,610 in Toronto. That’s a gap of about 42%.

Public transport costs about 55% less in Medicine Hat. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Families tend to lean toward Medicine Hat – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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