Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medicine Hat and Vancouver

For one person, living is cheaper in Medicine Hat: $1,814 a month against $2,725 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 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
130

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index

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Medicine Hat

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,814

/mo nomad

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,725

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,814 per month in Medicine Hat vs $2,725 in Vancouver, rent included.

Medicine Hat $1,814
Vancouver $2,725

A couple spends around $2,712 per month in Medicine Hat vs $4,039 in Vancouver, rent included.

Medicine Hat $2,712
Vancouver $4,039

A family of three spends $3,611 per month in Medicine Hat vs $5,352 in Vancouver, rent included.

Medicine Hat $3,611
Vancouver $5,352

Medicine Hat is about 33% cheaper than Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Medicine Hat and Vancouver sit above the global median – Medicine Hat by 33%, Vancouver by 100%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.23 CA$21.28

$17.65 CA$24.66

-13.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.9 CA$97.7

$72.4 CA$101

-3.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.82 CA$13.72

$10.84 CA$15.14

-9.41%

Cappuccino

$3.76 CA$5.26

$3.91 CA$5.47

-3.84%

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

$2.04 CA$2.85

$2.10 CA$2.94

-2.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 CA$2.40

$1.64 CA$2.29

4.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.09 CA$7.11

$5.74 CA$8.02

-11.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 CA$5.52

$6.36 CA$8.89

-37.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 CA$2.16

$2.21 CA$3.09

-29.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 CA$2.47

$2.64 CA$3.69

-32.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.46 CA$4.84

$4.68 CA$6.54

-26.07%

Eggs

$2.98 CA$4.16

$4.24 CA$5.92

-29.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.44 CA$13.19

$11.92 CA$16.66

-20.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.03 CA$15.42

$13.12 CA$18.34

-15.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.82 CA$17.91

$20.40 CA$28.51

-37.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 CA$4.43

$4.10 CA$5.73

-22.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.04

$1.38 CA$1.92

5.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.86 CA$4.00

$3.83 CA$5.35

-25.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.72 CA$5.20

$3.92 CA$5.47

-5.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 CA$3.79

$2.77 CA$3.88

-2.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 CA$2.07

$2.84 CA$3.96

-47.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CA$3.65

$2.60 CA$3.63

0.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.20

$1.59 CA$2.23

-1.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.51 CA$16.08

$15.87 CA$22.17

-27.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.61 CA$17.61

$14.00 CA$19.56

-9.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 CA$3.33

$2.57 CA$3.59

-7.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 CA$4.45

$3.01 CA$4.21

5.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 CA$3.15

$2.55 CA$3.57

-11.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.9 CA$71.2

$84.1 CA$118

-39.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 CA$4.46

$2.67 CA$3.73

19.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 CA$1.87

$1.58 CA$2.21

-15.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.41 CA$38.29

$32.19 CA$44.98

-14.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 CA$1.44

$1.45 CA$2.03

-28.97%

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

$24.3K CA$34.0K

$27.5K CA$38.4K

-11.42%

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

$20.0K CA$28.0K

$21.3K CA$29.8K

-6.05%

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

$165 CA$231

$82.5 CA$115

100.17%

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

$38.32 CA$53.5

$37.46 CA$52.3

2.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.6 CA$70.7

$51.7 CA$72.2

-2.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 CA$75.1

$40.52 CA$56.6

32.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.27 CA$49.28

$12.69 CA$17.73

177.94%

Cinema Ticket

$14.39 CA$20.11

$12.66 CA$17.69

13.67%

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

$541 CA$757

$1,080 CA$1,509

-49.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.5K

$20.1K CA$28.1K

-19.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.5 CA$70.5

$58.5 CA$81.7

-13.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.44 CA$36.94

$34.10 CA$47.65

-22.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.2 CA$92.4

$96.9 CA$135

-31.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.6 CA$94.5

$97.4 CA$136

-30.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 CA$1,259

$1,813 CA$2,534

-50.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$749 CA$1,046

$1,576 CA$2,202

-52.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,483 CA$2,072

$3,217 CA$4,494

-53.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 CA$1,673

$2,651 CA$3,705

-54.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,369 CA$1,912

$8,590 CA$12.0K

-84.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,930 CA$2,696

$6,649 CA$9,291

-70.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,973 CA$4,155

$3,733 CA$5,216

-20.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.28

5.37%

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

Last update for Medicine Hat: October 25, 2026

Last update for Vancouver: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medicine Hat

$749 41.3%

Vancouver

$1.6K 57.8% 111% $827

Groceries & Markets

Medicine Hat

$319 17.6%

Vancouver

$401 14.7% 25.5% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medicine Hat

$254 14%

Vancouver

$172 6.3% 32.4% $82

Eating Out

Medicine Hat

$245 13.5%

Vancouver

$277 10.2% 13.1% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Medicine Hat

$95 5.2%

Vancouver

$129 4.7% 36.2% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Medicine Hat

$83 4.6%

Vancouver

$66 2.4% 20.2% $17

Getting Around

Medicine Hat

$70 3.9%

Vancouver

$105 3.9% 50.3% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Medicine Hat versus $1,813 in Vancouver. 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 26% higher in Vancouver, 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 $72 in Vancouver. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $319 vs $401 – making Medicine Hat the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Medicine Hat

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🕒 Local time

01:42 1:42 AM

00:42 12:42 AM

1 h behind Medicine Hat

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

56,997

631,486

💱 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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Between locations

Medicine Hat Vancouver 900 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Medicine Hat
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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 Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vancouver costs about 50% 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 $2,721 per month in Medicine Hat and $4,087 in Vancouver. 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 $901 there versus $1,813 in Vancouver.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,814 in Medicine Hat and $2,725 in Vancouver. That makes Medicine Hat about 33% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 39% 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 $1,814, than in Vancouver at $2,725. In Medicine Hat it covers expenses comfortably, while in Vancouver it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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 or specific career opportunities are the priority, Vancouver makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.