Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Medicine Hat

For one person, living is cheaper in Medicine Hat: $1,814 a month against $2,064 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Medicine Hat
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Medicine Hat Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

Medicine Hat

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,814

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,064 per month in Montreal vs $1,814 in Medicine Hat, rent included.

Montreal $2,064
Medicine Hat $1,814

A couple spends around $3,156 per month in Montreal vs $2,712 in Medicine Hat, rent included.

Montreal $3,156
Medicine Hat $2,712

A family of three spends $4,247 per month in Montreal vs $3,611 in Medicine Hat, rent included.

Montreal $4,247
Medicine Hat $3,611

Montreal costs about 14% more than Medicine Hat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Montreal and Medicine Hat sit above the global median – Montreal by 52%, Medicine Hat by 33%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.98 CA$26.64

$15.23 CA$21.38

24.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.0 CA$102

$69.9 CA$98.1

4.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 CA$15.27

$9.82 CA$13.78

10.79%

Cappuccino

$3.81 CA$5.35

$3.76 CA$5.28

1.33%

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

$1.94 CA$2.72

$2.04 CA$2.86

-4.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.22

$1.72 CA$2.41

-8.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.37 CA$8.94

$5.09 CA$7.14

25.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.26 CA$10.20

$3.95 CA$5.55

83.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.13

$1.55 CA$2.17

43.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 CA$4.45

$1.77 CA$2.48

79.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 CA$4.64

$3.46 CA$4.86

-4.34%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.09

$2.98 CA$4.18

21.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.16 CA$18.47

$9.44 CA$13.25

39.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.56 CA$16.22

$11.03 CA$15.48

4.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 CA$19.25

$12.82 CA$17.99

6.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 CA$4.62

$3.17 CA$4.45

3.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.05

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 CA$4.73

$2.86 CA$4.01

17.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 CA$4.42

$3.72 CA$5.23

-15.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 CA$2.65

$2.71 CA$3.80

-30.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.52

$1.48 CA$2.08

20.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CA$3.47

$2.61 CA$3.67

-5.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.22

$1.57 CA$2.21

0.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.28 CA$15.84

$11.51 CA$16.15

-2.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.49 CA$14.73

$12.61 CA$17.69

-16.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 CA$3.28

$2.38 CA$3.34

-1.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.09

$3.19 CA$4.47

-8.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.66

$2.26 CA$3.17

15.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$111

$50.9 CA$71.5

55.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 CA$4.57

$3.19 CA$4.48

2.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 CA$2.02

$1.34 CA$1.88

7.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.43 CA$46.92

$27.41 CA$38.46

21.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 CA$1.87

$1.03 CA$1.44

29.13%

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

$28.6K CA$40.2K

$24.3K CA$34.2K

17.59%

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

$21.1K CA$29.6K

$20.0K CA$28.1K

5.32%

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

$80.1 CA$112

$165 CA$232

-51.50%

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

$34.30 CA$48.14

$38.32 CA$53.8

-10.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.85 CA$60.1

$50.6 CA$71.0

-15.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.14 CA$43.71

$53.8 CA$75.4

-42.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 CA$27.24

$35.27 CA$49.49

-44.97%

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 CA$15.76

$14.39 CA$20.19

-21.96%

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

$525 CA$737

$541 CA$760

-3.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K CA$22.9K

$16.1K CA$22.6K

1.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 CA$81.4

$50.5 CA$70.8

14.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 CA$53.5

$26.44 CA$37.10

44.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$131

$66.2 CA$92.8

41.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$67.6 CA$94.9

62.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,285 CA$1,803

$901 CA$1,264

42.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,371

$749 CA$1,051

30.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,271 CA$3,187

$1,483 CA$2,081

53.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,665 CA$2,336

$1,198 CA$1,681

39.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,139 CA$7,212

$1,369 CA$1,921

275.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,834 CA$5,381

$1,930 CA$2,708

98.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,002 CA$4,213

$2,973 CA$4,173

0.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

4.51

-0.67%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medicine Hat: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.3%

Medicine Hat

$749 41.3% 23.3% $228

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17%

Medicine Hat

$319 17.6% 9% $32

Eating Out

Montreal

$291 14.1%

Medicine Hat

$245 13.5% 15.8% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$157 7.6%

Medicine Hat

$254 14% 61.6% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$135 6.5%

Medicine Hat

$95 5.2% 29.7% $40

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Medicine Hat

$70 3.9% 30.2% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Medicine Hat

$83 4.6% 54% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,285 in Montreal versus $901 in Medicine Hat. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73 in Montreal versus $70 in Medicine Hat. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $319 – making Medicine Hat the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇦 Medicine Hat

🕒 Local time

18:28 6:28 PM

16:28 4:28 PM

2 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

56,997

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Montreal Medicine Hat 2,790 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Medicine Hat

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

Montreal vs Medicine Hat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 14% more than Medicine Hat, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,096 per month in Montreal and $2,721 in Medicine Hat. 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 $1,285 in Montreal.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,064 in Montreal and $1,814 in Medicine Hat. That makes Medicine Hat about 12% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 36% 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 Montreal at $2,064. In Medicine Hat it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Montreal has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,814 in Medicine Hat to $2,064 in Montreal. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

For expats, Medicine Hat is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 12% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.