Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Medicine Hat

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.

63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Medicine Hat
Learn more

Medicine Hat Living Index

Jump to prices

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Medicine Hat

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,806

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro 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 Rio de Janeiro and in Medicine Hat actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rio de Janeiro is about 29% cheaper than Medicine Hat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.06 R$51.0

$14.42 CA$20.39

-30.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.44 R$205

$70.9 CA$100

-42.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 R$43.35

$9.84 CA$13.91

-13.11%

Cappuccino

$2.38 R$12.04

$3.65 CA$5.16

-34.79%

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

$1.61 R$8.18

$1.91 CA$2.70

-15.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R$5.22

$1.74 CA$2.46

-40.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 R$12.54

$4.87 CA$6.88

-49.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 R$18.77

$3.81 CA$5.39

-2.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.05

$1.52 CA$2.14

-21.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 R$10.38

$1.73 CA$2.45

18.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.49

$3.41 CA$4.82

-62.46%

Eggs

$2.29 R$11.60

$3.04 CA$4.30

-24.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.76 R$54.5

$9.36 CA$13.23

14.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 R$22.36

$10.75 CA$15.19

-58.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.84 R$49.86

$12.84 CA$18.15

-23.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 R$14.25

$3.16 CA$4.47

-11.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 R$9.03

$1.45 CA$2.05

22.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.13

$2.87 CA$4.06

-44.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.11

$3.57 CA$5.05

-49.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.17

$2.63 CA$3.71

-53.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.26

$1.46 CA$2.07

-28.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 R$3.92

$2.62 CA$3.71

-70.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 R$3.38

$1.54 CA$2.17

-56.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 R$15.27

$11.29 CA$15.96

-73.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.08 R$40.94

$12.62 CA$17.84

-35.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$6.03

$2.45 CA$3.46

-51.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 R$12.73

$3.14 CA$4.44

-20.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 R$5.00

$2.25 CA$3.18

-56.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 R$254

$49.74 CA$70.3

0.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 R$6.20

$3.22 CA$4.56

-62.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.66

$1.33 CA$1.88

-30.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.45

$27.09 CA$38.30

-66.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 R$6.57

$1.00 CA$1.42

30.00%

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

$23.9K R$121.0K

$27.7K CA$39.2K

-13.85%

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

$32.9K R$166.6K

$18.5K CA$26.2K

77.24%

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

$133 R$676

$163 CA$231

-18.21%

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

$10.82 R$54.8

$38.36 CA$54.2

-71.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.90 R$116

$50.9 CA$71.9

-55.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.79 R$156

$53.1 CA$75.1

-42.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.85 R$161

$35.70 CA$50.5

-10.78%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 R$40.83

$13.95 CA$19.72

-42.29%

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

$598 R$3,029

$782 CA$1,105

-23.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K R$68.0K

$15.6K CA$22.0K

-13.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.04 R$213

$50.9 CA$72.0

-17.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.68 R$252

$26.16 CA$36.98

89.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 R$378

$66.9 CA$94.6

11.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.7 R$348

$65.9 CA$93.2

4.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R$4,578

$800 CA$1,131

12.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$529 R$2,684

$759 CA$1,073

-30.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,326 R$6,724

$1,338 CA$1,891

-0.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 R$3,831

$1,226 CA$1,733

-38.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,010 R$20.3K

$1,314 CA$1,858

205.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,910

$1,905 CA$2,693

-18.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,242

$2,951 CA$4,171

-78.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

4.51

164.52%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 10, 2026

Last update for Medicine Hat: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1%

Medicine Hat

$759 42% 43.3% $229

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Medicine Hat

$316 17.5% 47.2% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13%

Medicine Hat

$252 14% 51% $85

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8%

Medicine Hat

$235 13% 42.6% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Medicine Hat

$94 5.2% 10.6% $11

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Medicine Hat

$69 3.8% 14.6% $8.7

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6%

Medicine Hat

$81 4.5% 72.7% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $903 in Rio de Janeiro versus $800 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.

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

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇨🇦 Medicine Hat

🕒 Local time

13:43 1:43 PM

10:43 10:43 AM

3 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

56,997

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

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).

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).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Rio de Janeiro
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

Rio de Janeiro vs Medicine Hat: 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 $1,933 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $2,710 in Medicine Hat. 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 $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro and $1,806 in Medicine Hat. 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.