Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Medicine Hat

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.

126

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Medicine Hat
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Medicine Hat Living Index

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,610

/mo nomad

Medicine Hat

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,836

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Toronto $2,610
Medicine Hat $1,836

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

Toronto $3,727
Medicine Hat $2,735

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

Toronto $4,844
Medicine Hat $3,633

Toronto costs about 42% more than Medicine Hat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 CA$24.65

$14.82 CA$20.77

18.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.8 CA$110

$69.7 CA$97.7

13.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 CA$15.03

$9.67 CA$13.56

10.96%

Cappuccino

$4.09 CA$5.73

$3.74 CA$5.23

9.36%

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

$2.10 CA$2.95

$2.00 CA$2.80

5.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 CA$2.41

$1.74 CA$2.44

-1.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.36 CA$8.91

$4.89 CA$6.85

30.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.08 CA$9.92

$3.85 CA$5.39

83.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.54 CA$3.56

$1.54 CA$2.16

64.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 CA$3.81

$1.85 CA$2.60

47.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 CA$3.06

$3.50 CA$4.91

-37.71%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.08

$3.05 CA$4.28

19.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.46 CA$13.25

$9.21 CA$12.90

2.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 CA$16.17

$10.96 CA$15.36

5.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.37 CA$20.14

$12.81 CA$17.95

12.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 CA$5.18

$3.10 CA$4.35

19.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 CA$1.66

$1.42 CA$1.99

-16.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.46 CA$4.85

$2.94 CA$4.12

17.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.22 CA$5.92

$3.79 CA$5.31

11.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.50

$2.79 CA$3.91

-35.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 CA$2.31

$1.47 CA$2.06

12.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 CA$3.09

$2.52 CA$3.53

-12.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 CA$1.77

$1.54 CA$2.16

-18.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.97 CA$19.58

$11.18 CA$15.67

24.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.20 CA$19.89

$12.98 CA$18.19

9.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 CA$3.15

$2.50 CA$3.50

-10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 CA$3.55

$3.15 CA$4.42

-19.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 CA$3.25

$2.31 CA$3.24

0.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 CA$156

$50.3 CA$70.5

122.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 CA$4.29

$3.21 CA$4.50

-4.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 CA$1.71

$1.39 CA$1.94

-12.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.69 CA$30.39

$27.04 CA$37.89

-19.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.70

$1.07 CA$1.50

13.08%

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

$26.1K CA$36.6K

$24.0K CA$33.6K

9.08%

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

$21.1K CA$29.6K

$20.3K CA$28.5K

3.85%

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

$120 CA$168

$166 CA$233

-28.02%

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

$32.21 CA$45.14

$38.31 CA$53.7

-15.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.88 CA$68.5

$50.3 CA$70.5

-2.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.34 CA$55.1

$53.5 CA$75.0

-26.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.58 CA$33.05

$35.67 CA$49.98

-33.89%

Cinema Ticket

$12.58 CA$17.63

$14.13 CA$19.80

-10.97%

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

$832 CA$1,166

$787 CA$1,103

5.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K CA$33.1K

$16.0K CA$22.4K

47.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 CA$73.3

$51.9 CA$72.7

0.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.44 CA$55.3

$26.87 CA$37.65

46.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.0 CA$139

$66.1 CA$92.7

49.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 CA$171

$67.0 CA$93.8

82.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,631 CA$2,286

$836 CA$1,171

95.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,448 CA$2,030

$775 CA$1,086

86.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,737 CA$3,835

$1,338 CA$1,875

104.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,129 CA$2,984

$1,229 CA$1,723

73.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,206 CA$11.5K

$1,354 CA$1,898

506.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,838 CA$9,581

$1,890 CA$2,649

261.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,520 CA$4,932

$2,983 CA$4,179

18.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

4.51

-0.89%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 18, 2026

Last update for Medicine Hat: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 55.5%

Medicine Hat

$775 42.2% 46.5% $674

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$343 13.1%

Medicine Hat

$320 17.5% 6.6% $22

Eating Out

Toronto

$283 10.9%

Medicine Hat

$240 13% 15.4% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$201 7.7%

Medicine Hat

$255 13.9% 27% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$141 5.4%

Medicine Hat

$95 5.2% 32.2% $45

Getting Around

Toronto

$130 5%

Medicine Hat

$70 3.8% 46.4% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$65 2.5%

Medicine Hat

$82 4.5% 26.8% $17

Cost Breakdown

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

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇨🇦 Medicine Hat

🕒 Local time

03:48 3:48 AM

01:48 1:48 AM

2 h behind Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

56,997

💱 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

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

From you

Toronto
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

Toronto vs Medicine Hat: 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 $3,916 per month in Toronto and $2,755 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 $836 there versus $1,631 in Toronto.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,610 in Toronto and $1,836 in Medicine Hat. 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.