Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Medicine Hat

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.

130

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Medicine Hat
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Medicine Hat Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,725

/mo nomad

Medicine Hat

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,814

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Vancouver $2,725
Medicine Hat $1,814

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

Vancouver $4,039
Medicine Hat $2,712

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

Vancouver $5,352
Medicine Hat $3,611

Vancouver costs about 50% more than Medicine Hat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.65 CA$24.66

$15.23 CA$21.28

15.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.4 CA$101

$69.9 CA$97.7

3.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.84 CA$15.14

$9.82 CA$13.72

10.39%

Cappuccino

$3.91 CA$5.47

$3.76 CA$5.26

3.99%

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

$2.10 CA$2.94

$2.04 CA$2.85

2.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 CA$2.29

$1.72 CA$2.40

-4.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 CA$8.02

$5.09 CA$7.11

12.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.36 CA$8.89

$3.95 CA$5.52

61.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CA$3.09

$1.55 CA$2.16

42.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 CA$3.69

$1.77 CA$2.47

49.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.68 CA$6.53

$3.46 CA$4.84

35.26%

Eggs

$4.24 CA$5.92

$2.98 CA$4.16

42.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.92 CA$16.66

$9.44 CA$13.19

26.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.12 CA$18.33

$11.03 CA$15.41

18.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.40 CA$28.50

$12.82 CA$17.91

59.13%

Apples (1kg)

$4.10 CA$5.73

$3.17 CA$4.43

29.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.92

$1.46 CA$2.04

-5.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.83 CA$5.35

$2.86 CA$3.99

33.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 CA$5.47

$3.72 CA$5.20

5.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 CA$3.88

$2.71 CA$3.79

2.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.84 CA$3.96

$1.48 CA$2.07

91.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 CA$3.63

$2.61 CA$3.65

-0.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CA$2.22

$1.57 CA$2.20

1.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.87 CA$22.17

$11.51 CA$16.08

37.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.00 CA$19.55

$12.61 CA$17.61

11.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 CA$3.59

$2.38 CA$3.33

7.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 CA$4.21

$3.19 CA$4.45

-5.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.57

$2.26 CA$3.15

12.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.1 CA$118

$50.9 CA$71.2

65.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 CA$3.73

$3.19 CA$4.46

-16.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$1.34 CA$1.87

17.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.19 CA$44.97

$27.41 CA$38.29

17.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 CA$2.03

$1.03 CA$1.44

40.78%

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

$27.5K CA$38.4K

$24.3K CA$34.0K

12.89%

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

$21.3K CA$29.8K

$20.0K CA$28.0K

6.44%

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

$82.5 CA$115

$165 CA$231

-50.04%

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

$37.46 CA$52.3

$38.32 CA$53.5

-2.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 CA$72.2

$50.6 CA$70.7

2.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.52 CA$56.6

$53.8 CA$75.1

-24.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.69 CA$17.73

$35.27 CA$49.27

-64.02%

Cinema Ticket

$12.66 CA$17.69

$14.39 CA$20.10

-12.02%

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

$1,080 CA$1,508

$541 CA$756

99.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.1K CA$28.1K

$16.1K CA$22.5K

24.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$81.7

$50.5 CA$70.5

15.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.10 CA$47.64

$26.44 CA$36.94

28.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 CA$135

$66.2 CA$92.4

46.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.4 CA$136

$67.6 CA$94.5

43.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,813 CA$2,533

$901 CA$1,258

101.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 CA$2,201

$749 CA$1,046

110.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,217 CA$4,494

$1,483 CA$2,071

116.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,651 CA$3,704

$1,198 CA$1,673

121.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,590 CA$12.0K

$1,369 CA$1,912

527.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,649 CA$9,289

$1,930 CA$2,696

244.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,733 CA$5,215

$2,973 CA$4,154

25.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

4.51

-5.10%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 27, 2026

Last update for Medicine Hat: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.6K 57.8%

Medicine Hat

$749 41.3% 52.5% $827

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$401 14.7%

Medicine Hat

$319 17.6% 20.3% $81

Eating Out

Vancouver

$277 10.2%

Medicine Hat

$245 13.5% 11.6% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$172 6.3%

Medicine Hat

$254 14% 48% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$129 4.7%

Medicine Hat

$95 5.2% 26.6% $34

Getting Around

Vancouver

$105 3.9%

Medicine Hat

$70 3.9% 33.4% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$66 2.4%

Medicine Hat

$83 4.6% 25.3% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,813 in Vancouver 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.

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 $72 in Vancouver versus $70 in Medicine Hat. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $401 vs $319 – making Medicine Hat the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇨🇦 Medicine Hat

🕒 Local time

01:09 1:09 AM

02:09 2:09 AM

1 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

56,997

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

From you

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Vancouver vs Medicine Hat: 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 $4,087 per month in Vancouver 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 $1,813 in Vancouver.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,725 in Vancouver and $1,814 in Medicine Hat. 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.