Medicine Hat’s living wage is the lowest in Alberta, among the participating Alberta communities on livingwagealberta.ca. 

Being set at $17.35 an hour, the report includes the cost of basics of food, clothing, and shelter, along with unexpected costs, small education investments, childcare, and community events. 

A low living wage is ideal, and when searching for a new place to live, quality of living is also top of mind. 

Affordability plays a part in that. Medicine Hat is known as an affordable community, and this was the reason why many moved to our sunny city. 

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Housing Cost and Taxes

Medicine Hat is known to have lower property taxes compared to other cities in Alberta, but most importantly, Medicine Hat’s average housing sale price is $327,829, which was based on the Medicine Hat Real Estate Board Statistics in March 2023.

The affordable housing cost was one of the reasons why the Grewal’s chose Medicine Hat to raise their child, “Because housing and the cost of living is so affordable in Medicine Hat, I am able to be a stay at home mom, which wouldn’t be possible in other cities,” says Belle.

And Matthew Lofgren’s parents noticed the cost of living immediately when they moved to Medicine Hat, “When they came here, they noticed the massive shift in the cost of living. My mom stopped working while my dad continued to work. They didn’t have to pay excessive bill prices — so they saw a quicker path to retirement. They bought a condo with a swimming pool, so they’re totally set.”

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Minimal Gas Use

Medicine Hat has all amenities, and thankfully you never need to commute far to reach them.  You can get from end to end in approximately 20 minutes in Medicine Hat, and a lot less gas is being used than in bigger cities when commuting to work. Of course, gas prices fluctuate in every city and town, but when the average commute time to work in Medicine Hat is around 15 minutes, a fill up isn’t as often.

Not only are driving commutes shorter, but often places are walking or biking distance away. This is what Xanthe Isbister loves most about Medicine Hat, “I love how I can afford to live in a beautiful historic brick home, on a breathtaking tree-lined street, close to the Historic Downtown, and I can walk to work from where I live. I walk to the grocery store and restaurants, and take advantage of the paths and parks right outside my front doorstep.”

And according to Michelle Amos, “This should also not be underestimated, you can get from one side of the city to the other in 15 minutes, maybe 17 if you hit all the red lights.”

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In 2021, Medicine Hat was ranked 21 out of 415 in Maclean’s: Canada’s Best Communities for the year. Medicine Hat’s top three features are internet access, taxes, and amenities. The provincial tax rate for the average family in Medicine Hat is 40 per cent; other cities in Canada range from 44 to 49 per cent on Maclean’s list.

And if you’re not quite ready to move, visit Medicine Hat for a workation trip to check it out. Airbnb listed Medicine Hat as an affordable workation spot. Medicine Hat was listed second with an average of $41.30 USD per night.

Along with a low living wage, Medicine Hat comes through with an affordable cost of living, in a cozy small city with many things to do.