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COST OF LIVING

All Commodity Indices | All Non Food Indices | Specific Non Food Items

The communities in the Palliser Region are proud of their reasonable cost of living. In a 2005 survey conducted by Alberta Finance - Statistics, the communities of Brooks, Hanna and Medicine Hat were shown to be relatively reasonable places to live in terms of the cost of living.

This 2005 Place to Place Price Comparison Survey was conducted of 37 selected Alberta communities to provide an Edmonton-based comparison for a common basket of goods and services in food and non-food items. For example, the survey showed that the City of Medicine Hat 's food prices were 1.5% cheaper than the City of Edmonton , 1.1% cheaper than the City of Calgary , and 5.3% cheaper than the City of Lethbridge . The results for the three Palliser Region communities included in this survey can be obtained by clicking here.

The City of Edmonton conducted a "Residential Property Taxes and Utility Charges Survey" in 2005, in which property taxes and utility charges for an average, single-detached house in major Canadian cities are surveyed. The results relative to the City of Medicine Hat are

• Lowest property tax incl municipal and school taxes of $1,541 for a single detached house

• Second lowest average property tax of $1,633 for a single detached house

• Lowest median property tax for a single detached house of $1,489

• Third lowest total property tax per person at $866

• Second lowest combined property and business tax per person at $866

• Lowest combined total property tax and utility charges at $3,096

• Lowest combined municipal property tax and utility charges at $2,423

It is evident that the cost of living in the Palliser Region is favourable compared to major centres across Canada .

2005 Place to Place Price Comparison Survey Palliser Region Communities

Printable Version

All Commodity Indices

All Non Food Indices

Specific Non Food Items

NOTE: Edmonton prices serve as the reference base and therefore are assigned a value of 100. Communities with an index of over 100 recorded prices higher than Edmonton , and conversely, those under 100 recorded lower prices.