In my simple model here, staff is per-capita; fixed costs like property, plant, and equipment are per-unit-area. Which wins in this case? I don't actually know, but I don't believe it is a trivial calculation. (Further, the medical events are not necessarily comparable in the two cases---rural means farming and resource extraction, etc., and that shit's dangerous, compared to white-collar work. And then there's transportation costs.)
I do know that in other similar situations, wealthier, more populated areas end up subsidizing poorer, less populated areas.
I do know that in other similar situations, wealthier, more populated areas end up subsidizing poorer, less populated areas.